Thailand favours direct talks to resolve Cambodia conflict
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BANGKOK: Thailand favours bilateral negotiation rather than third-party mediation to resolve its military conflict with Cambodia, two Thai officials said on Friday, as fighting along their disputed border continued unabated.Simmering border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have flared into open hostilities at multiple locations along the frontline in the heaviest fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours in over a decade. There were exchanges of artillery for a second straight day on Friday.The United States, China and Malaysia, which is the current chair of the ASEAN regional bloc , have offered to facilitate dialogue but Bangkok is seeking a bilateral solution to the conflict, Thai foreign ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura told Reuters."I don't think we need any mediation from a third country yet," Nikorndej said in an interview.Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim , the chair ASEAN, of which both Thailand and Cambodia are members, said on Thursday he had spoken to both countries' leaders and urged them to find a peaceful resolution."We appreciate (the offer) and we don't want to rule out having a third country to help, but right now we believe that bilateral mechanisms have not been exhausted," Thai vice minister for foreign affairs Russ Jalichandra told reporters.Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said in a social media post late on Friday that both Thailand and Cambodia had initially agreed to a ceasefire proposal from Anwar a day earlier, but Thailand later reversed its decision.The two countries accuse each other of starting the conflict early on Thursday along a border where sovereignty has been disputed for more than a century."We stand by our position that bilateral mechanism is the best way out, this is a confrontation between the two countries," Nikorndej said, adding that the Cambodian side must stop violence along the border first.
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First Post
27 minutes ago
- First Post
Cambodia, Thailand agree to ceasefire talks following Trump's warning
US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that Cambodian and Thai leaders have agreed to meet immediately to negotiate a ceasefire, following three days of intense border fighting. read more A Cambodian military personnel stands on a BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher, around 40 km (24 miles) from the disputed Ta Moan Thom temple, after Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery on Friday. Reuters US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Cambodian and Thai leaders had agreed to meet immediately to work out a cease-fire, as he sought to broker peace after three days of fighting along their border. During a visit to Scotland, Trump stated on social media that he had spoken with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand's acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, and warned them that if the border conflict continued, he would not make trade deals with either of the Southeast Asian governments. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Both Parties are looking for an immediate Ceasefire and Peace,' Trump wrote as he gave a blow-by-blow account of his diplomatic efforts. Before Trump spoke to the two leaders, clashes on the Thai-Cambodian border persisted into a third day and new flashpoints emerged on Saturday as both sides said they had acted in self-defense in the border dispute and called on the other to cease fighting and start negotiations. More than 30 people have been killed and more than 130,000 people displaced in the worst fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours in 13 years. There were clashes early on Saturday, both sides said, in the neighbouring Thai coastal province of Trat and Cambodia's Pursat Province, a new front more than 100 km (60 miles) from other conflict points along the long-contested border. The two countries have faced off since the killing of a Cambodian soldier late in May during a brief skirmish. Troops on both sides of the border were reinforced amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand's fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse. As of Saturday, Thailand said seven soldiers and 13 civilians had been killed in the clashes, while in Cambodia five soldiers and eight civilians had been killed, said Defense Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata. Following calls for restraint on both sides from Trump's senior aides, he became directly involved on Saturday, speaking to each leader and saying he relayed messages back and forth. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'They have agreed to immediately meet and quickly work out a Ceasefire and, ultimately, PEACE!,' Trump wrote, saying both countries wanted to get back to the 'Trading Table.' He has sought to reach separate deals with dozens of countries in response to his announcement of wide-ranging tariffs on imports to the U.S. 'When all is done, and Peace is at hand, I look forward to concluding our Trading Agreements with both!' Trump said. He offered no details on the ceasefire negotiations he said Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to hold. The Thai and Cambodian embassies in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In the Thai border province of Sisaket, a university compound has been converted into temporary accommodation, where a volunteer said more than 5,000 people were staying. Samrong Khamduang said she left her farm, about 10 km from the border, when fighting broke out on Thursday. The 51-year-old's husband stayed behind to look after livestock. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We got so scared with the sound of artillery,' she said. 'But my husband stayed back and now we lost the connection. I couldn't call him. I don't know what is happening back there.' In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, said he would continue to push a ceasefire proposal. Cambodia has backed Anwar's plan, while Thailand has said it agreed with it in principle. 'There is still some exchange of fire,' Anwar said, according to state news agency Bernama. He said he had asked his foreign minister 'to liaise with the respective foreign ministries and, if possible, I will continue engaging with them myself – at least to halt the fighting'. Security council meeting Thailand's ambassador to the United Nations told a Security Council meeting on Friday that soldiers had been injured by newly planted land mines in Thai territory on two occasions since mid-July - claims Cambodia has strongly denied - and said Cambodia had then launched attacks on Thursday morning. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Thailand urges Cambodia to immediately cease all hostilities and acts of aggression, and resume dialogue in good faith,' Cherdchai Chaivaivid told the council in remarks released to media. Cambodia's defense ministry said Thailand had launched 'a deliberate, unprovoked, and unlawful military attack' and was mobilizing troops and military equipment on the border. 'These deliberate military preparations reveal Thailand's intent to expand its aggression and further violate Cambodia's sovereignty,' the ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Cambodia called for the international community to 'condemn Thailand's aggression in the strongest terms' and to prevent an expansion of its military activities, while Bangkok reiterated it wanted to resolve the dispute bilaterally. Thailand and Cambodia have bickered for decades over jurisdiction of various undemarcated points along their 817-km (508-mile) land border, with ownership of the ancient Hindu temples Ta Moan Thom and the 11th century Preah Vihear central to the disputes. Preah Vihear was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962, but tension escalated in 2008 after Cambodia attempted to list it as a UNESCO World Heritage site. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD That led to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths. Cambodia in June said it had asked the court to resolve its disputes with Thailand, which says it has never recognized the court's jurisdiction and prefers a bilateral approach.
