Thai security forces fired rubber bullets and tear gas at Cambodian protesters during a violent confrontation along a disputed stretch of the border on Wednesday, injuring at least 28 people and raising fears of renewed conflict between the two neighbours.
The clashes erupted near Ban Nong Ya Kaeo in Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province, which Cambodia calls Prey Chan village in Banteay Meanchey province.
Thai officials claimed that around 200 Cambodian civilians attempted to dismantle barbed wire fences erected last month, hurling rocks, sticks and firing slingshots at officers.
The villagers had come “to protest the Thai side’s actions during the deployment of barriers and concertina wire to enhance security along the Thai-Cambodia border”, Thailand’s army claimed in a statement.
Cambodia accused Thai forces of crossing into its territory and using “tear gas, rubber bullets, and noise-making devices against Cambodian civilians”.
The government said in a statement that monks were among those hurt, with some fainting after being struck by tear gas or exposed to high-frequency acoustic devices.
It condemned the incident as a violation of its sovereignty and unacceptable under international law, local media outlet EAC News reported.
In the wake of the clash, the statement said, prime minister Hun Manet dispatched letters to world leaders seeking support from the international community and the regional Asean bloc to stop Thailand’s “unilateral actions that risk escalating tensions and widening the conflict”.
Thailand insisted its security forces acted inside its border. A statement by the foreign ministry described the alleged removal of barricades by Cambodians as “unlawful acts constituting numerous offences under Thai law”, The Nation reported.
Thai officials showed restraint before being forced to respond “using internationally accepted practices” to restore order, the ministry maintained. “All actions by the Thai police were proportionate and appropriate to the circumstances, adhering to human rights principles, and prevented the situation from spiralling out of control.”
Thai army spokesperson Major General Winthai Suvaree characterised the protesters as a Cambodian mob encroaching on Thai territory, and said the violence amounted to a deliberate provocation and breach of the July ceasefire agreement.
The military said five of its soldiers were injured in the confrontation.
The violence on Wednesday followed a similar standoff the previous day when some Cambodian villagers had reportedly attempted to remove Thai barriers before being pushed back with tear gas and rubber bullets.
The border has long been a flashpoint. It was mapped by the French colonial rulers of Cambodia in 1907 but Thailand came to dispute its accuracy.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled that Cambodia held sovereignty over the area surrounding the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple, a decision contested by Thailand.
In July, the fiercest armed conflict in decades between the two countries left at least 48 people dead and forced over 260,000 to flee their homes. That conflict ended after mediation by Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim and pressure from US president Donald Trump, who threatened to suspend privileges for both sides unless they agreed to a ceasefire.
In spite of that agreement, mistrust lingers. Thai authorities have accused Cambodia of planting new landmines along the border, an allegation Phnom Penh denies.
A meeting of the General Border Committee scheduled for 10 October is set to be dominated by this week’s clashes.
The US State Department urged both governments to de-escalate and finalise plans for an Asean-led observer mission to monitor the ceasefire.
