Thailand and Cambodia leaders will meet for peace conversations on Monday, since a territorial dispute overcomes along its shared border crawled on a fifth day of open combat.
At least 35 people have been killed and more than 200,000 displaced since Thursday while countries fight for a handful of old temples disputed.
In an effort initiated by the president of the United States, Donald Trump, the interim prime minister of Thailand, Phumtham Wechayachai, and the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Manet, will meet at 3 pm (12 PM PKT) in Kuala Lumpur. China is also expected to send a delegation.
Before the conversations, Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fire and fresh accusations.
“We do not believe that Cambodia is acting in good faith, depending on his actions to address the problem,” Phumtham told journalists while leaving Bangkok airport.
“They need to demonstrate a genuine intention, and we will evaluate it during the meeting.”
The spokeswoman of the Ministry of Defense of Cambodia, Maly Scheata, said that on Monday was “the fifth day that Thailand has invaded the territory of Cambodia with heavy weapons and with the deployment of many troops.”
In the city of Surin de Thailand, 30 kilometers from the border and a center of evacuees fleeing the fighting, Lamduan Chuenjit, 58, shared the skepticism of its leader.
“I hope the negotiation goes well today and ends with a high fire,” the cleaner told AFP While sweeping a store. “But I wonder how reliable is Cambodia.”
On the eve of the conversations, Thailand’s army said that the Cambodian snipers were camping in one of the disputed temples, and accused Phnom Penh of growing troops along the border and hammering Thai territory with rockets.
He said that the fighting were ongoing in seven areas along the rural border region, marked by a hill crest surrounded by wild young people and agricultural land, where the premises grow rubber and rice.
“The situation is still very tense, and it is anticipated that Cambodia can be preparing for an important military operation before entering negotiations,” said the Thai military statement.
On Saturday, Trump said he made a night call to both leaders, who agreed to “quickly solve” a truce.
The Cambodian prime minister, Hun Manet, said that the summit, which will be mediated by the leader of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, was also organized “with the participation of China”, a key trade and political ally.
“The purpose of this meeting is to achieve a high immediate fire, which was initiated by President Donald Trump and agreed by the prime ministers of Cambodia and Thailand,” said Hun Manet.
The Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, said that US officials “are on the field in Malaysia to help these peace efforts,” while Anwar told national media that he would focus on ensuring a “high immediate fire.”
Both sides point to the finger
The Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn marked his 73th birthday on Monday, but a notice at the country’s Royal Gazette said that his public celebrations scheduled for the great Bangkok palace have been canceled in the middle of the fight.
Trump has threatened both countries with striking levies in their Global Blitz tariff unless they accept independent trade agreements, saying that “he would expect” to sign them once that “peace is at hand.”
Both parties have agreed on a truce in principle, while accusing the other of undermining peace efforts and exchanging accusations about the use of cluster bombs and hospitals orientation.
Thailand says that eight of his soldiers and 14 civilians have been killed, while Cambodia has confirmed eight civilian deaths and five military.
The Thai army said that he has returned the bodies of 12 Cambodian soldiers killed in combat.
More than 138,000 people have fled from Thailand’s border regions, while around 80,000 have been expelled from their homes in Cambodia.
With the skirmish that contains nationalist feelings, Thailand warned its citizens that “they refrain from any type of violence, either in speech or action” against Cambodian migrants living in the country.
