Ta Krabei Temple was damaged after being shelled by the Thai military for the second time, on Dec 10. - Ministry of Information
PHNOM PENH: The number of civilians killed by firing from the Thai military has risen to 10, with over 60 injured as of the evening of Dec 10. Thai troops were continuing to push into Cambodian territory at multiple locations on Thursday (Dec 11), according to the Ministry of National Defence.
In this morning’s update, defence spokesperson Maly Socheata stated that the Thai military shelled Ta Krabei Temple again, as well as Khnar Temple, on the afternoon of Dec 10. They also fired on Khnar Temple this morning.
“The aggressive actions of the Thai military involve indiscriminate firing, shelling into towns, civilian villages and schools, as well as firing to destroy Ta Krabei Temple and the sacred Preah Vihear Temple of Cambodia, a heritage site of all humanity,” she said.
She added that Thailand has violated every aspect of the peace agreement and the ceasefire that both countries signed in Malaysia in July and October.
According to the Ministry of Information, the Thai military has not only violated Cambodia's sovereignty and territorial integrity by using heavy weapons, including dropping bombs from aircraft onto civilian locations, but they have also destroyed Khmer temples, which are valuable cultural assets and registered World Heritage sites.
“We condemn the acts of armed aggression by the Thai military against Cambodia and call on the international community to compel the Thais to implement the Statement on the Peace Agreement signed on Oct 26, which was witnessed by US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and to cease their current campaign of slander against Cambodia,” said the ministry.
“Cambodia is the victim of the Thai military's acts of armed aggression. Thailand has provoked all manner of incidents to slander and accuse Cambodia in order to create a pretext for invasion,” it added. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
