Firefight follows Thai claims that Cambodian troops burned down a Thai-built pavilion in March.
By Pimuk Rakkanam for RFA
BANGKOK – The Thai prime minister said Wednesday she spoke to her Cambodian counterpart to reduce tensions after Cambodia said one of its soldiers was killed in a brief gunfight with Thai troops at a sensitive border region.
The 10-minute shootout at Hill 496 comes after weeks of mounting tension. The neighbors have a history of armed confrontation at disputed border areas.
Cambodia said one of its soldiers, Sgt. Suan Roan, 48, was killed during the fight, and the body has been transported from the border for a funeral, The Associated Press reported. The Thai army said it suffered no casualties.
Tension has risen in recent weeks after Thai soldiers accused their Cambodian counterparts of burning a Thai-built friendship gazebo in the Chong Bok area of Thailand’s northeastern Ubon Ratchathani province, where the Thai, Cambodian and Lao borders meet. There have also been disturbances at the ancient shrine of Ta Moan Thom, in Surin province to the west. Both Thailand and Cambodia claim the site.
Following Wednesday’s clash, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said both countries were determined to prevent tensions from boiling over.
“[I] have talked to Prime Minister Hun Manet. [The incident] was minor. We have understanding and will ease the tension and will prevent the reoccurrence,” she told reporters.
Thai soldiers were directed to stay alert despite top level negotiations, the Thai army said in a statement, adding that Cambodia fired the first shot and all Thai soldiers were safe.
In a post on Facebook, Cambodian Senate president and former prime minister Hun Sen expressed condolences to the family of the fallen soldier, and said a peaceful border “should never witness such incidents.”
“I strongly condemn any individual, entity, or authority that made the decision to carry out such an act of aggression, which resembles the incursions that occurred between 2008 and 2011 at the Preah Vihear temple,” Hun Sen wrote.
In 2011, there was a deadly clash between Thai and Cambodia forces over an ancient temple at Preah Vihear, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The U.N.’s International Court of Justice granted sovereignty over the area to Cambodia in 2013.
This March, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet threatened to use military force if the Thai military sent soldiers to Ta Moan Thom temple site.
The incomplete boundary demarcation there led to a confrontation between Cambodian soldiers who visited the temple last month and Thai soldiers who are stationed nearby, according to independent online news outlet CamboJa.
RFA Khmer contributed reporting. Edited by Mike Firn and Mat Pennington.
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