Lead-up to 2008 fighting region • January 2008 • In January 2008, the
Thai Defense Ministry from the 56th Cabinet of Thailand protested Cambodia's attempt to register the temple as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site without agreement from Thailand. • March 2008 • In March 2008, Cambodia informed Thailand of their plan to register
Preah Vihear as a
World Heritage Site. • April 2008 • In April 2008, Thailand (the 57th cabinet) and Cambodia planned to discuss the issue before the registration. Thailand insisted that it would support the registration of the temple, but that the process "must not affect the disputed borderline". • June 2008 • On June 18, 2008, Thailand and Cambodia issued a joint communique regarding the temple registration. • On June 20, 2008
the Nation newspaper in Bangkok published an editorial online highly critical of the
People's Alliance for Democracy for its use of Preah Vihear in its campaign against the
People Power Party government of Prime Minister
Samak Sundaravej. • On June 22, 2008, Cambodia closed the border crossing to Preah Vihear in response to Thai protests held at the border crossing. The protests were championed by an anti-Thaksin opposition figure,
Sonthi Limthongkul, who claimed the government of Thai Prime Minister Samak Sudaravej had gained business concessions in Cambodia in return for ceding Thai territory to Cambodia when negotiating over the Preah Vihear site map that would be presented to UNESCO in
Quebec, Canada. • July 2008 • On July 2, 2008, as UNESCO began its annual meeting in
Quebec, Canada,
the Bangkok Post online published a
Deutsche Presse-Agentur (German Press Agency) report that erroneously stated that Preah Vihear partially sits on Thai territory. Following the Thai government's decision to support Cambodia's bid for World Heritage listing, anti-Thaksin Shinawatra opposition figures mounted a legal challenge against Thai Foreign Minister
Noppadon Pattama. • The Thai Constitutional Court finally upheld the suit on July 7, 2008 in an eight to one judgment that the foreign minister's joint communique with Cambodia was "unconstitutional". Whilst UNESCO met in Quebec, Canada, there were about 20 Thai people standing and protesting outside holding sign "Noppadon, you are a LIAR" and Thai flags. • On 8 July 2008, thousands of Phnom Penh residents marched to celebrate UNESCO's inscription of Preah Vihear. That evening, the Municipality of Phnom Penh hosted an outdoor concert at
Wat Phnom, nationally broadcast on
CTN, featuring traditional Khmer performances and a fireworks display. Despite persistent rain, thousands attended. • On July 14, 2008, 8,000 Cambodians filled
Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium Indoor Arena for a concert hosted by Deputy Prime Minister
Sok An and simulcast on
Bayon Television. Sok An had just returned from UNESCO's annual conference in Quebec, Canada, where Preah Vihear was inscribed as a World Heritage site. • On July 15, 2008, cross-border tensions flared after Cambodian authorities arrested three Thai nationals who had attempted to plant the Thai flag near the temple. Cambodia claimed that several dozen Thai soldiers subsequently crossed the border. One Thai soldier lost his leg to a Cambodian landmine detonation. • Thailand maintains its troops are deployed to protect its sovereignty and ensure that any protests by Thais near the temple remain orderly, although a senior Thai military official acknowledged that his troops were on "disputed" ground. • On July 16, 2008, Thailand increased the number of troops stationed in the border region adjacent to Preah Vihear. • On July 17, 2008, the total number of troops at the temple increased to over 1,000, with some of the 400 Thai troops in the area occupying a Buddhist pagoda near the temple and claimed by Cambodia. Thai forces denied they were inside Cambodian territory. • In a letter to the Thai Prime Minister, Cambodian Prime Minister
