cambodia-calls-for-ceasefire-as-thai-border-clashes-worsen

Deadly border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand have triggered urgent talks at the United Nations, with more than 138,000 people evacuated and casualties mounting in the ongoing territorial dispute.

 

On Friday, Cambodia called for an “immediate ceasefire” with Thailand after two days of intense cross-border fighting involving fighter jets, heavy artillery and ground troops. The flare-up marks one of the most serious escalations in the countries’ long-standing border row.

 

Speaking after an emergency closed-door session of the UN Security Council in New York, Cambodia’s ambassador Chhea Keo said Phnom Penh was seeking peace, not conflict.

 

“Cambodia asked for an immediate ceasefire, unconditionally, and we also call for the peaceful solution of the dispute,” Chhea Keo told reporters outside the Security Council chamber.

 

Pushing back against Thai claims that Cambodia started the clashes, Chhea Keo said: “How can a small neighbour like Cambodia be attacking a military heavyweight like Thailand?”

 

He added that the Security Council had urged both nations to show maximum restraint and resolve the dispute through diplomacy — an appeal that Cambodia fully supports.

 

Thailand has yet to issue a public response to the ceasefire offer. Earlier this week, Thai authorities imposed martial law across eight districts bordering Cambodia as fighting intensified.

 

The clashes, which erupted on Thursday, have already left at least 15 people dead and dozens more injured, according to Thailand’s health ministry. More than 138,000 residents have been evacuated from Thai border towns due to ongoing shelling and exchanges of fire.

 

The violence has broken out along a disputed stretch of the two countries’ 800-kilometre (500-mile) border, where historic tensions over land claims have simmered for decades.

 

According to certain meda reports, the root of the dispute lies in long-unresolved claims over areas containing ancient temples and strategic military outposts.

 

While sporadic skirmishes have flared in recent years, the current level of fighting has shocked the region, which draws millions of tourists each year.

 

Despite the scale of the clashes, both governments have so far stopped short of formally declaring war.