Thailand and Cambodia still fighting after Trump announces ceasefire talks

Cambodia and Thailand exchanged fire across their disputed border for a fourth day on Sunday, hours after US President Donald Trump announced the two Southeast Asian nations had agreed to ceasefire talks and threatened continued fighting would jeopardize their trade deals with Washington, Report informs via CNN.

At least 32 people have been killed and more than 200,000 displaced since Thursday, according to Thai and Cambodian officials, in clashes that have rumbled on despite calls from the United Nations, United States and China for the fighting to stop.

Both sides have accused the other of starting the latest border flare-up, and traded blame for the ongoing fighting.

Hours after Trump’s announcement, Thailand’s government on Sunday said it was “not ready” to stop military operations and accused Cambodia of continuing to fire heavy artillery at civilian areas in its Surin province, on the border, and several other areas.

“Any cessation of hostilities cannot be reached” while Cambodia is “repeatedly violating the basic principles of human rights and humanitarian law,” Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Trump said he had warned the Thai and Cambodia leaders that he would not make trade deals with either country if the deadly border conflict continues.

Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said Sunday that his country does not want a third country to mediate but was “thankful” for Trump’s “concern.”

“We’ve proposed a bilateral between our foreign ministers, to conclude what conditions (would be) for ceasefire and drawing back troops and long range firing weapons,” Phumtham said at a press conference, adding that “soldiers will continue to do their job at full steam” until there is no danger for civilians.

Thailand hit several locations in Cambodia with drones, tank fire, cluster and aerial bombs early Sunday morning local time, a spokesperson for Cambodia’s defense ministry told reporters.

Some of the projectiles landed near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO world heritage site in Cambodia’s northern province of the same name, according to Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata. The temple complex has been at the center of previous clashes between the two nations.

The state-run National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT) reported that Cambodian forces had fired artillery into the Thai border province of Surin, west of Preah Vihear, damaging residential homes. Thai forces were responding, it reported.

Thailand on Sunday said 19 people have been killed since hostilities began, mostly civilians. There are more than 138,000 from six provinces displaced and staying in government shelters, according to the Ministry of Public Health.

Cambodia said Saturday that in Oddar Meanchey province, which borders Thailand’s Surin, 13 people had been killed, including eight civilians, and 50 wounded. At least 80,000 people in Cambodia have been displaced by the fighting, according to the defense ministry.