Border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia could “move toward war,” said the Thai acting prime minister.
At least 16 people have died, while 100,000 have been displaced. The border has been contentious for decades, but tensions grew recently after Cambodian leader Hun Sen leaked a call with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, in which Shinawatra called the former “uncle.”
The Shinawatra family is powerful — four members have been Thai leaders — and has a longstanding relationship with Hun Sen. Opponents have accused them of putting Cambodia’s interests above Thailand. Why Hun Sen “decided to burn this friendship” is a mystery, the BBC reported, but it has inflamed tensions and driven up the risk of a war in Southeast Asia.