After days of fighting along their border, Thailand and Cambodia maintained their tenuous ceasefire as China intervened to engage in negotiations with the two nations.
Although it was scheduled to go into effect at midnight on Monday, it actually did. Cambodia claimed there was no firing in any area early Tuesday, but Thailand’s army accused Cambodia of attacking in several locations. The Thai army then stated that heavy artillery was not used, but they did confirm gunshot exchanges into Wednesday morning.
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Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday morning that Cambodian forces’ act of aggression is yet another blatant breach of the ceasefire agreement and their apparent lack of good faith.
At a meeting in Shanghai on Wednesday afternoon, however, delegates seemed to have reiterated their commitment to a truce, smiling in a photo with Chinese Vice Minister Sun Weidong.
The ‘constructive role’ of China
Jullapong Nonsrichai, executive advisor to Thailand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with Kung Phaok, a top official at Cambodia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.
According to a statement from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cambodia and Thailand thanked China for its constructive role in de-escalating the situation and reaffirmed to China their commitment to the ceasefire agreement.
China said the informal meeting was its latest diplomatic effort and it was playing a constructive role in resolving their border dispute,” according to the same statement.
Thitinan Pongsudhirak, an international relations professor at Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University, cited the ongoing civil war in Myanmar as evidence that China’s peacemaking efforts reflect its real concerns about another crisis so near to its borders.
The Chinese and U.S. interests align on this, which is very rare, he said. China does not want more instability in its backyard. Trump also hopes to win another peace deal.
Some claim that China reacted to the U.S. strategy by making its diplomatic efforts more widely known.
According to Tita Sanglee, an associate fellow at the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, Trump’s strategy of tying tariff agreements to delicate sovereignty problems has undoubtedly been successful, but I don’t think this will benefit the United States in the long run. China is likely to seize on this contrast to present itself as the more understanding and respectful mediator.
Alleged violation of the ceasefire
On Monday, Phumtham Wechayachai, the acting prime minister of Thailand, and the prime minister of Cambodia agreed to an unconditional halt to the fighting, which has claimed at least 41 lives.
As the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ yearly chair, the prime minister of Malaysia hosted the gathering. In order to de-escalate and restore peace and security, he referred to the ceasefire as an essential first step.
Trump stated that he would not proceed with trade agreements if the crisis persisted, therefore the United States exerted pressure to broker the ceasefire.
Washington hailed the truce announcement, according to the U.S. Secretary of State.
According to a statement released by Rubio, President (Donald) Trump and I are dedicated to an immediate stop to the violence and expect the governments of Thailand and Cambodia to completely fulfill their promises to put an end to this conflict.
But the Thai army said there was an attack Tuesday night in Phu Makhuea, a mountain in a disputed area next to Thaikand s Sisaket province.
The Thai government separately said it has complained to Malaysia, the U.S. and China about Cambodia s alleged breach of the ceasefire agreement previously.
The 800-kilometer (500-mile) border between Cambodia and Thailand has previously been the source of conflict. Five Thai soldiers were wounded on Thursday, which sparked the conflict. Since a clash in May that resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier and a diplomatic rupture, tensions had been rising.
Locals are in limbo.
There were some indications of peace near the border by Wednesday, as some of the people who had been displaced by the fighting were going back to their homes. Many people are still in evacuation shelters, unsure of what will happen to them.
Vendor Kanchana Sukjit, 33, said she fled home near the Ta Muen Thom temple with a few belongings and her small white-colored dog Nam Khaeng, which means ice in Thai. One of the primary hotspots in the battle throughout the previous week had been the temple.
She was anxious as she awaited more precise instructions regarding what would happen next because it was the first time she had to leave home in this manner.
Because my house is close to a military installation, I become anxious when I read the news, especially when it says they are planning to fire (a long-range rocket). She remarked, “I was really anxious that day because I was worried that my house would be caught in a crossfire.”
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Reported from Surin, Thailand, was Saksornchai. Contributions to this article came from Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul in Bangkok and Sopheng Cheang in Samrong, Cambodia.
