Cambodia Reports Villager Killed by Thai Soldiers in Latest Sign of Faltering Peace

Cambodia’s government has accused Thai forces of firing on a Cambodian border community on Nov. 12, killing at least one villager and raising fresh doubts about the uneasy peace between the two Southeast Asian countries.

According to a statement from Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thai soldiers fired on the Cambodian village of Prey Chan late on Wednesday afternoon, killing one villager and injuring three more in what the ministry described as an unprovoked attack on civilians.

“This incident represents a serious violation of Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as a grave breach of international humanitarian law and the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter, [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] Charter and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia,” the Cambodian government said of the shooting.

Responding to the allegation, Thai Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree said that Thai forces were first fired upon by Cambodian forces in the area.

“Thai forces took cover and fired warning shots in response, following rules of engagement,” Suvaree said, adding that the incident lasted about 10 minutes.

Wednesday’s shooting is the latest flare-up in a disputed border zone between Thailand and Cambodia.

The decades-old territorial dispute devolved into five days of combat between the two nations earlier this summer. Both sides came to an initial cease-fire agreement on July 28, but have since accused one another of violating the peace deal.

At an Oct. 26 summit in Malaysia, U.S. President Donald Trump oversaw the signing of a broader peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, dubbed the “Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords.”

This peace is on increasingly shaky ground.

On Nov. 10, the Thai government accused the Cambodian side of removing barbed wire that Thai forces had used to cordon off a section of the disputed border, and then planting new landmines in the area. The Thai military said four of its soldiers were injured when they passed through the area and set off the landmine.

Following the landmine blast, the Thai government announced it would pause its participation in the peace agreement it had signed with Cambodia last month.

“The Royal Thai Armed Forces have suspended all agreements until Cambodia shows clear sincerity that it will not be ‘hostile,’” Thai military chief Gen. Ukris Boontanondha announced in a statement on Monday.

Phnom Penh has denied responsibility for Monday’s landmine incident and warned that past conflicts within Cambodia had proven that such weapons can pose a persistent threat well after hostilities have ended.

“Cambodia, as a devoted advocate for and state party to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, has never used any new landmines and will never do so,” Cambodia’s foreign ministry said on Monday.

Following Monday’s landmine blast, a U.S. State Department spokesperson told The Epoch Times that it was gathering more information about the incident, and urged Thailand and Cambodia to abide by the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords.

“The United States remains steadfast in its desire to see these neighbors take the necessary steps for a longer-term peace.