Hun Sen called for the immediate withdrawal of Thai troops and protesters from the area. • On July 18, 2008, the Thai government handed Cambodia a letter from Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej insisting Thai troops are deployed on Thai soil. In a letter to Hun Sen, the Thai PM said Cambodian troops and buildings on the disputed area were a "violation of Thailand's sovereignty and territorial integrity", but that his government was "resolved to seek a just and peaceful solution to the situation." • On July 19, 2008, the Thai and Cambodian governments sent more troops and heavy guns to the disputed border ahead of high-level talks scheduled for July 21, 2008 between the Cambodian defence minister and Thailand's supreme military commander. • On July 21, 2008, Cambodian Defence Minister
Tea Ban and Thai Army commander
Boonsrang Niempradit held talks in Thailand. The talks achieved no outcome. • On July 22, 2008, Thailand rejected the assistance of ASEAN in resolving the border dispute. Thailand's statement came as ASEAN foreign ministers began a meeting in Singapore. The BBC reported that Cambodia had requested UN assistance in resolving the border dispute. The previous week the Cambodian government denied it had made such a call after similar news stories were published. • On July 23, 2008, a spokesman for Cambodia's prime minister suggested that Cambodia may take the case to the
International Court of Justice, as was done in 1962. • On July 24, 2008, Cambodia announced it would postpone its request to the United Nations until the bilateral negotiation at
Siem Reap on July 28, 2008 was finished. • Cambodia and Thailand held the meeting on 28 July 2008 without any results. • Reportedly, both sides are in favour of a troop withdrawal, beginning with Thailand's army; the date when Thailand would withdraw its troops was not agreed on, however. • August 2008 • On August 1, 2008,
Bun Rany, wife of Cambodian Prime Minister
Hun Sen, conducted a Buddhist ritual at the temple; thousands of Cambodians also joined the ritual. On the same night, the Thai anti-Thaksin and anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) led thousands of their supporters in a rival ritual, by praying
Suttas that the
Gautama Buddha gave to his monks; they claimed this was to prevent any negative effects from the Cambodian ritual. Many Thais accused Bun Rany of conducting black magic aimed to weaken Thailand. • On August 1, 2008,
The Nation (Thailand) newspaper in Thailand published an editorial criticizing Cambodia for calling on the international community to help resolve the Preah Vihear stand-off. • On August 3, 2008, Cambodia claimed that Thailand occupied a second Angkorian-era temple complex, Ta Moan Thom and Ta Moan Touch, at on the border of
Oddar Meanchey Province. • On August 5, 2008, Kriengkrai Sampatchalit,
Thailand's Fine Arts Department director replied to Cambodia, claiming that "The Prasat Ta Moan Thom Temple is located just about from the border on Thai soil." • According to the Thai authorities, the Ta Moan Thom complex is in Thai territory as evidenced by the Fine Arts Department's registration of the ancient ruin as a Thailand national archaeological site 73 years ago in 1935, despite the ruin being south of the border's watershed ridgeline. •
Tharit Charungvat, Thailand ministry's chief spokesman said, "Thailand has not boosted the number of its troops [in Ta Moan Thom Temple]." • Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej reportedly is expected to visit the area near Preah Vihear, but not the temple itself, according to Cambodian sources. Cambodia and Thailand will hold a second foreign ministers' meeting in Thailand on 18 August 2008 to seek a peaceful solution to the 25-day-long military standoff over the border dispute. • On August 14, 2008, both nations' militaries agreed to reduce troop levels at Preah Vihear prior to a meeting between their foreign ministers. • September 2008 • In September 2008, Cambodia accused Thailand of sending troops to occupy the Ta Moan Thom and Ta Kwai temples. Thailand responded that the temples belong to them and are part of Surin province and that The Thai Fine Arts Department have done a registration of the ancient ruins since 1935.
