Phnom Penh/New Delhi: In a significant move on Saturday, the Indian Embassy in Cambodia issued a stringent travel advisory, strongly urging Indian nationals to steer clear of areas along the Cambodia-Thailand border. This directive comes as hostilities between the two Southeast Asian nations escalated for a third consecutive day, marking the most severe conflict in over a decade. The ongoing clashes have reportedly led to mounting casualties and a large-scale displacement of civilians.
The advisory, released from Phnom Penh, explicitly stated, “In view of the ongoing clashes at the Cambodia-Thailand border, Indian nationals are advised to avoid traveling to the border areas.” It also provided emergency contact details for Indians requiring assistance. This advisory mirrors a similar warning issued by the Indian Embassy in Thailand on Friday, which had already cautioned against visiting over 20 locations across provinces like Ubon Ratchathani, Surin, Sisaket, Buriram, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, and Trat – regions directly impacted or considered highly sensitive to the conflict.
The violent flare-up, which has now claimed at least 31 lives and displaced over 130,000 people, transforming border villages into volatile flashpoints, reportedly spread further on Saturday morning. The Thai Navy confirmed renewed clashes in Trat, a coastal province situated more than 100 kilometres from the initial conflict zones, raising concerns about a potential expansion of hostilities.
The current conflagration is rooted in a border skirmish in May, which resulted in the fatal shooting of a Cambodian soldier. Since then, both nations have significantly ramped up their military presence, intensifying a long-standing territorial dispute that has now spiralled into a full-blown diplomatic crisis.
Both the Cambodian and Thai governments are actively seeking international diplomatic backing while simultaneously levelling accusations of aggression against each other. Each side continues to maintain that its actions were in self-defence and has called for a ceasefire and a return to negotiations. Analysts are closely watching the situation, warning that the unrest could have wider geopolitical ramifications, especially given Thailand’s currently fragile ruling coalition, which some believe is being further destabilised by the ongoing conflict.
The Indian Embassies in both Cambodia and Thailand have reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to providing assistance to Indian nationals and have urged the community to remain vigilant, exercising caution and staying informed through official communication channels.
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