Sources on the ground claim troops are still building on both sides of their disputed border as Thai and Cambodian officials convene for talks in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur to ratify a fragile ceasefire.
Malaysia facilitated the mediating of a truce on July 28 that put an end to five days of bloody battles between Thai and Cambodian forces.
Despite their representatives attending border talks in Kuala Lumpur that started on Monday, the two neighbors have accused one of breaking the terms of the shaky ceasefire.
A meeting between Thai Deputy Defense Minister Natthaphon Nakpanit and Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Seiha will take place on Thursday, followed by observers from Malaysia, China, and the United States.
The situation is unstable, according to Wasawat Puangpornsri, a member of Thailand’s parliament whose district includes Nam Yuen, a border district in Ubon Ratchathani province, at any time.
Wasawat Puangpornsri said a large number of Thai and Cambodian troops were stationed about 50 meters apart from one another around the Chong Anma border crossing in Nam Yuen district on Tuesday when he visited the area.
About 20 000 Thai residents’ attempts to return to their homes in Ubon Ratchathani were thwarted on July 24 due to simmering tensions that turned into intense fighting between the two nations.
Wasawat Puangpornsri and other government representatives were looking into reparations for the damaged civilian homes in the area while the fighting broke out.
After a brief firefight in May that left a Cambodian soldier dead and damaged Bangkok and Phnom Penh diplomatic relations, residents of the area informed Al Jazeera.
Both militaries held the first shots responsible for the May incident and the ongoing conflict, which included Thai fighter jets bombing Cambodia and Thai forces firing artillery and rockets at civilian areas on July 24.
Phian Somsri, a local Thai resident, claimed she was feeding her ducks at the time the explosions started in July.
She said, “I prepared for it, but I never really thought it would happen,” while reclining on a Buddhist pagoda’s tile floor.
According to Phian Somsri, who told Al Jazeera, “Bombs were falling in the rice fields.” She described how she received a frantic call while preparing to flee after gathering her belongings.
One of her closest friends, Grandma Lao, had just been killed when a rocket struck her home.
“I was shocked and dejected, and I hoped it wasn’t true. But she added that she was also extremely scared because she could also hear the bombs and gunfire.
I pray that everything will go smoothly and peacefully.
At least 24 civilians were killed on July 28 in Cambodia and Thailand, and more than 260, 000 people were displaced from their homes on both sides of the border when the guns went silent after five days of fighting.
Both nations continue to deny any violations of the ceasefire even as discussions about the General Border Committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur raged this week to stop further clashes.
Hun Sen, a former Cambodian leader, claimed on Sunday that a new Thai offensive was on hold, though it never materialized.
Hun Sen is largely regarded as the country’s true power and continues to call the shots despite giving power to his son, Prime Minister Hun Manet, in 2023.
The district’s head, who is located far from the fighting and where displaced Thai people have been evacuated, also confirmed that despite the ongoing tension and rumors of renewed troop expansion, people are not yet resettling in Ubon Ratchathani.
The district official, who requested that his name not be used because he was not authorized to speak to the media, claimed that the Thai military was cautious of its Cambodian counterpart.
He continued, adding that many of the evacuees have experienced traumatization as a result of their recent trauma. “They don’t trust the Cambodian side,” he said.
When his house was shattered by rocket fire on July 25, Netagit, 46, a janitor for a village hospital, described how he was escaping to a bomb shelter close to a Buddhist temple.
He told Al Jazeera as he examined the ruin of his home and said, “I have no idea what I’m going to do next.”
His wife and her parents, along with his two children, had resided here. A corrugated iron roof is now strewn across the ground in pieces, and his family’s personal belongings have now poured into the street and the concrete walls have fallen off.
He initially tried to keep the destruction of their home a secret from his children.
They saw the pictures and began crying, Netagit said, “but I didn’t want to tell them.” He continued, “I’m just trying to get ready for whatever comes next.”
Residents of this district are hopeful that Kuala Lumpur’s border talks will lead to stability, but they are anxious about continued troop movements and diplomatic tussles.
Phian Somsri’s husband was given a week to spend at home before having to return for a short while to check on their property.
She claimed that by that point, all of her ducks had died.
She said, “I just want to go home because I’m so overwhelmed.”
Source: Aljazeera
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