Latest news with #ChheaKeo
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Death toll rises in Thai-Cambodian clashes despite ceasefire call
Thai residents evacuate from their homes following clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers in Sisaket province. (AP pic) SAMRAONG : Thailand and Cambodia clashed for a third day on Saturday, as the death toll from their bloodiest fighting in years rose to 33 and Phnom Penh called for an 'immediate ceasefire'. A long-running border dispute erupted into intense conflict involving jets, artillery, tanks and ground troops on Thursday, prompting the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis Friday. Cambodia's defence ministry said 13 people were now confirmed killed in the fighting, including eight civilians and five soldiers, with 71 people wounded. In Thailand, the army said five soldiers were killed on Friday, taking the toll there to 20 – 14 civilians and six military. The death toll across the two countries is now higher than the 28 killed in the last major round of fighting between 2008 and 2011. Both sides reported a clash around 5.00am (2200 Friday GMT), with Cambodia accusing Thai forces of firing 'five heavy artillery shells' into locations in Pursat province, which borders Thailand's Trat province. The fighting has forced more than 138,000 people to be evacuated from Thailand's border regions, with more than 35,000 driven from their homes in Cambodia. After the closed meeting of the Security Council in New York, Cambodia's UN ambassador Chhea Keo said his country wanted a ceasefire. 'Cambodia asked for an immediate ceasefire – unconditionally – and we also call for the peaceful solution of the dispute,' he told reporters. Border row Thai foreign ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura said Friday, before the UN meeting was held, that Bangkok was open to talks, possibly aided by Malaysia. 'We are ready, if Cambodia would like to settle this matter via diplomatic channels, bilaterally, or even through Malaysia, we are ready to do that. But so far we have not had any response,' Nikorndej told AFP. Malaysia currently holds the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional bloc, of which Thailand and Cambodia are both members. Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has warned that if the situation escalates, 'it could develop into war.' Both sides blamed each other for firing first, while Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital hit by shells and a petrol station hit by at least one rocket. Cambodia has accused Thai forces of using cluster munitions. At the UN, Cambodia's envoy questioned Thailand's assertion that his country, which is smaller and less militarily developed than its neighbour, had initiated the conflict. '(The Security Council) called for both parties to (show) maximum restraint and resort to a diplomatic solution. That is what we are calling for as well,' said Chhea Keo. The fighting marks a dramatic escalation in a long-running dispute between the neighbours – both popular destinations for millions of foreign tourists – over their shared 800km (500-mile) border. Dozens of kilometres in several areas are contested, and fighting broke out between 2008 and 2011, leaving at least 28 people dead and tens of thousands displaced. A UN court ruling in 2013 settled the matter for over a decade, but the current crisis erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a new clash.
The Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Border conflict bloodier than before
Lives upended: Evacuees resting inside a temporary shelter in Thailand's Sisaket province as border fighting intensified and spread. — Reuters Thailand and Cambodia clashed for a third day, as the death toll from their bloodiest fighting in years rose to 33 and Phnom Penh called for an 'immediate ceasefire'. A long-running border dispute erupted into intense conflict involving jets, artillery, tanks and ground troops on Thursday, prompting the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis Friday. Cambodia's Defence Ministry said 13 people were confirmed killed in the fighting, including eight civilians and five soldiers, with 71 people wounded. In Thailand, the army said five soldiers were killed on Friday, taking the toll there to 20 – 14 civilians and six military. The death toll across the two countries is now higher than the 28 killed in the last round of fighting between 2008 and 2011. Both sides reported a clash around 5am local time yesterday, with Cambodia accusing Thai forces of firing 'five heavy artillery shells' into locations in Pursat province, which borders Thailand's Trat province – on the coast some 250km southwest of the main frontlines. AFP journalists in the Cambodian town of Samraong, near the ridge of forest-clad hills that marks the border and has seen the bulk of the fighting, heard the thump of artillery yesterday afternoon. The fighting has forced more than 138,000 people to be evacuated from Thailand's border regions, with more than 35,000 driven from their homes in Cambodia. After the closed meeting of the Security Council in New York, Cambodia's UN ambassador Chhea Keo said his country wanted a ceasefire. 