Thai-Cambodia clashes displace 5-lakh, evacuees recount escape
AP :
Renewed fighting along the Thailand-Cambodia border has forced hundreds of thousands of residents to flee their homes, with evacuees describing emotional and rushed escapes.
Amnat Meephew, 73, had only moments to gather his clothes before leaving his home just a few kilometers from the border, marking the second mass displacement in four months. “Sometimes when I think about it, I tear up. Why are Thais and Cambodians, who are like siblings, fighting?” he said, his voice breaking.
The clashes, which erupted Monday, disrupted a ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump after July’s fighting, which left dozens dead on both sides. Thai officials reported around 400,000 evacuees, while Cambodia said more than 127,000 people were displaced.
In Thailand’s northeastern Surin province, many residents left preemptively after local leaders issued warnings following a brief skirmish at the border on Sunday. Evacuees took shelter in university halls and tents, with music and volunteer-led activities helping children cope. Health teams monitored their wellbeing.
Thidarat Homhual, who fled her home 15 kilometers from the border, recalled leaving her pets behind. “Although no one wants to adjust to living like this, I’ll just go with the flow, otherwise it would be too stressful,” she said from a gymnasium housing over 500 people.
Across the border, Cambodian evacuees sought refuge in open fields, using tents or makeshift shelters anchored to trucks. Families huddled around small stoves to cook and keep warm amid dropping temperatures. Loueng Soth, who fled with her seven relatives, described sleeping on the ground and praying for an end to the fighting.
Thai Chea, displaced just hundreds of meters from the fighting, said evacuees long for a swift return home. “I want the war to end so that I can go back to my home, do my farming work, and take care of my dogs and chickens,” he said.
With no resolution in sight, thousands on both sides continue to endure harsh conditions as the conflict shows little sign of abating.