Kuala Lumpur, August 7 (ANI): As Thai and Cambodian officials meet in Kuala Lumpur for talks to strengthen the ceasefire, sources on the ground report continued troop build-up along the disputed border, raising fears of a possible return to conflict, Al Jazeera reported.
The talks, which began on Monday, are part of a four-day General Border Committee meeting expected to conclude on Thursday with a high-level session between Thai Deputy Defence Minister Natthaphon Nakpanit and Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Seiha. Observers from Malaysia, China, and the United States are attending the summit.
Malaysia brokered the ceasefire on July 28 after five days of intense clashes between Cambodian and Thai forces. However, both nations have since accused each other of violating the terms of the truce, even as negotiations continue in the Malaysian capital.
“It can erupt at any time; the situation is not stable,” said Wasawat Puangpornsri, a Thai MP whose constituency includes Nam Yuen district in Ubon Ratchathani province, located along the border. On Tuesday, Puangpornsri visited the area and reported that Thai and Cambodian troops were positioned just 50 meters apart around the Chong Anma border crossing, according to Al Jazeera.
The July 24 fighting forced the evacuation of around 20,000 Thai residents from Ubon Ratchathani, many of whom remain displaced due to fears of renewed violence. Wasawat and other Thai government officials are currently assessing the damage to civilian homes for potential reparation payments.
Residents of Nam Yuen district remain on edge following earlier violence in May, during which one Cambodian soldier was killed in a brief firefight that further strained relations between the two countries. Al Jazeera reported that both militaries blame each other for triggering the July 24 clashes, during which Cambodian artillery and rocket fire struck Thai civilian areas, while Thai fighter jets bombed Cambodian positions.
Local resident Phian Somsri recounted how the violence reached her doorstep. “I prepared for it, but I never really thought it would happen,” she said, speaking from a Buddhist pagoda where she has been sheltering for over ten days. “Bombs were falling in the rice fields,” she added.
Earlier last week, Thailand released two injured Cambodian soldiers captured during the recent border clashes, even as both countries prepare for talks aimed at maintaining the fragile truce next week, Al Jazeera reported.
The Cambodian Defence Ministry confirmed the soldiers were returned on Friday through a checkpoint linking Thailand’s Surin province with Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey.
About The Author
