A top Cambodian official has accused Thailand of breaching international trust as a Donald Trump-brokered ceasefire broke down and hostilities intensified on the border of the two Southeast Asian nations.
With the violence on the verge of spilling into a third day, a senior advisor to Cambodian prime minister Hun Manet told The Independent that Thailand has failed to respect international law by launching air strikes on a disputed territory.
Suos Yara, head of the Cambodian National Assembly’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Information, added: “They have chosen the gun instead of dialogue and diplomacy.”
At least three Thai soldiers and seven Cambodian civilians have been killed since fighting broke out on 8 December following a longstanding territorial dispute. Tens of thousands more on both sides have been forced to flee their homes over the past two days of clashes.
The hostilities are rooted in a longstanding dispute that dates back to the early 20th century, largely stemming from a 1907 map drawn when Cambodia was under French colonial rule, which Thailand has argued is inaccurate. Many Thais are still angered by a 1962 ruling by the International Court of Justice, which awarded sovereignty of disputed land to Cambodia – a decision reaffirmed in 2013. The disagreement fuelled several armed clashes between 2008 and 2011.
The two countries have relayed conflicting versions of how this week’s violence started, with the Thai army accusing Cambodia of launching fire across the border at around 3am local time on Monday.
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) said its own airstrikes were targeted on “weapon depots, command centres and logistical routes assessed as direct threats”, not civilians.
It added: “Cambodia had mobilised heavy weaponry, repositioned combat units and prepared fire-support elements – activities that could escalate military operations and pose a threat to the Thai border area.”
Cambodia has insisted that Thailand acted as the aggressor, with the army alleging that Thai forces launched an attack at around 5.04am local time. It added that the attack happened after the “Thai forces engaged in numerous provocative actions for many days”.
In doing so, Mr Yara claimed the country had “violated international trust” following the agreements the two nations had signed up to over the past two decades. Mr Yara said Cambodia had waited 24 hours before retaliating when Thailand refused to deescalate.
There no signs either side would step back immediately, despite both pledging their commitment to peace.
Fighting broke out in new locations on Tuesday along the 817km (508mile) border, stretching from the forested hills bordering Laos to picturesque coastal areas, where the Thai military said navy-led operations were ongoing to expel Cambodian soldiers. It said Cambodia had used bomb-dropping drones and had unleashed an onslaught of artillery and rockets.
Thai prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul ruled out dialogue and said the military had a mission it must complete. "We can't stop now. We've already given our commitment to the armed forces that they can fully carry out the planned operations," Mr Anutin told reporters.
The violence follows a peace deal brokered by president Donald Trump in October at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, which now appears to be on the brink of collapse. Mr Yara praised Donald Trump for working "tirelessly" to bring peace to the region, but said it was up to the two Southeast Asian nations to adhere to the terms.
Cambodia’s former prime minister and current president of the Senate Hun Sen has vowed a "fierce fight" against Thailand in response to air strikes, outlining a strategy to "weaken and destroy enemy forces through counterattacks".
In a Facebook post, he said: “The red line for responding has already been set. I urge commanders at all levels to educate all officers and soldiers accordingly.”
Mr Yara insisted that Cambodia only wants peace and is determined to do what it takes to halt the fighting. He told The Independent: “Every moment that we speak blood is being spilled. We have to stop now.”
US secretary of state Marco Rubio in a statement called for an immediate halt to hostilities and for a resumption of de-escalatory measures agreed at an October summit in the presence of Mr Trump.
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