Thai forces fire rubber bullets, tear gas in clash with Cambodian villagers

The most significant violence to occur between Thailand and Cambodia since cross-border fighting between the two countries ended in July was the use of tear gas and rubber bullets during clashes in a disputed area on the Thai-Cambodia border, which left scores of Cambodian civilians injured.

Local media in Cambodia reported that 29 people were hurt in the Thai military’s melee on Wednesday afternoon, including Buddhist monks and local villagers, while Thailand’s military claimed that several of its officials were also hurt.

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The fighting is the most intense in months, having started when the Southeast Asian neighbors reached a ceasefire agreement in late July that saw at least 48 people die in both countries as a result of hundreds of thousands of people flee their homes for safety.

Cambodia’s Ministry of Defense criticized Thailand’s military for actions that violated “sovereignty and international law” and urged Thailand to refrain from actions that might raise tensions or worsen disputes in a statement released on Thursday.

According to a report from the Reuters news agency, violence broke out close to a disputed frontier settlement that Thailand claims is a part of the Sa Kaeo province’s Ban Nong Ya Kaew village and Cambodia claims is a part of the Banteay Meanchey province’s Prey Chan village.

The Thai military reported that it responded to the arrival of about 200 Cambodian protesters at 3:40 pm local time [08:40 GMT] in protest of the installation of “barricades and concertina wire to enhance security along the Thai-Cambodia Border.”

Thai forces “to control the situation” by deploying rubber bullets and using tear gas within 30 minutes of moving to the flashpoint area where protesters from both nations have gathered in recent weeks, accusing the Cambodian demonstrators of being armed with wooden sticks, stones, and slingshots.

Thai forces also used long-range acoustic devices as crowd control against the Cambodian demonstrators, who were forced to leave the area, according to the military.

In a statement from Thai military spokesman Winthai Suvari, “Crown control officers were ultimately deployed to de-escalate the situation in accordance with international norms, using tear gas and rubber bullets to stop the unrest from turning into a full-blown riot.”

The foreign ministry accuses Thai soldiers of entering Cambodian territory and attacking residents who were defending their homes, and Cambodian authorities have responded to the injuries of their civilians with a string of statements.

The Thai military’s repeated provocations “severely undermines both governments’ efforts to resolve disputes through peaceful dialogue and negotiation,” according to the ministry.

In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet accused Thai forces of “widening the conflict zone by erecting barbed wire and barricades, issuing ultimatums, and forcibly evicting Cambodian civilians from long-settled land.”

The human rights committee for the Cambodian government urged Thailand to “intervene and uphold regional and international law.”