Sisaket, Thailand — A dangerous fight between Thailand and Cambodia has entered its third day, and things are getting worse. Soldiers from both countries are firing weapons, people are running from their homes, and leaders are blaming each other for starting the war.
This is now the worst fighting between the two countries in 13 years.
What’s Happening?
The fight started near the border, where Thailand and Cambodia have long disagreed on who owns certain areas, especially ancient temples. The battle has now spread to new places, even 100 kilometers away from the original clash zone.
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More than 30 people have been killed
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Over 130,000 people have been forced to leave their homes
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Civilians and soldiers on both sides are suffering
“I Don’t Know If My Husband Is Safe”
In Sisaket, Thailand, one of the border provinces, a university has been turned into an emergency shelter. It’s now home to over 5,000 evacuees.
One woman, Samrong Khamduang, had to leave her farm when the shooting started. But her husband stayed behind to take care of their animals.
“We were so scared of the loud explosions,” she said.
“Now, I can’t even call my husband. I don’t know what happened to him.”
Her story shows how regular people are being torn apart by this sudden violence.
Both Sides Say: “It’s Not Our Fault!”
Thailand and Cambodia are blaming each other for the fighting.
Thailand says:
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Cambodian soldiers planted land mines and attacked first
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They are just defending themselves
Cambodia says:
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Thailand started a “deliberate and illegal attack”
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They are trying to take more land
Thailand’s ambassador told the United Nations Security Council that Cambodia should stop all fighting now and come back to the negotiating table.
Cambodia’s defense ministry fired back, accusing Thailand of trying to expand the war and violate their country’s rights.
“Thailand’s actions must be condemned,” said Cambodia’s official statement.
World Leaders Try to Stop the Fight
The leader of Malaysia, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the head of ASEAN (a group of Southeast Asian countries), is trying to make both sides agree to stop the war.
Anwar said:
“There’s still gunfire going on. I’m asking both sides to stop and talk.”
Cambodia supports his plan, and Thailand said it agrees “in principle” — but so far, the fighting hasn’t stopped.
What’s This Fight Really About?
The fight is mostly about who owns certain ancient temples and the land around them:
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The Preah Vihear temple was given to Cambodia by a global court in 1962.
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But in 2008, when Cambodia tried to get it recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Thailand got upset.
This old argument turned into years of small fights, and now it has exploded into a major conflict.
Cambodia now wants the International Court to step in again. But Thailand says they don’t recognize the court’s authority and wants to handle things directly with Cambodia.
