A fragile ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia has collapsed into renewed violence, with one civilian killed by gunfire in a dramatic escalation along the disputed border. The fatal clash deals a severe blow to a peace agreement brokered just weeks ago by former US President Donald Trump.
Ceasefire Unravels After Landmine Blast
The newly signed truce began to falter on Monday after a Thai soldier lost a foot in a landmine explosion while patrolling the frontier. Thai authorities immediately pointed the finger at Cambodia, alleging the device was freshly laid and suspending the terms of the deal in response.
This incident set the stage for a dangerous deterioration. By Wednesday, officials from both nations reported exchanges of gunfire across the border separating Thailand's Sa Kaeo province from Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey province.
Civilian Casualties and Accusations
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet confirmed the tragic human cost, stating that one civilian was killed and three others were wounded in the Prey Chan area of Cambodia's north-west. He condemned the action, saying it "goes against the humanitarian spirit and recent agreements to resolve border issues peacefully."
Eyewitness accounts from the Cambodian side paint a frightening picture. A local resident, Hul Malis, told news agencies that people in her area were wounded by gunfire from across the border. "They just shot at us. We did nothing," she said. "I am so frightened, I am running away now." Her husband, Thong Kimleang, reported that Thai soldiers "fired a lot of shots" for a sustained period of about fifteen minutes.
Bangkok, however, has offered a different version of events. Thai army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree blamed Cambodian troops, claiming they "fired shots into Thai territory."
A Deal on Shaky Ground
This recent flare-up is a major setback for the peace process. The conflict had previously ignited in July, leading to five days of intense fighting that left 43 people dead and displaced 300,000 in the worst border violence in a decade.
In an effort to halt the bloodshed, Donald Trump oversaw the signing of a ceasefire agreement in Malaysia this October. The US president had previously threatened to withhold trade privileges from both nations unless the fighting stopped. While the deal secured a temporary pause in hostilities, it did not resolve the centuries-old border dispute, which stems from maps drawn during the French colonial rule of Cambodia.
The situation remains highly volatile. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited troops at the border and told reporters, "Today, we consider that the deal that we made in order to bring peace is now over." A foreign ministry spokesperson later sought to clarify, stating that Thailand had merely paused the agreement's implementation, not officially withdrawn from it.
With the truce in tatters and both sides trading accusations, the path back to peace appears increasingly uncertain, leaving border communities living in fear.
