The situation on the Cambodia-Thailand border has suddenly become tense. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet urgently issued a statement, announcing the permanent closure of the Choub Korki and Choam border crossings with Thailand, in response to Thailand's recent unilateral closure actions. This move marks the latest escalation in border conflicts between the two countries and has also raised concerns about the situation getting out of control in the region.
The statement pointed out that the Cambodian decision stemmed from an emergency situation reported by the Oddar Meanchey Provincial Government. The report stated that the Second Army Region of Thailand unilaterally closed the Choub Korki border crossing without consulting the Cambodian side, severely disrupting the normal movement of people in the border area. In response, Hun Manet not only approved the closure of this crossing but also proactively added a blockade of another crossing, Choam, to demonstrate reciprocal countermeasures.
Hun Manet openly criticized the actions of the Thai military authorities in a televised speech. He stated that in recent years, the Thai military has frequently closed passages without warning or consultation, not only undermining mutual trust between the two countries but also directly affecting the livelihood and freedom of movement of border residents. He warned that since June 7, similar incidents have occurred multiple times, and if Thailand continues to handle border issues through pressure or provocation, Cambodia will "resolutely take reciprocal actions and escalate measures if necessary."
More notably, Hun Manet publicly questioned for the first time the possible division between the military and government in Thailand. He pointed out: "The Prime Minister of Thailand has repeatedly expressed the desire to discuss and resolve border issues with Cambodia, but at the same time, the military continues to take hostile actions. Is this a unified government strategy, or is there a contradiction between the military and the government? We need a clear answer."
He further emphasized that the Cambodian government's stance on border affairs is highly unified, from the central to the provincial governments, to the troops stationed at the border, all guided by national interests and regional stability as core principles. Hun Manet reiterated that Cambodia always advocates for negotiation over conflict and peaceful management of border issues, and calls on the Thai government to clarify its internal stance to prevent the situation from sliding further towards uncontrollability.
The closure of the Choub Korki and Choam crossings, major commercial and human flow channels in the northern region of Cambodia-Thailand, involves a large number of people commuting across the border and goods transportation. If blocked for a long time, it will have a substantial impact on the border economic belt of both countries, especially negatively affecting border small traders, agricultural trade logistics, and tourism-related industries.
Analysts point out that this incident is not only a routine evolution of a border dispute but may also become a symbolic node for examining the ineffectiveness of the bilateral military and political coordination mechanisms between Cambodia and Thailand. As regional security issues increasingly heat up in Southeast Asia, this incident may lead to more discussions within ASEAN and even prompt the intervention of a third-party mediation mechanism.
Currently, Thailand has not yet made an official response to the Cambodian blockade measures.
