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Thailand launched airstrikes on the disputed border with Cambodia on Monday as both sides accused the other of violating a ceasefire that was established earlier this year.
The ensuing border clashes erupted into five days of fighting in July that killed scores of soldiers and civilians. US President Trump pushed the neighbors of Southeast Asia Sign the truce agreement In October, however, disputes have continued to fester.
The Thai Ministry of Defense said more than 35,000 people have left areas near the border for shelter and many are believed to have fled with relatives elsewhere, while Cambodia’s information minister Neth Pheaktra said village residents have moved closer.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in a televised speech that military operations will be carried out as necessary to protect the country and protect public safety.
“Thailand has never wanted violent conflict. I would like to rewrite that Thailand has never started fighting or being attacked, but it will never tolerate the violation of its sovereignty,” he said.
Royal Thai Army by ap
The ceasefire was undermined in early November after Thai forces were injured by landmines, leading Thailand to announce thatthe suspension confirmed the application of the agreement. Both sides continue to trade accusations of commitment, just as they should cooperate in demining.
Mr. Trump said in mid-November he would intervene to save the trade as tensions remain between the two countries.
But another brief episode of fighting took place on the side of a nearby Sunday, after which both sides claimed the other shot first. The Thai army said Cambodian fire wounded two Thai soldiers, and Thai soldiers retaliated, leading to an exchange of fire that lasted 20 minutes. Cambodia said the Thai side fired first and that its forces did not retaliate.
On Monday, the spokesperson of the Thai Army Maj. He said one Thai soldier was killed and four other soldiers were injured, while civilians were evacuated from the affected areas.
Thailand used the planes to “hit military targets in several areas to suppress Cambodian fire support attacks,” it said.
Cambodian Defense Spokesman, Maly Socheata said that Thai soldiers attacked Cambodian forces first on Monday, and that Cambodia did not retaliate during the first attack.
“Cambodia urges Thailand to immediately stop all hostile activities that threaten peace and stability in the region,” he said.
The prime minister of the neighboring region, Anyar Ibrahim, called for restraint in a statement sent to social media and said his country is ready to support efforts to prevent further fighting.
“Our region cannot afford to see protracted conflicts devolve into cycles of conflict,” he wrote.
Thailand and Cambodia have a history of enmity that goes back centuries, when they were at war with each other.
Their modern day claims from the 1907 Map were drawn when Cambodia was under French colonial rule, where Thailand proved it wrong.
The International Court of Justice in 1962 granted sovereignty to Cambodia in an area that included the 1,000-year-old temple of Vihear, which still has many levels of thais.
The cease-fire does not reveal a way to resolve the basis of the dispute, the long-standing differences over which the border should operate.
