Thailand vows to defend border amid tensions with Cambodia
[BANGKOK] Thailand's armed forces are ready to defend the border in the face of a deadly clash with Cambodia that erupted last week, a top official said, adding that the country wants to maintain peace with its neighbour.
'At this stage, neither side wants war,' Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who also serves as defence minister, said after a meeting of the National Security Council on Friday (Jun 6). The two countries have sought to defuse tensions following an exchange of gunfire between rival troops on May 28 in the disputed Chong Bok border region, which resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier.
The Thai government has prepared measures in case the dispute escalates, but both sides should use diplomatic means to ease tensions, said Phumtham. The two countries are set to talk at a Joint Boundary Commission meeting on June 14 in Phnom Penh.
The military will support the government's approach, said Songwit Noonpackdee, chief of the armed forces.
Thai officials have said Cambodian soldiers were digging a trench in the border area and opened fire on Thai soldiers. Cambodia has said its troops have long been stationed there and blamed the Thai side for firing first.
The two countries have a history of clashes over land disputes but have largely maintained cordial relations since a deadly conflict in 2011 left dozens dead.
Cambodia is seeking arbitration in the border dispute from the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Thailand has said it does not recognise the organisation's compulsory jurisdiction. BLOOMBERG
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