Cambodia-Thailand border clashes enter 2nd week

BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH — Renewed border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand entered the second week on Sunday after dozens of people were killed.

More than two dozen people on both sides of the border have been reported killed in the past week's fighting, while more than half a million have been displaced.

Thailand's military announced on Sunday the imposition of a curfew in parts of Trat Province, citing the ongoing situation along the border areas.

"Overall, there have been clashes continuously" since Saturday, Thai defense ministry spokesman Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri told a news conference in Bangkok after announcing the curfew.

Thailand is open to a diplomatic solution but "Cambodia has to cease hostility first before we can negotiate," he said.

As fighting continued, both sides have traded accusations of attacks against each other.

Cambodia's information minister, Neth Pheaktra, said Thai forces had "expanded their attacks to include civilian infrastructure and Cambodian civilians".

The country shut its border crossings with Thailand on Saturday, announcing it would immediately "suspend all entry and exit movements at all Cambodia-Thailand border crossings", according to the interior ministry.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Saturday that he held separate telephone conversations with Thailand's caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, calling on both sides to implement a ceasefire starting from 10 pm on Saturday.

Hun Manet said on his social media account on the same day that Cambodia welcomes and supports the ceasefire initiative proposed by Anwar.

However, Anutin confirmed in a media interview on Saturday afternoon that there would be no ceasefire on Saturday night.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the Southeast Asian neighbors had agreed to halt fighting.

But Thai leaders later said no ceasefire deal was made, and both governments said on Sunday morning that clashes were ongoing.

The Thai prime minister said Trump "didn't mention whether we should make a ceasefire" during their Friday phone call.

The two leaders "didn't discuss" the issue, Anutin told journalists on Saturday.

Kongsiri, the Thai defense ministry spokesman, said Cambodia shelled and bombed several border provinces overnight.

Cambodia's defense ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata, meanwhile, said Thailand continued to fire mortars and bombs into border areas since midnight.

"The United Nations stands ready to support all efforts aimed at promoting peace, stability and development in the region," said the spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Dec 8.

China on Tuesday hoped both countries would "exercise restraint" to prevent further escalation.

"As a friend and close neighbor of Cambodia and Thailand, China sincerely hopes that both sides exercise restraint and work in the same direction to prevent further escalation of the situation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday during a regular news conference in Beijing.

Armed clashes between Cambodian and Thai forces erupted on July 24 along their border, resulting in hundreds of casualties. Both sides accused each other of violating international law.

A consensus was reached on Aug 7 on the details of a ceasefire, with both sides signing an agreement at the extraordinary meeting of the General Border Committee held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

On Oct 26, the two leaders signed a joint declaration on peace on the sidelines of the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in the Malaysian capital.

Agencies/Xinhua