Military Clashes 2008 October • On October 3, 2008, Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged fire with each other on the disputed territory near Preah Vihear. The fighting lasted for nearly three minutes, wounding two Thai soldiers and one Cambodian soldier. • On October 4, 2008, commanders of the two countries met at their disputed border area amid accusations that each side had caused a border skirmish on the previous day. Hosted by the Cambodian commander in the area
Srey Dek and his Thai counterpart Colonel
Chayan Huaysoongnern, the two sides called for the situation to return to normal. • On October 6, 2008, two Thai soldiers were wounded by landmines in the border area after allegedly wandering into Cambodian territory. • On October 13, 2008, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, issued an ultimatum to Thailand to withdraw troops from a disputed border area by noon Tuesday, October 14, 2008. Hun Sen said Thai troops had advanced on a border area called Veal Intry (Eagle Field) near the temple in an attempt to occupy Cambodian land near Preah Vihear. "They must withdraw," he said. Thailand's Prime Minister, Somchai Wongsawat, said he had ordered the army to "take care of the situation so there is no violence." "We do not object to redeployment so there is no confrontation," Somchai told reporters, adding that he was not aware of Hun Sen's deadline. • On October 14, 2008 in a televised interview, People's Alliance for Democracy leader (and future Foreign Minister) Kasit Piromya called Hun Sen "crazy", a "slave", and a "nak leng" (commonly translated as "gangster"). • On October 15, 2008, Cambodian and Thai forces opened fire on each other once again in the border area. Three Cambodian soldiers were killed and two wounded. Seven Thai soldiers were wounded, one of whom died of his injuries a week later. The Cambodians claimed to have captured 10 Thai soldiers during the battle, but the Thais denied this. Still, Reuters published photos of the soldiers being held by Cambodian troops. Although commanders from both sides were trying to negotiate a ceasefire, Thailand urged Thai nationals to leave Cambodia. • On October 18, 2008, a Thai soldier was accidentally killed by his own weapon at Phu Ma Khua.
November–December • From November 25 to December 3, 2008, the People's Alliance for Democracy executed "Operation Hiroshima": the seizure of
Suvarnabhumi Airport. During occupation of the airport, PAD leader Kasit Piromya gave a speech in which he said "I will use Hun Sen's blood to wash my feet," recalling the historic incident where King
Naresuan of Siam did the same to King
Lovek of Cambodia. • On April 3, 2009, fighting between Thai and Cambodian forces left at least three Thai soldiers and two Cambodian soldiers dead; another five Thai soldiers were wounded. Just days before this clash, Cambodian officials said that up to 100 Thai soldiers crossed into Cambodian territory and did not leave until Cambodian soldiers showed up and asked them to leave. The Royal Thai Army denied the claim and said that Thai soldiers had not gone anywhere they were not permitted to be. Cambodia's Prime Minister
Hun Sen then warned Thailand for the second time that if they (Thai soldiers) cross again, Thai soldiers would face fighting again with Cambodian soldiers. He said, "I tell you first, if you enter (Cambodian territory) again, we will fight. The troops at the border have already received the order."
2010 January • On January 24, 2010, Cambodian and Thai forces opened fire on each again in the border area. As Thai Rangers shouted at Cambodian soldiers asking their purpose in crossing over to the area, the Cambodian soldiers fired
M79 grenade launchers and automatic rifles at them, Col. Nut said, which left two Thai soldiers wounded. • On January 25, 2010, Cambodian and Thai troops exchanged gunfire twice on Sunday morning at the contested border near Preah Vihear. The Cambodians subsequently fired eight
RPG (B-40) rockets into Thai territory. • On January 30, 2010, soldiers from the two countries exchanged fire for two or three minutes on Friday evening. • On January 31, 2010, a Thai soldier was killed in clashes between Thai and Cambodian forces in the disputed border area troops from the two sides fought for about 15 minutes late Friday after about 20 Thai soldiers crossed into Cambodian territory and refused to leave when confronted by Cambodian soldiers. Cambodian Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Chhum Socheat said one Thai soldier was killed, with Cambodian troops firing
AK-47 assault rifles and
B-40 rocket propelled grenades.
