Latarbelakang Konflik Perbatasan Thailand-Kamboja #news #sejarah #litotesmania

Latarbelakang Konflik Perbatasan Thailand-Kamboja #news #sejarah #litotesmania

Hello Litotemania, Thailand launched an airstrike on the Cambodian border on July 24, 2025. This attack is not a new conflict, but rather a continuation of a border dispute that has lasted for more than a century. Since the early 20th century, the border between Thailand and Cambodia, which was then under French control, has been a disputed area. This is a legacy of the colonial treaty between Siam and France that did not define a clear border line. After Cambodia’s independence in 1953, Cambodia had a land border with Thailand of 817 km. The area of Hindu-Buddhist temples along the border became a major factor in the conflict because both sides claimed the temples . 2008 marked the beginning of open conflict when Cambodia won at the International Court of Justice over the Preah Vihear temple site. The conflict ended when the International Court of Justice ruled that the Preah Vihear temple was part of Cambodia. Now, the conflict on the border has also spread to other borders with similar motives. The most recent is the dispute over important sites at Ta Meun Thom Temple, Oddar Meanchey Province. West of Preah Vihear Province in February 2025, Cambodians sang the national anthem in the temple area, which Thailand claims as its territory. The incident sparked military tensions in May 2025 when armed clashes between the two countries killed a Cambodian soldier. The Cambodian government then sued Thailand at the International Court of Justice. However, Thailand rejected the move and stated that the settlement must be carried out bilaterally according to the previously agreed Joint Boundary Commission mechanism . However, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra actually wanted to soften with Cambodia when his telephone conversation with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen was leaked. Paetongtarn addressed Hun Sen with the title “uncle” which was considered demeaning to Thailand in diplomatic etiquette. In addition, Paetongtarn also insulted the Thai armed forces by saying that Lieutenant General Boonsin Padklang, who guarded the temples on the border, was only a “tough” commander when in fact he was “a nerd.” This angered the Thai armed forces. This insult actually led to Paetongtarn’s suspension as Prime Minister of Thailand on July 1, 2025. Finally, on July 24, 2025, Thailand launched a massive airstrike using six F-16 fighter jets targeting Cambodian military installations near the border. This attack killed at least nine civilians, including children , and triggered a mass exodus of more than 40,000 residents from the conflict area. The Cambodian government called this attack a violation of sovereignty. Meanwhile, Thailand argued that the action was a response to previous military provocations. Although located in a relatively stable Southeast Asian region, the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict in 2025 demonstrated that historical wounds that are not fully addressed have the potential to escalate into armed confrontation that results in loss of life and destabilizes the ASEAN region.

Konflik perbatasan antara Thailand dan Kamboja pada tahun 2025 merupakan kelanjutan dari ketegangan historis yang sudah berlangsung selama beberapa dekade, terutama terkait klaim atas situs-situs budaya dan wilayah strategis di sepanjang perbatasan. Salah satu pemicu utamanya adalah perselisihan mengenai kepemilikan kuil-kuil kuno seperti Preah Vihear dan Ta Muen Thom, yang keduanya memiliki nilai historis dan simbolis tinggi bagi kedua negara. Meskipun Mahkamah Internasional telah memberikan putusan pada 1962 yang mengakui kuil Preah Vihear sebagai milik Kamboja, pelaksanaan di lapangan kerap menimbulkan friksi, terutama terkait kawasan di sekitar kuil yang tidak secara eksplisit disebutkan dalam putusan tersebut. Ketegangan ini diperburuk dengan pembangunan infrastruktur militer, patroli bersenjata, dan saling klaim yang diperkuat oleh sentimen nasionalisme.
Pada 2025, situasi semakin rumit akibat ketidakstabilan politik di kedua negara, serta meningkatnya aktivitas militer di sekitar zona sengketa. Di Kamboja, pemerintahan otoriter semakin menonjolkan isu nasionalisme sebagai pengalihan dari tekanan domestik, sementara di Thailand, perubahan kepemimpinan dan ketegangan internal membuat pemerintah ingin menunjukkan ketegasan terhadap isu-isu kedaulatan. Bentrokan sporadis antara pasukan perbatasan kembali terjadi, meskipun belum berkembang menjadi perang terbuka. Upaya diplomatik melalui ASEAN sejauh ini belum menunjukkan hasil signifikan, karena kedua pihak tetap bersikukuh pada klaim historis dan hukum masing-masing. Konflik ini mencerminkan bagaimana warisan kolonial dan persaingan identitas nasional masih menjadi sumber ketegangan yang sulit diurai di Asia Tenggara.