Thailand accuses Cambodia of breaching truce with drones
Thailand’s army on Monday accused Cambodia of violating a recently signed ceasefire agreement by flying more than 250 drones into Thai territory, following weeks of deadly border clashes between the two neighbors.
In a statement, the Thai army said that “more than 250 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were detected flying from the Cambodian side and intruding into Thailand’s sovereign territory” on Sunday night, News.Az reports, citing AFP.
The army described the drone flights as provocative and said they breached measures intended to ease tensions. Such actions, it added, were inconsistent with the joint statement agreed during a bilateral border committee meeting held on Saturday.
Thailand and Cambodia agreed to the "immediate" ceasefire on Saturday, pledging to end renewed border clashes that killed dozens of people and displaced more than a million this month.
But the fresh allegation from Bangkok and its threat to reconsider releasing Cambodian soldiers held by Thailand left a sustained truce in doubt -- even as the two nations' foreign ministers wrapped up two days of talks hosted by China aimed at rebuilding trust and improving relations.
The reignited fighting this month spread to nearly every border province on both sides, shattering an earlier truce for which US President Donald Trump took credit.
Under the truce pact signed on Saturday, the Southeast Asian neighbours agreed to cease fire, freeze troop movements and cooperate on demining efforts and combatting cybercrime.
They also agreed to allow civilians living in border areas to return home as soon as possible, while Thailand was to return 18 Cambodian soldiers captured in July within 72 hours, if the ceasefire held.
Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn described the drone incident as "a small issue related to flying drones seen by both sides along the border line".
In remarks aired on Cambodian state television on Monday, he said the two sides had discussed it and agreed to investigate and "resolve it immediately".
Thai army spokesman Winthai Suvaree, however, said in its statement that the drone activity reflected "Cambodia's continued provocative actions and hostile stance toward Thailand", which could affect the security of military personnel and civilians in border areas.
Thailand's army "may need to reconsider its decision regarding the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers, depending on the situation and the behaviour observed", the statement added.
Five days of border clashes in July killed dozens of people before a truce was brokered by the United States, China and the chair of ASEAN regional bloc Malaysia.
Trump witnessed the signing of a follow-on declaration between Thailand and Cambodia in October, but it was broken within months, with each side blaming the other for instigating the fresh fighting.
The conflict stems from a territorial dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of the 800-kilometre (500-mile) Thai-Cambodian border, where both sides claim centuries-old temple ruins.
While both sides agreed Saturday to stop fighting, they will still need to resolve the demarcation of their border.
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