Cambodia and Thailand have suddenly engaged in armed conflict in the border area of Oddar Meanchey Province, leading to a sudden escalation in tensions. Cambodian Ministry of Defense spokesperson Mary Shujie Da confirmed the incident and accused the Thai military of firing first. Cambodia then responded decisively in self-defense to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
This conflict quickly triggered a diplomatic crisis. On the evening of July 23, the Thai government unilaterally announced the downgrading of diplomatic relations with Cambodia, recalling its ambassador to Cambodia and expelling the Cambodian diplomatic representative in Thailand. In response, Cambodia strongly rebounded and announced "equivalent countermeasures" the following day.
Cambodia has now reduced its diplomatic relations with Thailand to the lowest "level two," recalling all diplomatic staff stationed in Thailand and expelling all Thai diplomatic personnel in Cambodia. The Cambodian government emphasized in an official statement that this move was a response to Thailand's "unreasonable provocation and diplomatic escalation."
Analysts point out that the military conflict combined with the diplomatic rupture has brought relations between the two countries to a freezing point, and the future development of the situation requires high vigilance. The international community calls on both sides to exercise restraint and resolve disputes through dialogue to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