April • On April 16, 2010 Cambodian and Thai forces opened fire along their border about west of Preah Vihear. The clash lasted for about 15 minutes, but there were no reports of casualties. Cambodian Defence Ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat was reported as saying that "[...] While our troops were patrolling the border, the Thai soldiers opened fire at them. So our troops fired back." He added that troops from both sides fired rockets and grenades as well as rifles, but calm returned after a meeting between Cambodian and Thai military commanders in the area. The Cambodian government claimed 16–33 Thai soldiers were killed, 26 wounded, and four captured, with two tanks destroyed. Thai news stations reported 64 Cambodian soldiers were killed and two tanks, 16 armoured vehicles, six artillery guns, and four multiple launch rocket systems were destroyed. Independent sources confirmed that three Cambodians, including two soldiers, and a Thai villager were killed; and eight Thai soldiers were wounded and four Thai soldiers were captured. • On February 5, 2011, both sides exchanged fire again, starting from 06:25 (GMT+7) in three skirmishes at Chongdon-awn. The Thai army confirmed one Thai sergeant was killed by shrapnel and four soldiers wounded in the clash. In the afternoon, both sides signed a ceasefire with four conditions: 1. stop firing; 2. don't increase troop strength at the site; 3. do not cause an accident; 4. more communication. • On February 6, 2011, despite signing a ceasefire earlier that day, renewed clashes occurred in the evening. According to reports, the fighting extended over from Phum Srol village to Phu Makhua mountain. At 08:17, Cambodian troops opened fire at Thai military personnel stationed at Phu Ma Khua and Phlan Yao as well as villagers in Thai territory using rocket propelled grenades. Several Thai villagers were reportedly injured. Baan Phum Srol school director Boonruam Pongsaphan stated that "I believe that this is no longer a misunderstanding. This is war because the Cambodian side is firing into residential areas, not military zones". Thousands of villagers from Kantharalak were evacuated. Cambodia claimed that more than 20 Thai soldiers died in the clashes. In the evening, Thai troops reportedly attacked Cambodian lines by trying to cross into Cambodia's territory despite the earlier cease fire agreement. There were reports that Cambodian troops captured Don Tuan temple that is over from the previous clash sites and Don Tuan temple is in Thai territory. It was reported that the heavy shelling of Preah Vihear by Thai forces caused a part of it to collapse. Since the start of the fighting, Cambodian troops had been entrenched in the 900-year-old ruins of the temple in a camp made up of several bunkers. They had been positioned high on a ridge with a commanding view of the Cambodian plains, but highly vulnerable to fire from Thai positions just a few hundred metres away. • On February 7, 2011, around two in the morning, the artillery fire finally stopped. However, sporadic fighting resumed later in the morning, after Thai troops attempted an operation to recover casualties from the previous day's heavy fighting. Cambodian civilians living near the contested area were evacuated by Cambodian authorities. The
People's Alliance for Democracy called for Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to step down. Later that day, independent sources stated the toll for the previous three days of fighting to be 10 killed: one soldier and one civilian from Thailand and four soldiers and four civilians from Cambodia. 34 Thais (30 soldiers and four civilians) and 45 Cambodians (soldiers and civilians) were wounded. • On February 8, 2011, there were no reported shooting incidents. However, Cambodian troops reportedly used the fragile ceasefire to dig new positions and to set up sandbags. A Thai soldier, who was severely wounded during the shellings on February 6, 2011, died of his wounds at Sapphasithiprasong Hospital. • On February 9, 2011, Hun Sen officially called the recent clashes a war, stating that "Thailand created this war. [Thai Prime Minister] Abhisit must be responsible for the war" and "Our war with Thailand will be taking long time". He also made it clear that there would be no more talks without a third party, stating that "There will be no more bilateral talks, and all negotiations will be participated by the third party [sic]." In a later statement, he said "This is a real war. It is not a clash". Hundreds of Cambodian troops camped near the battleground, effectively strengthening their hold on the temple. • On February 15, 2011, a new skirmish occurred. The shooting incident lasted for a few minutes. Although local media reported that five Thai soldiers were wounded, the army stated that only one soldier was injured during the fighting. • On February 16, 2011, the clashes intensified. During the day, three clashes occurred (05:00, 20:00, and 22:00), but there were no reported casualties on either side. Thai army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd stated that the Cambodians started it all with the use of mortars and rocket-propelled-grenades, forcing the Thais to retaliate. However, Phay Siphan, a spokesman for Cambodia's Council of Ministers, denies his country's troops fired first. He said Thai soldiers attacked first. Both sides blame the other for starting the fighting. Cambodia wants international help to prevent further fighting, while Thailand says the issue should be resolved bilaterally. The same day, unconfirmed reports claimed that Vietnamese tanks were moving towards the Cambodian–Thai border. However,
Hun Sen strongly denied it. • In an agreement reached at a meeting of
ASEAN in
Jakarta, Cambodia and Thailand agreed to allow Indonesian observers to monitor disputed border territory by up to 40 military and civilian observers. "This is an observer team, not a peacekeeping or peace enforcement team. The observer team will be unarmed," Indonesian Foreign Minister
Marty Natalegawa said.
