Cambodian evacuees sheltering in temple pray for end to Thai clashes

TDT | Manama

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In the leafy grounds of a Buddhist pagoda, hundreds of Cambodians fleeing deadly clashes with Thailand take refuge in the open air, most sitting on the ground while a lucky few doze in hammocks.

The deadliest fighting in over a decade between the two neighbours has sent thousands of villagers fleeing the border zone in Cambodia.

As artillery clashes erupted Thursday, Salou Chan, 36, grabbed some belongings, clothes, his two kids, and sped away from his home, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from disputed temples on the frontline.

"I fear for the safety of my children, they are still small. For me, I could have stayed at home, but I worried for my children -- they were scared of the sound of gunfire," he told AFP.

"I don't know when I will be able to return home but I want them to stop fighting soon. Nobody's looking after my rice paddy and livestock."

He and his family have joined hundreds of others in the grounds of the temple in Oddar Meanchey province.

With no proper shelter, most sit on the bare ground and rig up makeshift tents with plastic sheeting.

The evacuees have only the food and water they brought with them to sustain them while they wait for the chance to go home.