Cambodia: Closure of 377 Border Schools in Response to Thai Hostilities — 78,000 Students Deprived of Education

In a renewed climate of tension on the border with Thailand, the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports today ordered the closure of 377 schools across four border provinces, affecting nearly 78,600 students and 3,197 teachers.

This emergency measure comes in response to serious security concerns following Thai military attacks that have spread panic among civilian populations.

Crossed Accusations and Escalating Violence

The Cambodian Ministry of National Defense denounced what it described as Thai artillery strikes targeted at civilian villages in the provinces of Oddar Meanchey, Preah Vihear and Banteay Meanchey — strikes that caused injuries, the destruction of homes, and forced the evacuation of thousands of residents, including women, children and elderly people to temporary shelters.

According to the ministry’s spokesperson, Major-General Maly Socheata, shelling resumed at 5:04 AM Monday morning, striking both military positions and civilian zones near contested areas such as the temples of Preah Vihear, An Ses, Ta Muen Thom, among others. This renewed violence follows a previous bombardment on Sunday afternoon around 2:15 PM — a resurgence of a border conflict that had already forced thousands to flee since July.

Devastating Impact on Education and Civilians

The school closures mark yet another episode in a cycle of recurring shutdowns. Local people now face the fear of instability, while the halted education of tens of thousands of youngsters adds to the hardship.

Meanwhile, over 385,000 Thai civilians were evacuated, and Cambodia is now coping with a new wave of refugees — though no official figure has yet been confirmed. he clashes, marked by heavy artillery and even F-16 airstrikes according to the report, evoke memories of earlier confrontations in July that had already led to the closure of hundreds of schools and the displacement of about 200,000 people.

A Persistent Conflict in a Fragile Context

This renewed outbreak of violence comes after what had been a tenuous period of calm. Earlier agreements had been negotiated to reduce tensions, but they appear to have collapsed once again — reportedly after explosions of land mines near sensitive sites triggered new accusations.

Both sides accuse each other of provocation: Phnom Penh denies any initiation of fire, while Bangkok points to Cambodian provocations. International bodies, including UNESCO and human-rights NGOs such as Human Rights Watch, have issued calls to protect civilians — especially children — in these volatile border zones around disputed temples.

With ongoing evacuations, the future of thousands of students remains uncertain — their ability to resume schooling depends entirely on a rapid de-escalation of the crisis.