'Cambodia asked for an immediate ceasefire – unconditionally – and we also call for the peaceful solution of the dispute,' he told reporters. Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said yesterday that for any ceasefire or talks to proceed, Cambodia needed to show 'genuine sincerity in ending the conflict'. 'I urge Cambodia to stop violating Thai sovereignty and to return to resolving the issue through bilateral dialogue,' Maris told reporters. Both sides have blamed the other for firing first, while Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital hit by shells and a petrol station hit by at least one rocket. Cambodia has accused Thai forces of using cluster munitions. The Cambodian Education Ministry claimed that on Friday two Thai rockets had hit a school compound in Oddar Meanchey but caused no injuries. It said all schools in the province have been closed. Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra – still an influential figure in the kingdom – visited shelters yesterday to meet evacuees. 'The military needs to complete its operations before any dialogue can take place,' Thaksin told reporters. The 76-year-old said he had no plans to contact Hun Sen, Cambodia's powerful ex-prime minister who was long a close ally. 'His actions reflect a disturbed mindset. He should reflect on his conduct,' Thaksin said of Hun Sen. — Agencies
Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Cambodia calls for immediate ceasefire with Thailand
Cambodia on Friday called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire following an escalation in violence along its border with Thailand. "Cambodia asked for an immediate ceasefire - unconditionally - and we also call for the peaceful solution of the dispute," Cambodia's ambassador to the UN, Chhea Keo, said following a meeting of the UN Security Council in New York. Keo dismissed Bangkok's accusations that Cambodia had attacked the country, pointing out that Cambodia's army is only a third the size of Thailand's. He also said that Cambodia lacks a fully equipped air force. At the closed-door meeting, members of the Security Council called on both sides to exercise extreme restraint. Long-standing tensions between the two South-East Asian neighbours flared on Thursday, when exchanges of fire broke out along the border. In response, the Thai military said it had deployed fighter jets against Cambodian positions. Cambodia responded with artillery fire, hitting areas including civilian infrastructure. A petrol station and a hospital were struck. Each side has blamed the other for initiating the latest round of fighting. According to media reports, Thailand carried out further airstrikes on Friday.
Observer
2 days ago
- Politics
- Observer
Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along frontier
Thailand and Cambodia pounded each other with heavy artillery fire for a third day on Saturday, as a border conflict that killed at least 33 people and displaced more than 150,000 from their homes spread across the frontier. Clashes broke out for the first time in the countries' coastal regions where they meet on the Gulf of Thailand, around 250 kilometres southwest of the main frontlines thumping with blasts on Saturday afternoon. 'It feels like I'm escaping a war zone,' 76-year-old Samlee Sornchai said at a temple shelter for evacuees in the Thai town of Kanthararom, after abandoning his farm near the embattled frontier. Both sides say they are open to a truce in the combat being fought with jets, tanks and ground troops, but have accused the other of undermining armistice efforts. Tensions initially flared over long-contested ancient temple sites before fighting spread along the countries' rural border region, marked by a ridge of hills surrounded by wild jungle and agricultural land where locals farm rubber and rice. Cambodia's defence ministry said 13 people have been confirmed killed in the fighting since Thursday, including eight civilians and five soldiers, with 71 people wounded. Thai authorities say 13 civilians and seven soldiers have been killed on their side, taking the toll across both nations higher than it was in the last major round of fighting between 2008 and 2011. Both sides reported a coastline clash around 5:00 am on Saturday, with Cambodia accusing Thai forces of firing 'five heavy artillery shells' into Pursat province, bordering Thailand's Trat province. The conflict has also forced more than 138,000 people to be evacuated from Thailand's border regions, and more than 35,000 driven from their homes in Cambodia. After an urgent UN Security Council meeting in New York on Friday, Cambodia's UN ambassador Chhea Keo said his country wanted a ceasefire. 'Cambodia asked for an immediate ceasefire — unconditionally — and we also call for the peaceful solution of the dispute,' he told reporters. Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said on Saturday that for any ceasefire or talks to proceed, Cambodia needed to show 'genuine sincerity in ending the conflict'. 'I urge Cambodia to stop violating Thai sovereignty and to return to resolving the issue through bilateral dialogue,' Maris told reporters. Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura said on Friday, before the UN meeting was held, that Bangkok was open to talks, possibly aided by Malaysia. Malaysia currently holds the chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, of which Thailand and Cambodia are both members. Both sides have blamed the other for firing first. Additionally, Cambodia has accused Thai forces of using cluster munitions, while Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital hit by shells and a petrol station struck by at least one rocket. Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra — still an influential figure in the kingdom — visited shelters on Saturday to meet evacuees. — AFP
LeMonde
2 days ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along border as death toll rises
Thailand and Cambodia pounded each other with heavy artillery fire for a third day on Saturday, July 26, as a border conflict that killed at least 33 people and displaced more than 150,000 from their homes spread across the frontier. Clashes broke out for the first time in the countries' coastal regions where they meet on the Gulf of Thailand, around 250 kilometers southwest of the main frontlines, thumping with blasts on Saturday afternoon. Both sides say they are open to a truce in the combat being fought with jets, tanks and ground troops, but have accused the other of undermining armistice efforts. Tensions initially flared over long-contested ancient temple sites before fighting spread along the countries' rural border region, marked by a ridge of hills surrounded by wild jungle and agricultural land where locals farm rubber and rice. Cambodia's Defense Ministry said 13 people have been confirmed killed in the fighting since Thursday, including eight civilians and five soldiers, with 71 people wounded. Thai authorities say 13 civilians and seven soldiers have been killed on their side, taking the toll across both nations higher than it was in the last major round of fighting between 2008 and 2011. Both sides reported a coastline clash around 5 am local time on Saturday, with Cambodia accusing Thai forces of firing "five heavy artillery shells" into Pursat province, bordering Thailand's Trat province. The conflict has also forced more than 138,000 people to be evacuated from Thailand's border regions, and more than 35,000 driven from their homes in Cambodia. After an urgent UN Security Council meeting in New York on Friday, Cambodia's UN ambassador Chhea Keo said his country wanted a ceasefire. "Cambodia asked for an immediate ceasefire – unconditionally – and we also call for the peaceful solution of the dispute," he told reporters. Border row Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said Saturday that for any ceasefire or talks to proceed, Cambodia needed to show "genuine sincerity in ending the conflict." "I urge Cambodia to stop violating Thai sovereignty and to return to resolving the issue through bilateral dialogue," Maris told reporters. Partner service Learn French with Gymglish Thanks to a daily lesson, an original story and a personalized correction, in 15 minutes per day. Try for free Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura said Friday, before the UN meeting was held, that Bangkok was open to talks, possibly aided by Malaysia. Malaysia currently holds the chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, of which Thailand and Cambodia are both members. Both sides have blamed the other for firing first. Additionally, Cambodia has accused Thai forces of using cluster munitions, while Thailand has accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital hit by shells and a gas station struck by at least one rocket. Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, still an influential figure in the kingdom, visited shelters on Saturday to meet evacuees. "The military needs to complete its operations before any dialogue can take place," Thaksin told reporters. The fighting marks a dramatic escalation in a long-running dispute between the neighbors over their shared 800-kilometer border, where dozens of kilometers are contested. A UN court ruling in 2013 settled the matter for more than a decade, but the current crisis erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash on the border. Relations between the two countries soured dramatically when Hun Sen last month released a recording of a call with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra focused on the border row. The leak triggered a political crisis in Thailand as Paetongtarn, Thaksin's daughter, was accused of not standing up for Thailand enough, and of criticizing her own army. She was suspended from office by a court order.