April • On April 7, 2011, Thailand admitted using
Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munition (DPICM) during the clash, which has been identified by the
Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) as a type of
cluster munition. These contain up to hundreds of small grenades or "bomblets" that scatter over vast areas, and are banned by the majority of countries under the
Convention on Cluster Munitions. Thailand has not signed the pact, but has publicly pledged not to use such weapons. The CMC said this was the first confirmed use of cluster munitions since the convention became international law. • On 23 April 23, 2011, the fighting with mostly long-distance shelling resumed about 06:00 and halted by noon. A Cambodian defence ministry statement accused Thai aircraft of entering Cambodian airspace. The statement also said Thai forces had fired 75- and 105-mm shells loaded with
poisonous gas into Cambodia's territory, an allegation that could not be independently verified and that Thailand rejected. A Cambodian field commander claimed that the "poison smoke" caused several soldiers who inhaled it to lose strength in their arms and legs. Col. Suos Sothea, deputy commander of the artillery unit, said that six rounds of cluster shells had landed in villages about inside Cambodia, but caused no casualties since residents had already been evacuated. Col. Tawatchai Samutsakorn, commander of Thailand's 2nd Army Region, denied absolutely that cluster bombs or poison gas had been employed. Tawatchai said one Thai soldier died, bringing the two-day casualty toll to four dead and 17 wounded, and that 15,000 civilians had been evacuated from the area of fighting. Cambodia's Suos Sothea said three soldiers from his country had been killed, bringing Cambodia's two-day death toll to six. • On April 25, 2011, the fighting continued, after an almost full-day break. • On April 26, 2011, the fighting resumed for a fifth day. The fighting had now spread to a nearby temple. By this point, five Thai soldiers were killed and more than 35 wounded, and eight Cambodian soldiers were killed, 17 were wounded and one was missing. • On April 27, 2011, a Thai civilian was reported to had been killed in the fighting. • On April 28, 2011, two more Thai soldiers were confirmed killed in the fighting. The same day, Thailand and Cambodia agreed upon a ceasefire. Cambodian spokesman Phay Siphan said that
"We will abide by the ceasefire from now on and local commanders will meet regularly to avoid misunderstanding". • On April 29, 2011, the ceasefire was broken, as one Thai soldier was confirmed killed in the fighting. A Thai military spokesmen said 11 Thai soldiers were hurt in the clashes with a total of 58 soldiers wounded since the start of the fighting. • On April 30, 2011, the fighting resumed for a ninth day. However, there were no casualties.
