Cambodia stops importing fuel from Thailand

The Cambodian government on Monday suspended all fuel imports from Thailand following a border conflict worsened by the death of a Cambodian soldier in late May.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet announced the measure, which came into effect this morning, on social media.

“Cambodian companies can import fuel and gas from other sources . Enough to meet the domestic consumption needs of our people, whether for a month or forever,” the leader said on Sunday night, without going into details.

Later, the Cambodian Ministry of Mines and Energy said in a statement that the country has sufficient reserves to meet domestic demand .

This is a new episode in the escalation of tensions between the neighboring countries, within the scope of the historic dispute over several undemarcated points on the border of more than 800 kilometers that they share, drawn by France in 1907, when Cambodia was a French colony.

The suspension of fuel imports comes after Bangkok and Phnom Penh closed some border crossings on Sunday.

“Since June 7, the Thai military has been unilaterally closing border checkpoints between Cambodia and Thailand, without regard for the negative effects on citizens of both countries,” the Cambodian leader wrote.

The two countries have taken other measures to exert pressure. Thailand, for example, does not allow its citizens to work in casinos in the Cambodian city of Poipet, while Cambodia has banned the import of Thai fruit.

The conflict between Thailand and Cambodia erupted on 28 May when the armies of the two countries clashed in an unmarked border area claimed by both governments. During the clash, which lasted about 10 minutes, a Cambodian soldier was killed.

While Bangkok sought to resolve the issue bilaterally, Cambodia took it to the International Court of Justice.

The territorial dispute has also wreaked havoc on the government of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, after a telephone conversation with former Cambodian Prime Minister and current Senate President Hun Sen was leaked, in which he questioned the performance of Thai Major Boonsin Padklang, who commands a regiment in a border area.

Shinawatra's party ruled out the possibility of its leader stepping down after the second-largest party in the governing coalition, the conservative Bhumjaithai, abandoned the pact.