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Thailand And cambodia agreed on Monday to resume ceasefire talks after intense border clashes entered the third week.
At least 74 people have been killed and more than half a million displaced since fighting began on December 8 along the 800-kilometre-long disputed border.
it marked second round of battle between the two Southeast Asian neighbors in less than six months We chairman donald trumpmalaysia and China Helped in establishing the first ceasefire.
Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Fuangketkaew said the ceasefire in July was rushed. He said, “We were sometimes in a hurry because the US wanted to sign it during President Trump’s visit.” He said, “The ceasefire cannot be announced just like that, it needs to be discussed.” He said Bangkok wanted a “true ceasefire” with Cambodia’s firm commitment.
On Monday, the foreign ministers of the two countries held a special meeting on the sidelines of a summit for the ASEAN grouping of Southeast Asian nations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, their first face-to-face summit since the new clashes began.
The defense ministers of the two countries are expected to meet for further talks later this week.
Thailand stated that a detailed plan needed to be implemented, and said that de-mining was essential to move the process forward.
Mr Phungketkaew confirmed that a meeting would be held between military officials from the two countries on December 24 to work towards a ceasefire agreement.
Neither the US nor China were involved in the decision to resume discussions between the two countries this weekend, he said, adding that it was about “sorting things out” between Thailand and Cambodia.
At the start of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) meeting, Malaysia’s foreign minister urged the bloc to play a more prominent role in preventing conflict.
Mohammad Hassan said, “ASEAN must do whatever is necessary to maintain regional peace and stability.”
“Our goal goes beyond reducing tensions. We must accelerate confidence-building between the conflicting parties and provide a horizon for dialogue despite existing differences.”
The meeting represents the first phase of talks for a possible ceasefire since the clashes began. At the same time, Bangkok has adopted a tough stance regarding talks. phnom penh Publicly stated that he was ready for an unconditional ceasefire.
Meanwhile, on Monday, Cambodia’s Interior Ministry said that a Chinese citizen has been injured in Thai army shelling.
It said Thai forces “fired artillery shells into civilian areas” in the Cambodian border province of Battambang.
The ministry said that “a civilian house was completely destroyed and a Chinese civilian was injured” due to the shelling.
Cambodia confirmed at least 19 civilian deaths and said 79 were injured. It said 510,000 people were displaced.
Thailand’s Defense Ministry said 34 Thai civilians and 21 Thai soldiers have been killed in the fighting so far this month.
The renewed clashes have been viewed with concern internationally. The US State Department issued a statement on Sunday calling on Thailand and Cambodia to “cease hostilities, withdraw heavy weapons, stop laying landmines, and fully implement the Kuala Lumpur Peace Agreement, including mechanisms to expedite humanitarian demilitarization and address border issues.”
On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Beijing was working to mediate the conflict in its own way since fighting began this month.
Deng Zijun, China’s special envoy for Asian affairs, traveled to Phnom Penh last week to discuss the conflict. Mr. Deng said China will continue to play a constructive role in mediation.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman said China would release information on Mr. Deng’s mediation “at the appropriate time.”
Since then, fighting has erupted on multiple fronts, with Thailand carrying out airstrikes inside Cambodia using F-16 fighter jets, while Cambodia has fired thousands of medium-range BM-21 rockets from truck-mounted launchers capable of firing 40 rockets simultaneously.
Under the October ceasefire, Thailand was to release 18 captured Cambodian soldiers, and both sides were to begin withdrawing heavy weapons and removing landmines along the border.
However, the agreement quickly unraveled amid a bitter propaganda war and sporadic cross-border violence.
Landmine explosions have proven particularly sensitive The issue is for Thailand, which has lodged several protests after alleging that Cambodia laid new mines, injuring soldiers patrolling the border. Cambodia has insisted that the mines are remnants of its decades-long civil war, which ended in 1999.
“These were clearly newly planted landmines and this was confirmed by the ASEAN observer group,” Mr Sihasak said on Monday, calling it a “clear violation” of the October agreement.
The Thai Navy said Sunday that one of its frontline sailors suffered serious injuries to his right leg after stepping on a landmine.
It also said it had discovered a large cache of weapons and explosive ordnance left behind while securing an area it described as a Cambodian stronghold, pointing to “the deliberate planning and deliberate use of anti-personnel landmines” against Thai troops.
Cambodia has not yet responded to the allegations.