Japan Faces Diplomatic Tensions as Taiwan Defense Stance Sparks Firestorm

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Asia

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Image Credit: Sankei

In a tense escalation along the disputed border with Thailand, Cambodia evacuated hundreds of residents from Prey Chan village in Banteay Meanchey province on Thursday, a day after a villager was reported killed in cross-border shooting. The evacuation moved families to a Buddhist temple about 30 kilometers from the border as authorities assess security needs amid ongoing tensions.

The clashes followed a week of heightened activity on the frontier. A Thai soldier reportedly lost a foot to a landmine while patrolling another section of the border on Wednesday, prompting Thailand to suspend honoring certain terms of a ceasefire brokered in part by former U.S. President Donald Trump. Both governments have accused the other side of violations as they debate the exact demarcation of their border, a dispute that has sparked sporadic fighting since late July and resulted in civilian and military casualties.

Cambodian authorities identified a man killed in Wednesday’s shooting as Dy Nai and said three other people were wounded. The government’s defense ministry led a border ceasefire observer team that includes officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet called for an independent investigation to ensure accountability for those affected.

The ceasefire’s fragility was underscored by both sides’ assertions that the other had provoked the latest round of hostilities. Thailand claimed Cambodian forces fired into Sa Kaeo province, while Cambodia refuted these claims and blamed Thai aggression. The Thai army, for its part, said it fired warning shots in response to cross-border movements.

Analysts note a long history of enmity between the two nations, rooted in historical border maps and sovereignty disputes dating back to colonial-era demarcations. The October truce agreement, though, does not lay out a clear path to resolving the underlying territorial questions, leaving the door open for further confrontations as security and political considerations evolve.