BANGKOK: Thailand has bolstered its navy presence alongside a disputed border with Cambodia, following a rise in troops on the opposite aspect, Thailand’s defence minister mentioned on Saturday (Jun 7), as tensions simmer following a deadly clash.
For days, the 2 Southeast Asian governments have exchanged carefully worded statements committing to dialogue after a short skirmish in an undemarcated border space on Might 28 during which a Cambodian soldier was killed.
However Phumtham Wechayachai, who additionally serves as Thailand’s deputy prime minister, mentioned that in talks bilateral talks held on Thursday, Cambodia had rejected proposals that might have led to a de-escalation.
“Moreover, there was a reinforcement of navy presence, which has exacerbated tensions alongside the border,” Phumtham mentioned in a press release.
“Consequently, the Royal Thai Authorities has deemed it essential to implement further measures and to strengthen our navy posture accordingly.”
He didn’t present particulars on the extent of reinforcements by both aspect.
In a separate assertion on Saturday, the Thai military mentioned Cambodian troopers and civilians had repeatedly made incursions into Thailand’s territory.
“These provocations, and the construct up of navy forces, point out a transparent intent to make use of drive,” the Thai military mentioned, including that it will take management of all Thai checkpoints alongside the border with Cambodia.
A spokesperson for Cambodia’s overseas ministry didn’t instantly reply to questions from Reuters.
The navy reinforcements come regardless of efforts by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who’s the present chair of the Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations, and China to scale back tensions.
Thailand and Cambodia have for greater than a century contested sovereignty at numerous undemarcated factors alongside their 817km land border, which was first mapped by France in 1907 when Cambodia was its colony.
Rigidity escalated in 2008 over an Eleventh-century Hindu temple, resulting in skirmishes over a number of years and not less than a dozen deaths, together with throughout a weeklong change of artillery in 2011.
Present governments in each international locations, nevertheless, have loved heat ties. Former leaders Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand and Cambodia’s Hun Sen have had a detailed relationship, and Thaksin’s daughter and Hun Sen’s son are actually the incumbent prime ministers of their international locations.
Nonetheless, nationalist sentiment has risen in Thailand and the Thai navy mentioned on Friday that it is able to launch a “high-level operation” to counter any violation of its sovereignty.
Cambodia mentioned this week it will refer disputes over 4 components of the border to the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice and requested Thailand to cooperate.
Phumtham reiterated in his Saturday assertion that Thailand doesn’t recognise the jurisdiction of the court docket and proposed that each one boundary-related points be resolved by means of bilateral negotiations.
The 2 international locations are attributable to meet for talks on Jun 14.
