Edging far from peace

Less than two months after a Donald Trump-brokered peace accord between Thailand and Cambodia took effect, the two neighbours have resumed their armed conflict.

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A relatively minor skirmish in Si Sa Ket province that resulted in two injuries on the Thai side has since escalated into larger-scale warfare.Overnight, all bilateral mechanisms, including the Joint Boundary Committee (JBC) and General Border Committee (GBC), have been ditched, even though some missions like landmine clearance operations are still in progress, especially in the area along the Sakaeo-Banteay Meanchey border.

As before, both sides are pointing fingers at each other, accusing the other of "firing first". Similarly, both are employing heavy weaponry, which results in high casualties, at some strategic hotspots like the Ta Khwai temple and the adjacent area on the overlapping stretch of the border. The fighting has severely affected civilians, with almost 500,000 Thais reportedly evacuated. At least three Thai soldiers have died in the latest tussles, as of yesterday.