Tuesday, 29 Jul, 2025

International

Cambodia urges ceasefire as border clashes with Thailand escalate

International Desk  | banglanews24.com
Update: 2025-07-26 12:29:17
Cambodia urges ceasefire as border clashes with Thailand escalate Cambodia-Thailand border clashes escalate

Cambodia has called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire with Thailand, following days of deadly clashes along their shared border that have killed more than 30 people, including civilians.

Chhea Keo, Cambodia’s ambassador to the United Nations, said Phnom Penh was seeking a peaceful resolution to the dispute and urged an end to the violence without preconditions.

Thailand has not officially responded to the proposal and continues to reject third-party mediation. Martial law has been declared in eight Thai districts bordering Cambodia.

Since the fighting began on Thursday, at least 32 people—soldiers and civilians—have been confirmed dead, and nearly 200,000 have been displaced in both countries. Each side accuses the other of firing first.

On Saturday, Thailand’s military reported that Cambodian forces launched attacks in a new area along the southern coast, but said the navy had repelled the incursion.

Fighting had previously been concentrated in the Thai provinces of Surin, Ubon Ratchathani, and Srisaket, which border Cambodia.

Thai officials stated that 19 people, including 13 civilians and six soldiers, have died since Thursday, with nearly 140,000 residents evacuated from affected areas.

Cambodia’s defence ministry reported 13 fatalities on its side—eight civilians and five soldiers—with over 35,000 people forced to flee their homes.

Thailand’s acting Prime Minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, warned on Friday that the conflict could escalate into a full-scale war. He said clashes had spread to 12 separate locations and now involved heavy weaponry.

Bangkok also accused Cambodian forces of targeting civilian areas, prompting the evacuation of all villages within range of its rockets.

Phnom Penh, in turn, accused Thailand of using cluster munitions—widely condemned and banned in much of the world due to their indiscriminate impact on civilian populations. Thailand has not responded to that accusation.

Despite rising tensions, Thailand’s foreign minister told Reuters there was “no need” for third-party mediation, even as international leaders urged a halt to the hostilities.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in his capacity as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has offered to mediate between the two countries.

The United States also called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians, and a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Thailand claims the latest round of clashes began after Cambodian forces deployed drones to monitor Thai troops near the border.

Cambodia, however, says the violence was triggered when Thai soldiers advanced on a disputed Khmer-Hindu temple in violation of a previous agreement.

The border dispute dates back over a century to the period following French colonial rule in Cambodia. Sporadic clashes over the years have resulted in casualties on both sides.

Tensions flared anew in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a skirmish, pushing bilateral relations to their lowest point in more than a decade.

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