Confrontations between Cambodia and Thailand: 33 dead, call to an “immediate ceasefire”

The border fights between Cambodia. Consequently, Thailand left 33 dead on both sides of the border, according to the latest assessments available on Saturday, Phnom Penh calling for an “immediate ceasefire”.

This long -standing border dispute and degenerated Thursday into confrontations involving combat aircraft, tanks, ground troops and artillery.

A level of violence never seen since 2011, which has led the UN Security Council to meet urgently.

On Saturday, the Defense Ministry in Phnom Penh said that 13 people were killed and 71 others injured on the Cambodian side. Consequently, Thailand has 20 dead on its soil, including six soldiers.

Artillery shots

In total, the balance sheet exceeds that of the previous series of major border clashes between the two countries, which had killed 28 people between 2008 and 2011.

The clashes broke out at the level of temples of several centuries. In addition, before the fighting spread along the border, which consists in particular in a long line of peak of hills covered with trees, surrounded by jungle and rubber, rice and garlic crops.

The two camps reported fights around 5 a.m. Similarly, on the coast. Phnom Penh accused Thai forces of having drawn “five heavy artillery shells” in several places in the province of Pursat. a border of Thailand.

AFP journalists present in the Cambodian city of Samraong near the border, heard artillery fire on Saturday.

A Thai villager who took refuge inside a shelter joined on the phone in the province of Sisaket, some 10 km from the border, also mentioned the rumble of the cannons.

“I just want it to end as quickly as possible,” Sutian Phiewchan told AFP.

The clashes forced more than 138. 000 people to evacuate the Thai regions backed by the border, while in Cambodia, more than 35,000 people had to flee their home.

At the end of the closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday in New York. the Cambodian ambassador to the United Nations Chhea Keo said that his country wished a cease-fire.

“Cambodia asked for an immediate. unconditional cease-fire and we have confrontations between cambodia thailand: 33 also called for a peaceful conflict resolution,” he told the press.

Border dispute

Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiamposa called Cambodia on Saturday to show “real sincerity to end the conflict”.

“I urge Cambodia to stop violating Thai sovereignty” and turning to “bipartite dialogue,” the minister told the press.

Friday, before the United Nations meeting, Thailand said leaving the door open to negotiations, with Malaysia as possible intermediary.

This last country currently chairs the Association of Nations of Southeast Asia (ASEAN), of which Thailand and Cambodia are members.

Both camps accuse to have opened fire first. Thailand claims that Cambodia has targeted civil infrastructure, including a hospital and a service station, which Phnom Penh defended himself.

Cambodia, for its part, accuses Thai forces of using submunition weapons.

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. an influential personality in the Kingdom, went to several shelters on Saturday to meet evacuated people.

“The army confrontations between cambodia thailand: 33 needs to complete its operations before any dialogue can take place,” said Thaksin in front of the press.

These fights constitute a major escalation in the conflict between Cambodia and Thailand over their common border of 800 kilometers. The two states dispute its route, defined at the time of French Indochina.

A decision by the United Nations International Court of Justice in 2013 resulted in the problem for more than a decade. but the current crisis broke out in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed during a night exchange in the so -called “emerald triangle”.

Relations between Bangkok. Phnom Penh have particularly deteriorated last month when former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen disseminated the recording of words from the Thai government then, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, about the border dispute.

This flight caused a political crisis in Thailand. The words of the political leader, also the daughter of Mr. Thaksin, were confrontations between cambodia thailand: 33 interpreted as a disavowal of the generals of Bangkok and led to his suspension by the Constitutional Court.