Cambodia continues to attack Thailand while claiming ceasefire intention: Thai govt
Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Sunday that Cambodia had opened fire on Thai soil and Thailand had called for a ceasefire long before Cambodia did.
Cambodia attacked Thailand and just called for a ceasefire while claiming that Thailand was the invader, he said.
'Cambodia has opened the firing frontier for as far as 800 kilometres from the Northeast to Trat province (in the East),' Mr Phumtham said.
'The attacks affect civilians along the border. We condemn the acts of Cambodia as international crimes against civilians, which violate international laws,' he said.
During his visit to Trat province which borders Cambodia on Sunday, Mr Phumtham said Cambodia had used heavy weapons which damaged houses, hospitals and a petrol station in Thailand. Thai authorities had no choice but to take defensive measures, he said.
Cambodia could prove that it sincerely wanted a ceasefire by withdrawing its forces from the border, he said.
Army spokesman Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree said Cambodia continuously fired its long-range weapons, and shells hit many non-military locations in northeastern provinces, including Ban Sammoeng hospital in Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket Saturday afternoon.
There were no casualties because the facility had been evacuated beforehand, he said.
Movements on the Cambodian side suggested the possible deployment of high-performance multi-barrel rocket launchers, including PHL-03, RM-70 and BM-21 systems, prompting concern from Thailand, the army spokesman said.
'Cambodia has not stopped attacking Thailand with all kinds of weapons. The army confirms it will exercise its full capacities to respond to the attacks and aim only at the military targets which threaten public safety,' Maj Gen Winthai said.
RAdm Surasant Kongsiri, deputy spokesman of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters, said Cambodia fired artillery and multi-barrel rocket launchers at hospitals and houses and used its citizens as human shields by deploying the weapon launchers in its citizens' communities.
'Such actions represent an inhumane use of innocent people and are a clear violation of the Geneva Conventions,' he said.
RAdm Surasant also claimed Cambodia had been reinforcing its military presence along the border, laying anti-personnel landmines, levelling unfounded accusations against Thailand, and increasingly deploying heavy weaponry, including the PHL-03, RM-70 and BM-21 systems.
He said Cambodian attacks had killed 13 Thai civilians and injured 36 others, including 11 who were seriously wounded.
Deputy Defence Minister Gen Natthaphon Narkphanit said Cambodia had repeatedly shown its insincerity. A clear example occurred when Cambodian troops withdrew from Chong Bok on June 8 – but left landmines there.
Cambodia again showed insincerity by firing at Thailand early Sunday morning after discussing its ceasefire intention with United States President Donald Trump at 11pm Saturday, Gen Natthaphon said.
"Cambodia started firing at 2am after a talk with Mr Trump at 11pm. That's insincerity. The armed forces feel sorry that its targets were civilians," the deputy defence minister said.
He admitted he was concerned about Cambodia's long-range weapons which could fire rockets at distances of over 100 kilometres.
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