Cambodia halts fuel imports from Thailand as border spat escalates

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia has announced putting a stop to all fuel imports from Thailand as relations between the two countries deteriorated in over a decade after a Cambodian soldier was killed last month in a disputed area of the border, local media reported.

Prime Minister Hun Manet, in a social media posting on Sunday, June 22, said that the measure would take effect at midnight. This comes amid his Thai counterpart, Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s attempts to save her government from a political crisis triggered by a leaked phone call to Cambodian Senate leader Hun Sen.

“Starting from midnight tonight, all fuel and gas imports from Thailand will be halted,” Cambodian leader Hun Manet said in a Facebook posting late on Sunday, as cited by the country’s Khmer Times media outlet. He added that the energy companies could “import sufficiently from other sources to meet domestic fuel and gas demands” in the country.

Thousands of people in Cambodia march in Phnom Penh in support of their government amid border dispute with Thailand pic.twitter.com/3EKZVEdebu

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The two South East Asia neighbouring countries have each shut several border crossings after troops exchanged fire on May 28 in the disputed Chong Bok area, which marks the meeting point of the borders of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos (the Emerald Triangle)

Thailand’s military has closed the border checkpoint in Chong Sai Taku in its northeastern Buri Ram province following an incident involving a group of Cambodian visitors at a temple in Phanom Dong Rak district in Surin on Saturday, the Bangkok Post reported.

According to the Thai newspaper, 30 Cambodian visitors were seen holding a “symbolic protest” at the Ta Kwai temple, which both Thailand and Cambodia claim. Cambodian PM has criticised the Thai army’s move and ordered the closure of two checkpoints: Chup Koki, which lies across the same Chong Sai Taku passage, and Choam, opposite the Chong Sa Ngam checkpoint in Si Sa Ket.

The long-running border disputes between Thailand and Cambodia date back over a century, when France, which occupied Cambodia until 1953, first mapped the land border. Cambodia has cited that map to support its territorial claims, while Thailand rejects it as inaccurate.

Disputed areas include sites like Mom Bei (Chong Bok) and three ancient temples, including the Preah Vihear Temple, which was awarded to Cambodia in a 1962 ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Thailand accepted that ruling, but disputes about land surrounding the temple have continued to spark violence. The lack of a mutually agreed-upon demarcation has fuelled recurrent armed clashes, notably between 2008 and 2011.

Even as the two countries engage in bilateral Joint Boundary Commission talks, Cambodia recently pushed for ICJ interpretation on four additional disputed temple areas (the Emerald Triangle, Ta Moan Thom temple, Ta Moan Toch temple and Ta Krabei temple). Thailand has vehemently opposed, preferring direct negotiation.

According to an analysis in Cambodia’s oldest English-language newspaper, the Phnom Penh Post, the diplomatic spat between the two countries reached a boiling point after Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra publicly criticised Cambodian leaders on June 16, labelling their actions, particularly their reliance on social media for diplomatic communications, as “unprofessional.” This public accusation drew a swift and strong rebuke from Cambodian PM Hun Manet.

Cambodian Senate president Hun Sen subsequently leaked a June 15 private phone conversation between himself and Paetongtarn. Hun Sen claimed the leak was for “transparency” following Paetongtarn’s public slight. The leaked audio, which appeared to show Paetongtarn criticising a Thai military commander (Lieutenant General Boonsin Padklang, commander of the Second Army Region), plunged her into a severe domestic political crisis, forcing her to make public apologies and mend fences with the powerful Thai military, the Phnom Penh Post said.

In the June 15 telephone conversation to discuss the recent border clash between Thailand and Cambodia in which one Cambodian soldier was killed, Paetongtarn had addressed Hun Sen, as “uncle” and referred to Lt Gen Padklang as an adversary.

Lt Gen Padklang is responsible for almost the entire land border with Cambodia, and the Thai government has given him full authority to oversee all checkpoints bordering the neighbouring country.

Following the leaked call, the conservative Bhumjaithai party announced its exit from the Pheu Thai-led coalition in Thailand, accusing Paetrongtarn of disrespecting Thailand’s military and compromising national sovereignty. This left Paetongtarn’s ruling coalition with a very thin majority in the country’s 500-seat parliament.

A report in The Nation stated that the 33-year relationship between Thaksin Shinawatra, Paetongtarn’s father and Cambodian leader Hun Sen has evolved from mutual suspicion into a fraternal bond, only to end abruptly due to political reasons. Hun Sen, who ruled Cambodia for almost four decades, was succeeded in 2023 by his son, Hun Manet, now the country’s prime minister. Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand in 2023 after spending 15 years in exile following a conviction on charges of corruption and abuse of power. Paetongtarn assumed the office of the PM in August 2024.

On May 28, soldiers from both countries clashed after Lt Gen Boonsin confirmed that troops from Cambodia had moved up to 150 metres into Thai territory, built trenches and refused to retreat after several warnings. He said it was the first time since 2011 that Cambodian security forces had advanced into the area. After this, tensions between the two countries escalated with Cambodia banning the import of Thai fruits and vegetables and halting Thai dramas on TV and in cinemas. Thailand also imposed tighter border controls and entry restrictions on Cambodian citizens. (ANI)