Deadly violence has flared up once again on the contentious border between Thailand and Cambodia, reigniting a long-running but little-known dispute.
Thailand deployed fighter jets against Cambodian military targets on Thursday, as forces from both countries clashed along the border. The escalation came after a second Thai soldier in a week lost their leg in a landmine explosion. Diplomatic relations have deteriorated as a full-blown conflict threatens to break out.
Here’s what to know about the disputed border.
What caused the latest flare-up?
Tensions worsened in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed during a brief clash between Thai and Cambodian troops in a contested border area of the Emerald Triangle, where Cambodia, Thailand and Laos meet.
Thai and Cambodian forces said they were acting in self-defense and blamed the other for the skirmish.
Although military leaders from Thailand and Cambodia said they wished to de-escalate, both sides have since engaged in saber-rattling and reinforced troops along the border.
Thailand took control of border checkpoints, imposed restrictions on crossings and threatened to cut electricity and internet to Cambodia’s border towns. Cambodia in return stopped imports of Thai fruit and vegetables and banned Thai movies and TV dramas.
Recent landmine explosions prompted both countries to downgrade relations with each other and recall diplomatic staff.
The first soldier lost his leg in a landmine explosion on July 16. The second incident occurred Wednesday, when a blast injured five Thai soldiers, with one losing his leg. Thursday’s violence marked a significant escalation.
Why is the border disputed?
Thailand and Cambodia have had a complicated relationship of both cooperation and rivalry in recent decades.
The two countries share a 508-mile (817-kilometer) land border – largely mapped by the French when they controlled Cambodia as a colony – that has periodically seen military clashes and been the source of political tensions.
Cambodia has previously sought a ruling from the UN’s International Court of Justice over disputed areas, including the site of the most recent clash.
However, Thailand does not recognize the ICJ’s jurisdiction and claims that some areas along the border were never fully demarcated, including the sites of several ancient temples.
In 2011, Thai and Cambodian troops clashed in a nearby area surrounding the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO world heritage site, displacing thousands of people on both sides and killing at least 20 people.
What was the fallout?
The most recent conflict has had huge political ramifications in Thailand.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended from duties in July after the leak of a phone call she had with Cambodia’s powerful former leader Hun Sen, in which she appeared to criticize her own army’s actions in the dispute.
Shinawatra hails from a powerful dynasty and became Thailand’s youngest prime minister last year, at just 38. She could face full dismissal over the 17-minute phone call – in which she appeared to signal there was discord between her government and the powerful Thai military.
The scandal and her suspension brought fresh uncertainty to the Southeast Asian kingdom, which has been roiled by years of political turbulence and leadership shake-ups.
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