Thailand’s military continues to occupy civilian areas in Cambodia, having barricaded some with barbed wire and shipping containers, posing a risk to a truce between the neighbours who clashed twice last year, the Cambodian foreign minister said.
Up to 4,000 Cambodian families are unable to return to homes along the disputed frontier because of the Thai incursions, Prak Sokhonn said, despite a December agreement that halted weeks of fierce border clashes.
“The Thai military is still occupying territories well inside Cambodia,” he said on Tuesday, listing at least four border locations as incursion sites.
“The situation remains calm, but there are some risks as well. So we hope that Thailand will remain committed to the full implementation of the ceasefire.”
In response to questions from the media, Thai military and government officials referred to a Jan 12 statement by Thailand’s foreign ministry that dismissed Cambodia’s accusations as “baseless”.
“The maintenance of current troop positions following the ceasefire constitutes direct compliance with agreed de-escalation measures,” the Thai ministry said.
“This cannot be misconstrued as territorial occupation.”
With fighter jet sorties, exchanges of rocket fire and artillery barrages, the two neighbours battled for 20 days in December, following a July round of clashes that ended after calls by US President Donald Trump.
The December fighting killed 101 people and displaced more than half a million on both sides, in the latest flare-up of a century-old dispute between the countries that has occasionally exploded into conflict.
In recent weeks, Cambodia has asked Thailand for a meeting of the Joint Boundary Commission, a two-way effort to demarcate the border, but Bangkok has not confirmed its participation, according to Prak Sokhonn.
“The occupied village (issue) will be a priority for us because we need to solve those problems in order to allow our people to go back home,” he said.
Thailand’s foreign ministry said it was finalising internal procedures for the talks, which would happen after a new government takes office following a Feb 8 election.
“The Thai side reiterates its full commitment to resolving differences through bilateral mechanisms and intends to resume JBC activities at the earliest,” it added.
Besides an understanding not to beef up troops on both sides of the border, the Dec 27 truce also agreed on the return of displaced civilians. — Reuters
