Fresh gunfire erupts along Cambodia-Thailand border as one civilian is killed and peace deal teeters

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - Cambodia and Thailand traded accusations of fresh clashes along their border on Wednesday, with Phnom Penh reporting one civilian shot dead in hostilities flaring after Bangkok paused implementation of a US-backed peace deal. — Picture courtesy of Ministry of Information Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Nov 12 — Cambodia and Thailand traded accusations of fresh clashes along their border on Wednesday, with Phnom Penh reporting one civilian shot dead in hostilities flaring after Bangkok paused implementation of a US-backed peace deal.

Five days of combat erupted between Thailand and Cambodia this summer, killing 43 people and displacing around 300,000 before a truce backed by US President Donald Trump took effect.

However, Thailand on Monday paused implementation of a follow-on deal to wind down hostilities, claiming a blast from a newly laid landmine had wounded four of its soldiers.

Just two days later, officials on both sides have reported gunfire across the boundary between Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province and Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey province.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said three civilians were wounded and one killed.

“The action goes against the humanitarian spirit and recent agreements to resolve border issues peacefully,” he said in a post on Facebook.

But Bangkok blamed Cambodian troops who “fired shots into Thai territory”, Royal Thai Army spokesman Winthai Suvaree said.

Thai troops “took cover and fired warning shots in response”, he said, with the incident lasting about 10 minutes with no Thai casualties reported.

Cambodia’s information ministry shared images and video which it alleged showed wounded civilians, including one man being treated in an ambulance with a bloodied leg.

Cambodia’s information ministry shared images and video which it alleged showed wounded civilians, including one man being treated in an ambulance with a bloodied leg. — Picture courtesy of Ministry of Information Cambodia

AFP was not able to verify the provenance of the images.

‘I am so frightened’

Cambodian villager Hul Malis told AFP by phone that gunfire from across the border had wounded at least three people in her area.

“They just shot at us. We did nothing,” she said. “I am so frightened, I am running away now.”

Her husband, Thong Kimleang, told AFP the Thai military “fired a lot of shots” for around 15 minutes.

The dispute between Thailand and Cambodia centres on a century-old disagreement over borders mapped during France’s colonial rule in the region, with both sides claiming a smattering of boundary temples.

Back in July, the region ignited with open combat along the frontier waged with fighter jets, missile strikes and ground troops.

A truce began on July 29 after intervention by Trump, as well as Chinese diplomats and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc.

They signed a joint declaration last month, agreeing to withdraw heavy weapons and allowing ceasefire monitors access to the border.

While experts said the deal failed to adjudicate the core territorial dispute, Trump flew into Kuala Lumpur to oversee the pact he cited as evidence of his presidential peace-making abilities.

But the apparent fresh landmine blast and renewed clashes have thrown its future into doubt.

Thailand has already delayed the release of 18 captured Cambodian soldiers, a key plank of the joint declaration. — AFP