The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia will attend mediation talks over their deadly border conflict in Malaysia on Monday (Jul 28), the Thai government said, even as both sides accused each other of launching fresh artillery strikes across contested areas.
Talks are scheduled to begin at 3pm local time on Monday, with acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai leading the Thai negotiating team, the government announced in a statement on Sunday night.
Malaysia, which chairs the ASEAN regional cooperation forum, has informed the Thai government that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet would also be attending the talks, the statement said.
Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have intensified since the late-May killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief border skirmish. Border troops on both sides were reinforced amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand’s fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse.
Hostilities resumed on Thursday and, within just four days, escalated into the worst fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours in more than a decade.
The death toll has risen above 30, including 13 civilians in Thailand and eight in Cambodia, while authorities report that more than 200,000 people have been evacuated from border areas.
Monday’s talks come after Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim last week proposed a ceasefire and US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the two leaders had agreed to work on a ceasefire.
Both said they were willing to start talks to end the fighting after Trump spoke to the two prime ministers, and said they had agreed to meet and “quickly work out” a ceasefire.
Cambodia said it fully endorsed Trump’s call for an immediate ceasefire.
Thailand said while it was grateful to the US President, it could not begin talks while Cambodia was targeting its civilians, a claim that Phnom Penh has denied.
“Our condition is that we do not want a third country but are thankful for his (Trump’s) concern,” Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham told reporters before heading off to visit border areas.
“We’ve proposed a bilateral between our foreign ministers to conclude the conditions for a ceasefire and drawing back troops and long-range weapons.”
Meanwhile, Cambodia said Thailand had started hostilities on Sunday morning and that Thai forces were mobilising along the border.
“I made it clear to Honourable President Donald Trump that Cambodia agreed with the proposal for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire between the two armed forces,” Cambodian leader Hun Manet posted on Facebook, noting he had also agreed to Malaysia’s earlier ceasefire proposal.
Fresh artillery clashes erupted on Sunday morning near two long-contested ancient temples in the frontier region between northern Cambodia and northeast Thailand, which has seen the bulk of the fighting.
Cambodian defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said Thai forces began attacking areas around the temples at 4.50am.
On Sunday, the country’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts condemned what it described as the “continued and intensified shelling” of the Preah Vihear Temple by Thai forces, which has placed the ancient site in “grave and unprecedented danger”.
“As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Preah Vihear Temple stands as a symbol of Cambodia’s national identity, historical continuity and spiritual heritage,” the ministry said in a statement.
“These attacks not only violate Cambodia’s sovereignty but also endanger the shared cultural heritage of humanity.”
The culture and fine arts ministry said that the deliberate targeting of the Preah Vihear Temple constitutes a “blatant violation of international law” and called on Thailand to immediately cease all military operations targeting the temple and its protected zones as well as to fully comply with its international legal obligations.
The ministry also appealed to the international community, including UNESCO and the United Nations, to call upon the Thai government and military to cease fire, end hostilities and respect Cambodia’s sovereignty.
AFP earlier reported that the regular thump of artillery rattled windows in the Cambodian town of Samraong, around 20km from the frontline.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the Thai Army said in a statement on Sunday that “Cambodian soldiers” had opened fire in the early morning hours at Ta Muen Temple, Chong An Ma checkpoint and civilian residences in Surin province.
The spokesperson also referred to a previous statement by Thai Army Deputy Spokesman Ritcha Suksuwanon who said that Cambodian forces began firing artillery around 4am as the two sides battled for control of strategic positions.
“Subsequently at 6.40am, Cambodian forces had fired artillery that struck civillian homes in Surin province, causing a house to catch fire completely despite their claims of an unconditional ceasefire,” the statement from the spokesperson read.
“This demonstrates that Cambodian soldiers have not ceased fire as claimed,” it added, claiming that this had necessitated retaliation from the Thai military by “employing long-range artillery to target Cambodian artillery and rocket launchers”.
From the Cambodian side, defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata issued a statement denying that they fired first.
The statement from Socheata also accused Thailand of “deliberate and coordinated acts of aggression”.
CEASEFIRE CALLS
Cambodia’s leader Hun Manet on Sunday said his country “agreed with the proposal for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire between the two armed forces”.
He said his Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn will talk to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to coordinate with the Thais, but warned Bangkok against reneging on any agreement.
After Trump’s call, Thailand’s Phumtham said he had agreed in principle to enter a ceasefire and start talks “as soon as possible”.
While both sides have expressed a desire for talks to end the crisis, neither has so far been willing to back down.
“Any cessation of hostilities cannot be reached while Cambodia is severely lacking in good faith and repeatedly violating the basic principles of human rights and humanitarian law,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The spokesperson from the Thai Army also said in the statement on Sunday that Trump’s telephone mediation on Saturday is a “separate issue”, as “military forces on the battlefield continue to operate according to military tactics”.
“As for whether there will be a ceasefire, Thailand confirms that a ceasefire will occur only when Cambodia takes the initiative to approach us for negotiations,” the statement by the army spokesperson added.
A long-running border dispute erupted into combat this week with jets, tanks and ground troops battling in the rural border region, marked by a ridge of hills surrounded by wild jungle and agricultural land where locals farm rubber and rice.
Thailand says seven of its soldiers and 13 civilians have been killed as of Sunday, while Cambodia has confirmed eight civilian and five military deaths.
The conflict has forced more than 138,000 people to be evacuated from Thailand’s border regions, and 80,000 have been driven from their homes in Cambodia.
A total of 138,152 people in Thailand are currently staying in shelters across six provinces: Surin, Sisaket, Ubon Ratchathani, Trat, Sa Kaeo, and Buriram.
Sisaket has the highest number of displaced individuals, with 62,691 people seeking refuge there.
After an urgent United Nations Security Council meeting on Friday in New York, Cambodia’s UN Ambassador Chhea Keo said his country wanted “an immediate ceasefire” and a peaceful resolution of the dispute.
UN chief Antonio Guterres urged both sides on Saturday to “immediately agree to a ceasefire” and hold talks to find a lasting solution.
Malaysia, as the chair of ASEAN, on Saturday reiterated its call to both sides to exercise maximum restraint and undertake an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire”.
“We further urge both sides to return to the negotiating table to restore peace and stability based on the spirit of ASEAN family, unity and good neighbourliness,” said foreign minister Mohamad.
“We stand ready to continue our work through the good offices of the ASEAN Chair in facilitating both immediate neighbours and fellow members of ASEAN to resume talks and end the fighting.”
Earlier on Thursday, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he had spoken to both countries’ leaders and urged them to find a peaceful resolution.
As well as blaming each other for starting the fight, Cambodia has also accused Thai forces of using cluster munitions, while Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including hospitals.
The fighting marks a dramatic escalation in a long-running dispute between the neighbours over their shared 800-km border where dozens of kilometres are contested.
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