Mint
34 minutes ago
- Mint
Trump dials Thailand, Cambodia to end clashes, says both ‘ready to rejoin US trading table' after ceasefire
Trump claimed that Thailand and Cambodia desire peace amid the ongoing border clashes and are eager to continue trade with the United States. In a post on his official Truth Social handle, Trump wrote, 'I just had a very good call with the Prime Minister of Cambodia, and informed him of my discussions with Thailand, and its Acting Prime Minister. Both Parties are looking for an immediate Ceasefire and Peace. They are also looking to get back to the 'Trading Table' with the United States, which we think is inappropriate to do until such time as the fighting STOPS." He added, "They have agreed to immediately meet and quickly work out a Ceasefire and, ultimately, PEACE! It was an honour to deal with both Countries. They have a long and storied History and Culture. They will hopefully get along for many years to come. When all is done, and Peace is at hand, I look forward to concluding our Trading Agreements with both!' Thailand and Cambodia's ongoing border dispute intensified as they exchanged heavy artillery fire for the third consecutive day on Saturday. The fighting resulted in 33 deaths and displaced over 168,000 people from their homes along the border, reported AP. Several artillery and small arms fire were reported near several border villages, expanding the conflict area that started on Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border injured five Thai soldiers. Cambodian and Thai officials accused each other of initiating the clashes. In response, both nations recalled their ambassadors, and Thailand shut its border with Cambodia. According to the Cambodian authorities, 12 new deaths were reported on Saturday, the total death toll stood at 13, while The Thai military announced that a soldier was killed, increasing the death toll to 20, mostly civilians. Cambodia's Information Minister Neth Pheaktra stated on Saturday that the clashes have led to the evacuation of 10,865 Cambodian families, totalling 37,635 individuals, from three border provinces to safer areas. Meanwhile, Thai authorities reported that over 131,000 people have left their border villages. The 800-kilometer (500-mile) border between Thailand and Cambodia has been contested for decades, though previous conflicts have been brief. The most recent tensions arose in May when a confrontation resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier, leading to a diplomatic dispute and stirring unrest within Thailand's politics.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
‘Honor to deal with both Countries': Trump says Thailand and Cambodia agree to hold immediate ceasefire talks
US President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed that the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to meet 'immediately' to negotiate a ceasefire, as border clashes between the two countries entered a third day. Trump, currently visiting Scotland, said in a series of social media posts that he had spoken separately to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand's acting prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai. He warned both sides that continued fighting would jeopardise their prospects for trade deals with the US. 'Both Parties are looking for an immediate Ceasefire and Peace,' Trump wrote, adding that he had been relaying messages between the two leaders. 'They have agreed to immediately meet and quickly work out a Ceasefire and, ultimately, PEACE!' he said. 'When all is done, and Peace is at hand, I look forward to concluding our Trading Agreements with both!' Clashes continued on Saturday, with new flashpoints erupting in Thailand's coastal Trat province and Cambodia's Pursat province—around 100 km away from earlier conflict zones. Both governments blamed each other and insisted they had acted in self-defense. Over 30 people have been killed and more than 130,000 displaced in what is now the worst fighting between the two neighbours in over a decade. Thailand has reported the deaths of seven soldiers and 13 civilians, while Cambodia said five soldiers and eight civilians were killed, according to Defense Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata. The violence was sparked by the killing of a Cambodian soldier in May during a brief skirmish. Since then, both sides have deployed reinforcements, and Thailand's fragile coalition government has come under severe strain amid the crisis. 'They wanted to get back to the 'Trading Table',' Trump said, positioning economic leverage as his key tool for de-escalation. He did not disclose when or where the ceasefire talks would take place, or what form they would take.
