Cambodia claims new border incident as accident during ongoing peace talks

Thailand’s military reports a soldier wounded in mortar strike in disputed border area.

A Thai soldier was injured in a mortar attack in a disputed border region on Tuesday morning. The incident occurred in Ubon Ratchathani province, where Cambodian forces allegedly fired mortar rounds into the area. One soldier was evacuated for medical treatment due to shrapnel injuries.

In a statement later that day, the Thai military said that the Cambodian side had contacted them to explain that there was no intention to fire into Thai territory. The incident was attributed to an operational error by Cambodian personnel.

The Thai army issued a warning to Cambodia, stating that if similar errors occur again, Thailand may be compelled to carry out defensive countermeasures. This comes after decades-old disputes between the two Southeast Asian nations over their colonial-era border demarcation.

A ceasefire agreement was reached on December 27, ending three weeks of clashes that killed dozens of people and displaced about one million on both sides. The agreement also included a pledge to freeze troop movements and cooperate on demining efforts along their border.

Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence spokeswoman Maly Socheata declined to comment on the alleged strike. Thailand had previously released 18 Cambodian soldiers held since July, as part of a goodwill gesture.

The United States, China, and Malaysia had brokered a truce in July, but it was short-lived. A follow-up declaration was signed in October, but Bangkok suspended the agreement after Thai soldiers were wounded by landmines. Cambodia has called on Thailand to pull out its forces from several border areas claimed by Phnom Penh as its own.

The two nations still need to resolve their disputed border demarcation. Cambodia’s Defence Ministry proposed a bilateral border committee meeting with Thai counterparts in Siem Reap province this month, but Bangkok has said that meetings may be held by Thailand’s next government following elections scheduled for February 8.

Source: Al Jazeera