Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Renewed border fighting between Thailand and cambodia The crisis showed no signs of abating on Wednesday, with thousands of displaced people in both countries living in tense conditions in makeshift shelters due to flooding.
Associated Press correspondents on the Thai side of the border heard indirect gunfire Wednesday.
Thai military spokesman Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri said on Wednesday that about 400,000 people had been evacuated from affected areas in Thailand and about 700 schools were closed, while fighting continued in four border provinces.
Cambodia evacuated more than 127,000 villagers and hundreds of schools were closed, the Defense Ministry said.
Thailand’s military announced casualties this week, with five soldiers killed and dozens wounded. Cambodia said seven civilians were killed and 20 others were injured, though it did not update those figures on Wednesday.
Cambodia said seven civilians were killed and 20 others were injured, though it did not update those figures on Wednesday.
There’s no clear path to peace yet, says Thailand’s PM Anutin Charnvirakul Vowed to continue fighting and Cambodia’s powerful Senate chairman Hun Sen promised a fierce response.
The fighting and bad blood between the nations has resulted in Cambodia withdrawing its entire team from the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, which began on Tuesday in Thailand. Cambodia’s National Olympic Committee said in an announcement Wednesday that it regretted the action but said the competitors’ families were concerned for their safety.
Trump says he will return both sides to peace
The new, wider fighting follows clashes on Sunday that wounded two Thai soldiers and derailed a ceasefire brokered by US President donald trump The armed conflict ended in July.
Dozens of people on both sides were killed and thousands of civilians were forced to evacuate in five days of fighting over territorial disputes. The ceasefire was brokered by Malaysia and pushed forward due to pressure from Trump, who threatened to withhold trade privileges between the two countries unless they agreed.
At a political event in Pennsylvania late Tuesday night, Trump said he would use his influence to end the renewed fighting.
“I’ll have to make a phone call tomorrow,” Trump said. “And who can say, ‘I’ll make a phone call and stop a war between two very powerful countries, Thailand and Cambodia?'”
U.S. Secretary of State marco rubio It earlier called on both sides to fulfill commitments made at the October meeting in Malaysia, which reaffirmed the July ceasefire and called for the removal of heavy weapons from the border, removal of land mines and coordination of other steps.
Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikornadze Balankura said on Wednesday there had been no contact yet from the United States on the matter. He said that if another third party proposed to mediate, Thailand would likely not accept it because “the line has been crossed.”
The ceasefire was fragile from the beginning as both countries were waging a bitter propaganda war and minor incidents of cross-border violence continued.
Thailand deployed jet fighters to conduct air strikes on military targets, while Cambodia’s most feared weapons are BM-21 rocket launchers with a range of about 30–40 kilometers (19–25 mi). They are capable of firing 40 rockets at a time and are mounted on trucks, making them less likely to be attacked.
A Thai military statement said Cambodia launched about 125 salvos with about 5,000 rockets from BM-21 launchers on Tuesday, some hitting civilian areas, although no casualties were reported.
Shelters provide safe haven but concerns remain
Far from the battlefield, anxious evacuation is the clearest sign of distress.
At a gymnasium in the northeastern Thai city of Surin, about 550 people waited for a fight, with many quickly fleeing after the first gunfire on Sunday.
Authorities have provided food and shelter for the children. The cold, winter temperatures keep conditions at the shelter tolerable, but there is inevitable boredom and anxiety about what they left behind, including homes, valuables, and animals.
Farmer Thidarat Homohual, 37, who lives with her family at the shelter, said her focus is on the cows, ducks, four dogs and nine cats left in her care.
“We are on the front lines. We can live like this. It’s OK,” he said. “But I want it to be over. I miss my pets. I really miss my pets, all the animals in the house. I can’t really put it into words.”
,
Srei Snam, Sopheng Chiang in Cambodia, Wasamon Oudjarint in Bangkok and Matthew Lee and Lou Keston in Washington contributed to this report.