Cambodia, Thailand and Trump
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The leaders of Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to meet to negotiate a ceasefire, according to a social media post by United States President Donald Trump on Saturday.
Thailand warned its conflict with neighboring Cambodia could “potentially develop into a war” as troops used rockets and artillery to shell targets along their contested border for a second
The latest flare-up started on Thursday, with intense fighting spreading across multiple border areas. Early Saturday, Thailand’s navy joined the army in repelling what it described as incursions by Cambodian troops at three points in eastern Trat province.
Thai and Cambodian troops clashed in at least six areas along the countries’ shared 510-mile border on Thursday, killing one Thai soldier and nearly a dozen Thai civilians. The fighting—the second instance of armed confrontation between the two countries in almost two months—has sparked fears that the conflict could escalate into open warfare.
Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire for a second day on Friday as border fighting intensified and spread, while Cambodia's leader said Thailand had agreed to a Malaysian ceasefire proposal but then backed down.
Of course, trouble at the 508-mile (817 km) shared border is nothing new. For over a century, Thailand and Cambodia have contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points in the thick jungle punctuated with culturally-significant temples albeit with scant strategic or economic value.
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China must strike a delicate balance in its approach towards Thai-Cambodian conflict, say analysts
China faces a delicate balancing act as it decides what role it should play in the ongoing border hostilities between Thailand and Cambodia, two South-east Asian nations that are its close neighbours and which it wields strong influence over.
The conflict over the shared border between the two countries grew on Saturday, in the deadliest conflict between them in more than a decade.
Thailand has rejected mediation efforts from third countries to end the ongoing conflict with Cambodia, insisting that Phnom Penh cease attacks and resolve the situation only through bilateral talks,
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