Cambodia ex-leader Hun Sen and Thailand’s prime minister make separate visits to tense border areas

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) – Cambodia’s powerful former leader Hun Sen and Thailand’s prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, on Thursday made separate visits to border areas as the two countries remain locked in an ongoing dispute that has resulted in strict land crossing restrictions and several economic boycotts.

Hun Sun and Paetongtarn didn’t meet. Relations between the neighboring nations have deteriorated following an armed confrontation on May 28 in which one Cambodian soldier was killed in contested territory along their border.

While the two sides have agreed to de-escalate their dispute, they have continued to implement or threaten measures that have kept tensions high.

Hun Sen posted on his social media after the visit that more troops and weapons have been mobilized to several border areas between Cambodia and Thailand after the clash. He said that soldiers “are constantly prepared to defend the territory in case of any invasion by the Thai army.”

He did not elaborate on when exactly the reinforcement happened, or how many soldiers and what kinds of weapons were deployed. But days after the dispute erupted, several videos of tanks and armed forces were filmed and posted on social media as they moved past Phnom Penh.

Hun Sen, who ruled Cambodia for nearly four decades, was seen wearing a military uniform, shaking hands with military commanders and government officials who waited to greet him as he got off a military helicopter. It was the first time that he paid a visit to the border since the latest conflict was triggered. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet visited the troops and civilians at the border on Monday.

Hun Sen remains powerful although he stepped down as Cambodia’s prime minister in August 2023 and handed over power to Hun Manet, his oldest son. Hun Sen continues to hold several major positions in the country, including Senate president.

Thai regional army commander Boonsin Padklang, who’s in charge of the area where the clash happened, told reporters earlier this week that he was aware of Cambodia’s reinforcements along the border, and that the Thai forces were also ready to secure the border situation if necessary. He didn’t say whether Thailand had also deployed more troops and weapons to the border.

The Thai army this week imposed heightened restrictions at border checkpoints with Cambodia following an order from Paetongtarn to allow only students, medical patients and others with essential needs to enter or leave Thailand. That also makes it impossible for thousands of tourists to cross between the two countries.

Paetongtarn on Thursday made a visit to the border town of Aranyaprathet, a major trade hub between Thailand and Cambodia that has felt much of the impact from retaliatory measures from both sides. She met with troops and local authorities, and visited a school to discuss the effects of the new restrictions

Cambodia’s government has accused Thailand of escalating tensions with new land crossing restrictions. Cambodia has boycotted some Thai internet services, banned Thai fruits and vegetables, and blocked electricity and fuel supplies from Thailand in response to the border dispute. Prior to the boycott, Cambodia imported 30% of its gasoline and other fuel from Thailand.

Last week, a leaked phone call between Paetongtarn and Hun Sen set off political turmoil in Thailand, shattering Paetongtarn’s already fragile coalition government and triggering a string of investigations that could lead to her removal.

There is a long history of territorial disputes between the two countries. Thailand is still rattled by a 1962 International Court of Justice ruling that awarded Cambodia the disputed territory where the historic Preah Vihear temple stands. There were sporadic though serious clashes there in 2011. The ruling from the U.N. court was reaffirmed in 2013.

Cambodia said that it’s seeking a ruling for several border dispute areas again from the ICJ. Thailand has said that it doesn’t accept the jurisdiction of the ICJ and called for Cambodia to resolve the conflict through existing bilateral mechanisms.

Officials from the two countries have scheduled a joint committee meeting for September to resolve the border tensions. Both sides met earlier this month, but failed to achieve any major breakthrough.