Intense fighting erupted on Thursday, April 27, near temples along the border between Thailand's Surin province and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province. Both countries accuse each other of initiating the violence, which involved the use of rockets, shells, and F-16 jets by Thailand. The fighting continued into Friday, with Thailand reporting 14 deaths and over 100,000 displaced people. Cambodia confirmed at least one civilian death and five injuries. The conflict centers on a long-standing border dispute in the Emerald Triangle region, an area encompassing territories claimed by Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos.

The dispute involves the contested drawing of the border between the two countries, a matter that had been largely settled by a UN court ruling in 2013. Renewed clashes began in May, following earlier brief exchanges of fire. Despite prior agreements to de-escalate, tensions escalated into the current intense fighting. The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on Friday to address the situation.

International bodies including China, the United States, France, and the EU have expressed concern and called for a peaceful resolution.

Impact Statement: The escalating border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia poses a significant humanitarian crisis with widespread displacement and casualties, requiring urgent international intervention for de-escalation and resolution.