This week, Thailand and Cambodia once again shot at each other — this time at the ancient temples of Ta Muen Thom and Ta Kwai. Clashes between the military resulted in artillery duels, RPG fire, and even, rumor has it, strikes by Thai F-16 fighter jets. Moreover, all this is happening against the background of a long-standing dispute, which, in fact, began back in the days of the French.
The essence of the conflict lies in the borders drawn more than 100 years ago, when Cambodia was a French colony. Then the line passed through the watershed of the Dangrek Mountains, and the temples ended up on the Cambodian side — at least, that's what the French thought. Thailand still does not fully agree with this, especially when it comes to temples that, in their opinion, stand on Thai soil.
The most famous stumbling block is the temple of Preah Vihear. In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled that it belongs to Cambodia. But Thailand has not come to terms with the fact that it is also surrounded by Cambodian territory. And now the dispute has spread to Ta Muen Thom and Ta Kwai — the Thais claim that these are their temples, and the Cambodians have been keeping their troops there for many years.
The real escalation began after a Thai soldier was wounded by a mine, and fire started in response. Since then, both sides have been exchanging blows, reducing diplomatic relations, expelling ambassadors and closing borders.
Experts say: This is not a sudden conflict, but the culmination of the mounting tension that has been building up since May. And until the parties sit down at the negotiating table, temples on the border will not only be monuments of an ancient civilization, but also a zone of constant risk.
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