Fresh Fighting Breaks Out on Thailand–Cambodia Border, Trump’s Peace Deal at Risk

New skirmishes erupted along the border between Thailand and Cambodia, which fed a new wave of uncertainty around the fragile peace deal that was negotiated by US President Donald Trump. The conflict over the ancient temple Preah Vihear, which is one of the main disputing issues between the two countries, has been marked by the extensive use of heavy weapons by both sides, including fighter jets, airstrikes, artillery, and tank shells.

Thailand admitted deploying combat aircraft after the fighting escalated. The Royal Thai Army’s spokesperson Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree commented that air power was applied to counter what Thailand referred to as Cambodian aggression, pointing to a radical transition from terrestrial clashes to aerial combat.

According to Thai military personnel, eight bombs were released on Cambodian land, including one near casinos that Thailand claims were being used as military bases. Earlier in the day, Thailand had already warned that heavy artillery and aircraft would be at their disposal to retaliate in case of continuous attacks.

The confrontation ignited when according to Cambodian troops they were attacked by Thai soldiers and consequently opened fire using grenade launchers and small firearms near the Thai positions close to the Preah Vihear temple. Thailand reacted with heavy return fire. An exchange of fire resulted in injuries to several soldiers on both sides and caused hundreds of villagers to flee their homes in terror as shells were landing in civilian areas.

Cambodia had a different take on the situation, however. In an official communication, the Ministry of National Defense of Cambodia stated that the Royal Thai Army was the one who shot first at 5:04 a.m. near An Ses in Preah Vihear Province, starting with multiple blasts including tank shells directed at Tamoan Thom Temple and surrounding areas. Cambodian officials maintained that their forces did not respond and called upon Thailand to immediately stop what they referred to as instigating and aggressive actions and to be co-operative in the establishment of a calm atmosphere.

This new round of violence is singled out as the most intense conflict since the brief five-day war in July and just months after the truce facilitated by Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Trump in fact even participated in the signing of an expanded peace agreement between the two countries in Kuala Lumpur in October, which makes the recent conflicts extremely worrisome for the regional diplomacy.

The core issue of the disagreement is a centuries-old quarrel. The International Court of Justice in 1962 decided that the temple of Preah Vihear is a property of Cambodia, while the area around the temple remains a point of argument, which is a lingering uncertain situation that fuels the mistrust, military presence, and sometimes violent conflicts erupting between the two neighbors.