Description: Last week’s brief confrontation between Thai and Cambodian border forces, which left one Cambodian soldier dead, would be resolved in the International Court of Justice, the Cambodian Parliament has decided. The confrontation between the border forces of the two countries happened due to the overstepping of a sensitive demarcation point by Cambodian military forces. Military commanders from both sides interfered in the brief armed confrontation and stated that they have successfully deescalated the situation. The two countries have longstanding territorial disputes concerning thousand – year – old temples which are claimed in their entirety by each country. Military forces on both sides of the border remain on high alert for the time being awaiting the scheduled 05 Jun talks between army chiefs from both countries.
Impact: Military commanders from both Thailand and Cambodia have significantly contributed towards substantially deescalating the emerging armed conflict which abruptly surged last week. Despite remaining on high – level of military preparedness, the political narratives from both governments indicate a peaceful resolution to the dispute which are protracted for over 20 years. Potential direct armed confrontation could plunge the South Asian region into an expanded security and military crisis coupling the ongoing civil war in Myanmar that has been active since 2021’s coup. Cambodia’s decision to bring the case before the ICJ even though might be perceived as somewhat rushed, contributes to creating a small influx of pressure towards serious engagement by the army chiefs in the upcoming direct negotiations. Tensions are expected to be further deescalated as both countries are heavily invested in productive negotiations on a high bilateral level.