Cambodia Seeks "Immediate Ceasefire" with Thailand Amid Border Clashes
Cambodia has called for an "immediate ceasefire" with Thailand, according to its representative at the United Nations. Thailand has also indicated a willingness to engage in negotiations following two days of violent clashes that have resulted in at least 15 deaths and displaced thousands.
"Cambodia is demanding an immediate ceasefire—without conditions—and urges a peaceful resolution to the conflict," said UN ambassador Chhea Keo after a closed-door meeting attended by representatives of both nations.
On Friday, artillery fire continued along Cambodia’s side of the border, a day after a longstanding territorial dispute escalated into heavy combat involving fighter jets, artillery, tanks, and infantry. The violence prompted the UN Security Council to convene an emergency session.
Thailand’s health ministry reported over 138,000 evacuations from border regions, with 15 confirmed fatalities—14 civilians and one soldier—along with at least 46 injuries, including 15 military personnel.
In Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province, officials confirmed one civilian death—a 70-year-old man—and five wounded, though further casualty details were not provided. Cambodian authorities stated that more than 23,000 people had fled border areas.
Following initial clashes, fighting renewed in three zones around dawn on Friday, according to the Thai army. However, foreign ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura said the conflict had diminished by afternoon.
Balankura added that Thailand was open to negotiations, potentially mediated by Malaysia.
"We are prepared to resolve this issue through diplomatic means, whether bilaterally or with Malaysia’s assistance. So far, we have not received a response," Nikorndej told reporters before the UN meeting.
Malaysia currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes both Thailand and Cambodia.
Earlier, acting Thai prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai cautioned that further escalation "could lead to war."
"At this stage, the situation is confined to clashes," he told journalists in Bangkok.
On Thursday, both sides accused one another of initiating hostilities, while Thailand claimed Cambodian forces struck civilian sites, including a shelled hospital and a petrol station hit by a rocket.
At the UN, Cambodia’s envoy dismissed assertions by Thailand—which holds a stronger military—that Phnom Penh had provoked the conflict.
"The Security Council has urged both sides to exercise maximum restraint and seek a diplomatic solution. We fully support this approach," said Chhea Keo.
The clashes mark a sharp intensification of a decades-long dispute over the shared 800-kilometre frontier. Several contested segments have seen violence before, including clashes from 2008 to 2011 that left at least 28 dead.
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