Fighting_erupts_along_disputed_Thailand-Cambodia_border(360p)

Saad Ghouri

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Transcript

00:01So we're going to bring you some breaking news now.

00:03Two people have been killed in Thailand as fighting reignites along the border that it shares with Cambodia.

00:09Clashes broke out on Thursday in an area near the Prasad-Tamuan Thom Temple that's located in Cambodia's northwestern Oda-Milanchi province.

00:23Yes, both the Thai and Cambodian militaries accused each other of opening fire first.

00:30Thai forces report at least two of their soldiers have been wounded.

00:33Civilians in nearby areas have been taking shelter.

00:37Let's bring in Tony Cheng, who joins us on the phone line from Koh Lanta in southern Thailand.

00:42So Tony, nationalist passions have been running high for some time.

00:45How is this playing out in Thailand?

00:48They really are. They've been simmering for several months now.

00:51I think there is a lot of frustration here in Thailand, a lot of anger.

00:55Their anger is focused at Hun Sen, the former prime minister of Cambodia, who's been playing a very active role on social media,

01:05but also against their own prime minister or former prime minister, I should say,

01:09who has been removed temporarily from her position for a conversation she had on the phone with Hun Sen,

01:16in which she said that she was trying to resolve the situation, but she was at odds with her own military.

01:24She was taking a very placatory approach to Hun Sen, a man who is, I think many people see,

01:31as an arch political manipulator and mover.

01:34But all of that time, we've seen pressure building up in the border areas.

01:40This is a border area which has been disputed for decades, but in May, there was a clash between the two militaries.

01:47A Cambodian soldier was killed.

01:50In the last couple of weeks, we've seen landmines.

01:53Again, a slightly confusing story.

01:55Initially, the Thai government said that the landmines were old mines that had been planted some time ago,

02:03that a Thai soldier had lost his leg.

02:06Then the military came out with a contradictory report saying the Cambodians had planted this recently.

02:11So all of that has been simmering in the background.

02:14What we've seen today, however, is those clashes break out into the open.

02:18The Thai military said about 30 minutes ago that there have been six clashes in those border areas.

02:24The most explosive one seems to be the one you mentioned.

02:26And a grad rocket attack which killed two civilians in Surin province and injured two others.

02:34So I think this is something that many people have been expecting for some time.

02:40Now the tensions seem to have broken out into the open.

02:42And Tony, why is this border area so contested?

02:45Why is there so much disagreement?

02:46Well, unfortunately, this dates back to the colonial era when the French colonial power

02:54drew up the lines that divided Cambodia and Thailand.

02:58As with many places, you know, this was a part of the world where people moved freely between the borders.

03:05Borders was a solid border.

03:07It was a relatively sort of unknown concept.

03:11The French drew up the border lines which were then disputed by Thailand.

03:15And we've seen clashes over the years.

03:18The last really big one was near the Praweehan Temple in 2008.

03:23At that time, there was artillery exchanged across the border.

03:28The International Court of Justice has actually ruled in Cambodia's favor,

03:33saying that their interpretation of the border is correct,

03:36that Thailand has always refused to accept that decision,

03:40leaving this a sort of open sore for some time.

03:44I think the other thing, though, to understand is that there are political complications both within Thailand and in Cambodia.

03:53Former Prime Minister Hun Sen stepped down a couple of years ago.

03:57He's put his son in place as prime minister.

03:59He's trying to solidify his position and that of the Hun family.

04:03In Thailand, we have a situation where Patong Thanh Shinawot, who was the prime minister until relatively recently,

04:12with her father taxed in Shinawot, has been at odds with the military.

04:16He's trying to solidify his position and he's trying to solidify his position.

04:17He's trying to solidify his position.

04:18He's trying to solidify his position.

04:19He's trying to solidify his position.

04:20He's trying to solidify his position.

04:21He's trying to solidify his position.

04:22He's trying to solidify his position.

04:23He's trying to solidify his position.

04:24He's trying to solidify his position.

04:25He's trying to solidify his position.

04:26He's trying to solidify his position.

04:27He's trying to solidify his position.

04:28He's trying to solidify his position.

04:29He's trying to solidify his position.

04:30He's trying to solidify his position.

04:31He's trying to solidify his position.

04:33He's trying to solidify his position.

04:35He's trying to solidify his position.

04:36He's trying to solidify his position.

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