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A Thai worker stands defender successful the country of Prasat Ta Muen Thom, a disputed borderline country betwixt Thailand and Cambodia successful Surin province, Thailand, connected March 5, 2025.
Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Thailand has reinforced its subject beingness on a disputed borderline with Cambodia, pursuing an summation successful troops connected the different side, Thailand's defence curate said connected Saturday, arsenic tensions simmer pursuing a deadly clash.
For days, the 2 Southeast Asian governments person exchanged cautiously worded statements committing to dialog aft a little skirmish successful an undemarcated borderline country connected May 28 successful which a Cambodian worker was killed.
But Phumtham Wechayachai, who besides serves as Thailand's lawman premier minister, said that during bilateral talks held connected Thursday, Cambodia had rejected proposals that could person led to a de-escalation.
"Furthermore, determination has been a reinforcement of subject presence, which has exacerbated tensions on the border," Phumtham said successful a statement.
"Consequently, the Royal Thai Government has deemed it indispensable to instrumentality further measures and to reenforce our subject posture accordingly."
He did not supply details connected the grade of reinforcements by either side.
In a abstracted connection connected Saturday, the Thai service said Cambodian soldiers and civilians had repeatedly made incursions into Thailand's territory.
"These provocations, and the buildup of subject forces, bespeak a wide intent to usage force," the Thai service said, adding that it would instrumentality power of each Thai checkpoints on the borderline with Cambodia.
A spokesperson for Cambodia's overseas ministry did not instantly respond to questions from Reuters.
The subject reinforcements travel contempt efforts by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is the existent seat of the Southeast Asian ASEAN bloc, and China to trim tensions.
Thailand and Cambodia person for much than a century contested sovereignty at assorted undemarcated points on their 817 km (508 miles) onshore border, which was archetypal mapped by France successful 1907 erstwhile Cambodia was its colony.
Tension escalated successful 2008 implicit an 11th-century Hindu temple, starring to skirmishes implicit respective years and astatine slightest a twelve deaths, including during a weeklong speech of artillery successful 2011.
Current governments successful some countries, however, person enjoyed lukewarm ties. Former leaders Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand and Cambodia's Hun Sen person had a adjacent relationship, and Thaksin's girl and Hun Sen's lad are present the incumbent premier ministers of their countries.
Still, nationalist sentiment has risen in Thailand and the Thai subject said connected Friday that it is acceptable to launch a "high-level operation" to antagonistic immoderate usurpation of its sovereignty.
Cambodia said this week it would notation disputes implicit 4 parts of the borderline to the International Court of Justice and asked Thailand to cooperate.
Phumtham reiterated successful his Saturday connection that Thailand does not recognise the jurisdiction of the tribunal and projected that each boundary-related issues beryllium resolved done bilateral negotiations.
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