Desk Report,
Thailand accuses Cambodia of ceasefire violations
Within hours of the ceasefire taking effect, Thailand’s military accused Cambodia of violating the ceasefire, saying clashes continued in the dense jungle border area despite an agreement to end the bloody conflict.
Thailand accuses Cambodia of ceasefire violations
Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an unconditional ceasefire after peace talks in Malaysia on Monday. The ceasefire was set to take effect at midnight. The latest clashes between Thailand and Cambodia are over ancient temples along the 800-kilometer (500-mile) disputed border.
Thai military spokesman Winthai Suvari said Cambodian troops had carried out armed attacks on Thai troops in several areas since the agreement took effect. This was a deliberate violation of the agreement and a clear attempt to undermine mutual trust. He added that Thailand was forced to respond appropriately. This was part of its legal right to self-defense.
Meanwhile, Cambodian Defense Ministry spokesman Mali Socheyta insisted that there had been no attacks on each other in any area (since the ceasefire took effect).
However, both sides said that morning meetings between regional commanders of the rival sides in the border area as part of the ceasefire had either already begun or would begin at the scheduled time.
An AFP journalist from the Cambodian town of Samrayang, 20 kilometers from the Thai border, said that the sound of explosions stopped about half an hour before midnight and was not heard again until dawn.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen posted on Facebook about the ceasefire. “The situation on the battlefield has calmed down somewhat since the ceasefire took effect at midnight,” he wrote. At least 38 people have been killed in border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia for more than four days since last Thursday. Nearly 300,000 people have been forced to flee their homes to save their lives. “I am very happy to hear this news,” said Phian Neth, who took refuge in a temple area in Cambodia yesterday evening after hearing the news that the two countries had agreed to a ceasefire. “Because I miss my home and everything else that I left behind,” he told AFP.
Phian Neth’s home is in the border area. The 45-year-old Cambodian added, “I am so happy that I cannot express it in words.” The Thai-Cambodian border conflict began on Thursday over a border dispute that is more than a century old. Since then, Malaysia, the United States and China have been calling for an end to the conflict.
President Donald Trump also hinted at a ceasefire after speaking to the prime ministers of the two countries. In that vein, talks began in Malaysia yesterday for a ceasefire.
