Cambodia has issued a strong rebuke to Thailand following a violent border clash that left at least 24 Cambodian civilians, including Buddhist monks, injured. The incident occurred on 17 September in Prey Chan Village, Ou Chrov District, near the contested frontier in Banteay Meanchey Province.

 

According to Cambodian officials, Thai military and riot police crossed into Cambodian territory around 3:44pm, allegedly attempting to seize farmland long cultivated by local communities. Villagers confronted the troops, prompting a retreat. However, the situation escalated when Thai forces reportedly fired rubber bullets, smoke grenades, and high-decibel sound devices directly at unarmed civilians.

 

Cambodia’s government described the assault as a “blatant act of aggression,” accusing Thailand of violating the July ceasefire and the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding. Emergency services were dispatched to treat the wounded, with several injuries deemed serious.

 

Thai authorities maintain that their actions took place within sovereign territory and were in line with international crowd-control standards. The Thai Foreign Ministry confirmed injuries on its side and called on Cambodia to halt provocations and respect diplomatic channels.

 

The clash follows weeks of rising tension, with Cambodian villagers protesting Thai efforts to install barbed wire fencing along disputed stretches of the border. Cambodian spokesman Pen Bona urged Thailand to honour the ceasefire and avoid further escalation.

 

Both sides are expected to address the incident at the upcoming General Border Committee meeting in October. For now, the frontier remains volatile, with calls for restraint echoing across diplomatic lines.

 

 

 

-2025-09-18

On 9/18/2025 at 9:06 AM, geovalin said:

violent border clash that left at least 24 Cambodian civilians, including Buddhist monks, injured.

 

The Cambodian civilians, many unarmed, others with sticks, faced armed Thai Military Police and RTP officers who fired rubber bullets and tear gas at them. 

 

Reference Khmer Times (19/9/2025).

 

Regional and leading international media have covered the escalating border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, reporting a violent clash in Banteay Meanchey province in which Thai military forces used tear gas, rubber bullets, and slingshots, injuring 30 Cambodians, including Buddhist monks.

 

 

The clash in question happened well within Thai territory. The border markers don't lie. Cambodia can't simply expand their villages over the border and then claim that the land in question is theirs.