Hours after President Trump claimed both countries had agreed to haveh out a ceasefire, Cambodia and Thailand have exchanged accusations of artillery attacks.
After Trump spoke to their leaders late on Saturday, both sides said they were ready to begin discussions to end the fighting over their border dispute.
The Southeast Asian neighbors’ neighbors’ worst fighting in more than a decade ended with more than 30 deaths, including 8 civilians in Thailand and 8 in Cambodia, on Friday.
According to authorities, more than 200 000 people have also been forced out of their respective border regions.
Cambodia said it fully supported Trump’s request for an immediate ceasefire. Thailand, on the other hand, claimed that while Cambodia was attacking its citizens, it was not able to reach a conclusion while Thailand was grateful to Trump. Phnom Penh has refuted this claim.
Before departing for border regions, acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said, “We have suggested a bilateral with our foreign ministers to finalize the terms of a ceasefire and drawing back troops and long-range weapons.”
However, on Sunday morning, artillery fire broke out, and both countries took the blame for the attacks.
Thailand shelled and launched ground assaults on several locations along the border on Sunday morning, according to Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense. Heavy artillery was fired at historic temple complexes, according to a spokesperson for the ministry.
Meanwhile, the Thai army claimed Cambodian forces were mobilizing long-range rocket launchers and that they had fired shots into several areas, including near civilian homes, early on Sunday.
Both governments are currently blaming the other for starting the attacks, saying they both want a ceasefire but first need to meet certain requirements. According to Tony Cheng, a journalist from the Thai province of Surin along the Thai-Cambodia border, “we are reaching this kind of deadlock where neither side is able to stand back.”
We just had a border contact check in with us. They claim to still be hearing artillery fire exchanges. There were significant barrages entering Thailand, the majority from the Thai side entering Cambodia, and some… rockets returning in exchange.
With ownership of Ta Moan Thom’s ancient Hindu temples and the 11th-century Preah Vihear at the heart of the conflict, Thailand and Cambodia have fought for decades over undefined points along their 817 km (508-mile) land border.
The International Court of Justice granted Cambodia’s Preah Vihear in 1962, but tensions grew after Cambodia attempted to list it as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and skirmishes erupted over the course of several years, resulting in the deaths of at least a dozen people.
Ceasefire push
Trump claimed on Saturday that he had spoken with Phumtham and Hun Manet, the prime minister of Cambodia, and that they had agreed to meet immediately to quickly reach a ceasefire. The fighting broke out on Thursday.
Trump continued on social media that tariff negotiations with both countries were halted until the conflict was over, adding that “Both Parties are looking for an immediate ceasefire and peace.”
Hun Manet said Prak Sokhonn, Thailand’s foreign minister, will coordinate with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and warned Bangkok against breaking any agreement.
On Saturday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged both sides to “immediately agree to a ceasefire” and engage in dialogue to arrive at a lasting solution.
People who have been evacuated from areas along the border in both nations are being “relatively well cared for” at evacuation centers as fighting continues, Cheng said.
From a center in Surin, where 3, 000 people are staying, he said, “They have basic things like food, water, and a little bit of bedding, but they came with almost nothing.”
Civilians on both sides are calling for a quick implementation of a ceasefire.
Sreung Nita, a student at Phnom Penh University, told the Reuters news agency, “I think it’s great if Thailand agreed to end fighting so that both nations can live peacefully.”
Things will improve if there is a ceasefire, according to a resident of Sisaket in northeastern Thailand, Thavorn Toosawan.
Source: Aljazeera
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