Cambodian and Thai officers declare troopers from different facet opening fireplace first in newest lethal border conflict between the neighbours.
Cambodia’s chief has known as for calm within the nation a day after a soldier was killed in a quick conflict with troops from neighbouring Thailand, in a disputed zone alongside the Thai-Cambodia border.
In a written assertion on Thursday, Prime Minister Hun Manet mentioned individuals mustn’t “panic over unverified materials being circulated”, and reassured the nation that he didn’t need a battle between Cambodian and Thai forces.
“For that reason, I hope that the upcoming assembly between the Cambodian and Thai military commanders will produce optimistic outcomes to protect stability and good army communication between the 2 international locations, as we’ve got executed previously,” mentioned Hun Manet, who’s at present on a go to to Tokyo.
“Regardless that I’m in Japan … the command system and hierarchy for main army operations equivalent to troop actions stay below my full duty as prime minister,” he added.
Cambodia’s Ministry of Nationwide Defence mentioned on Wednesday that one in every of its troopers was killed in a quick firefight with Thai troops, in a disputed border area between the country’s Preah Vihear province and Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani province.
The ministry accused Thai troopers of opening fireplace first on a Cambodian army put up that had lengthy existed within the contested border zone.
Nonetheless, Thailand’s Minister of Defence Phumtham Wechayachai mentioned Cambodian forces within the space had opened fireplace first, including they’d beforehand dug a trench within the space in an effort to claim Cambodia’s declare over the disputed territory, native media reported.
“I’ve been knowledgeable that the return fireplace was essential to defend ourselves and defend Thailand’s sovereignty. I’ve instructed warning. Though the ceasefire holds, either side proceed to face one another,” the minister mentioned, in accordance with Thailand’s The Nation newspaper.
The Nation additionally reported that Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra spoke together with her counterpart, Hun Manet, and each have been working to decrease the temperature on the dispute.
“We don’t need this to escalate,” the Thai prime minister was quoted as saying.
Cambodia and Thailand have an extended historical past of disputes alongside their mutual border, together with armed clashes that broke out in 2008 close to Cambodia’s Preah Vihear Temple, which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Website that yr. Preventing additionally broke out alongside the border in 2011.
The Related Press information company experiences that in February, Cambodian troops and their members of the family entered an historic temple alongside the border and sang the Cambodian nationwide anthem, resulting in a quick argument with Thai troops.
The incident was recorded on video and went viral on social media.
