At least 16 people have been killed in armed clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, as tensions over a century-old border dispute escalate into the worst fighting between the two Southeast Asian nations in over a decade. The conflict has its roots in the disputed 500-mile border drawn largely by France, Cambodia’s colonial ruler until 1953. Both sides blame the other side for starting the conflict, which Thailand’s acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, warned Friday “could escalate into a state of war.” At least 14 civilians and one member of the military have been killed on the Thai side, and more than 130,000 Thai residents have been evacuated to temporary shelters. The U.S., a longtime treaty ally of Thailand, has called for an “immediate cessation” of attacks. The dispute has set off political turmoil in Thailand, with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra suspended early this month after an extraordinary leak of her phone call with Hun Sen, who ruled Cambodia for almost four decades as effectively a one-party state before handing power to his son Hun Manet two years ago.
The two Asian neighbors have recently initiated the world’s latest armed conflict.
