Escalating border skirmishes between Thailand and Cambodia entered a third day on Saturday, triggering a humanitarian crisis as more than 80,000 civilians have been forced to flee their homes amid intensifying violence that has left at least 32 people dead.
As artillery exchanges continued along disputed sections of the border, both countries traded blame for the hostilities.
Thai officials reported that 19 of its citizens, primarily civilians, had died since the fighting erupted, while Cambodian authorities confirmed their casualties had risen to 13.
In response to the crisis, the United Nations Security Council convened an emergency closed-door meeting in New York on Friday.
While no official statement was released, diplomats said all 15 member nations expressed concern and urged both parties to de-escalate tensions and resolve the conflict through peaceful dialogue.
The Council also encouraged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to step in as a mediator.
Malaysia, which currently chairs ASEAN, issued a call for calm and offered to facilitate negotiations.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reportedly spoke to leaders in both countries to promote diplomatic engagement and an immediate cessation of hostilities.
Cambodia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Chhea Keo, reiterated his government’s call for an unconditional ceasefire and rejected claims that Cambodian forces had instigated the violence.
“A small country like ours, without an air force, cannot wage war against a nation whose military far outnumbers ours,” Keo stated.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s envoy to the UN left the Security Council meeting without addressing the media.
Thailand’s Acting Prime Minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, suggested that Cambodia’s actions may constitute war crimes, pointing to civilian deaths and damage sustained by a hospital during the bombardments.
He emphasised that Thailand had shown restraint despite repeated provocations.
The renewed conflict flared up on Wednesday after a land mine exploded near the contested border, injuring five Thai soldiers.
Tensions, rooted in a decades-old territorial dispute, quickly escalated into a wider military confrontation.
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Thai health authorities reported on Friday that more than 58,000 people had been evacuated from villages across four border provinces.
Cambodian officials said at least 23,000 had fled from vulnerable areas near the frontier, many taking shelter in temples, schools, or makeshift camps.
With hostilities showing little sign of abating, international observers and regional leaders have voiced growing alarm over the potential for a prolonged conflict between the two Southeast Asian neighbours.