May • On May 1, 2011, a Cambodian soldier was killed. The death toll had reached 17, including: nine Cambodian and seven Thai soldiers and one Thai civilian. Ninety-five Thais, including 50 soldiers, and 18 Cambodian servicemen had been wounded since the start of the fighting. According to Thai army spokesman Col. Prawit Hukaew, the two sides had engaged each other with automatic weapons overnight Sunday. According to Thailand, no Thai troops was killed in the clashes. In the afternoon, the Cambodian Ministry of Defense issued a statement which condemned Thailand for ten straight days of armed conflict;
"The repeated invasions of Thai troops into Cambodia have caused gradual damage to Cambodia, it is an unacceptable act". • On May 2, 2011, the two sides engaged each other with automatic fire, but no casualties was reported. Cambodia also filed a case at the
International Court of Justice on that day. • On May 3, 2011, a Thai soldier was killed during skirmish in Surin, bringing the death toll on the Thai side to 12. Cambodia claimed Thailand had fired 50,000 shells during the clashes. • On May 4, 2011, a ceasefire was agreed upon, and the border was re-opened for trade. • On May 5, 2011, Thai Prime Minister
Abhisit Vejjajiva made it clear that he would not allow any international troops at Preah Vihear, unless Cambodia withdrew its forces from the disputed territory. He claimed the presence of troops in the area was a violation of the 2000 memorandum of understanding between Thailand and Cambodia. • On May 7, 2011, Thailand and Cambodia agreed to appoint
Indonesia as observers at the disputed border.
July • Following a request from Cambodia to order Thai troops out of the area, the judges of the
International Court of Justice, by a vote of 11–5, ordered both countries to immediately to withdraw their military forces from disputed areas straddling their border and imposed restrictions on both their armies and police forces. A "provisional demilitarized zone" would make Thai troops leave positions they have long occupied and Cambodia's to leave the temple's immediate vicinity. The court also called for officers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to be allowed into the area to observe the cease-fire as called for by the UN Security Council last February. • Both sides said they were satisfied with the decision. Thai Foreign Minister Kasit, speaking outside the court, said that a withdrawal of armed Cambodians from the temple complex "has been our consistent position." Further noting that the decision is binding on both countries, he added that Thailand would withdraw its forces and facilitate the observers' deployment, and further agreed to allow unhindered supplies to Cambodian civilian personnel at the temple complex. •
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said a demilitarised zone would mean "a permanent ceasefire...tantamount to a cessation of aggression" by Thailand. He also said he was satisfied with the dispatch of truce observers, which he said Cambodia had been seeking since last February, but made no reference to the demand for Cambodian troops to abandon the temple grounds. • The court said its ruling would not prejudice any final ruling on where the border in the area between Thailand and Cambodia should fall. It could take the court many months or even years to reach that decision. • Abhisit, caretaker prime minister since the just-concluded
Thai general election, said that Thai soldiers would not pull out of the disputed area until the military of both countries agreed on the mutual withdrawal. "We need to talk to the Cambodians as the Cambodians also have to pull out their troops," Abhisit said at a news conference in Bangkok. "So there has to be some kind of mechanism to verify, to do it in an orderly manner. And therefore it depends on the two sides to come together and talk," he said, suggesting that an existing joint border committee would be the appropriate place to plan a coordinated pullback. • On July 23, 2011, one Cambodian soldier was killed along the Cambodian-Thai border while another was wounded. A local military commander stated that the soldier's death was a result of clashes provoked by Thai troops. Pok Sophal, a commander for Oddar Meanchey's Trapaing Prasat district, stated that, "We had an appointment for the meeting [between the two sides], and when we were walking, they opened fire at our soldiers". Thai spokesman Phay Siphan stated that the government was investigating the incident, but dismissed claims of armed clashes.
December • On December 15, 2011, armies of both sides exchanged gunfire along the border in
Koh Kong Province. The armed clash erupted at 13:45 in Zone 329 in
Ta Min mountain after a Thai helicopter tried to land in Cambodian territory. No injuries or deaths were reported. The source said the Cambodian soldiers opened fire to prevent the Thai helicopter entering Cambodia and that the Thai soldiers responded with heavy gunfire. It was the first armed clash since Thailand's new government was formed in August. • On December 21, 2011, Cambodia and Thailand agreed to withdraw their troops from a disputed border area near Preah Vihear. ==Proceedings at the International Court of Justice==