Thai army accuses Cambodia of violating truce with over 250 drones

BANGKOK – Thailand’s army accused Cambodia on Dec 26 of violating a newly signed ceasefire agreement, reached after weeks of deadly border clashes, by flying more than 250 drones over its territory.

Thailand and Cambodia

agreed to the “immediate” ceasefire

on Dec 27, pledging to end renewed border clashes that killed dozens of people and displaced more than a million in December.

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 Thai army said “more than 250 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were detected flying from the Cambodian side, intruding into Thailand’s sovereign territory” late on Dec 28, according to a statement.

“Such actions constitute provocation and a violation of measures aimed at reducing tensions, which are inconsistent with the joint statement agreed” during a bilateral border committee meeting on (Dec 27), it added.

The reignited fighting 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 Dec 27, the South-east 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 said in remarks aired on state television on Dec 29 that the two sides discussed the incident and agreed to investigate and “resolve it immediately”.

Mr Prak Sokhonn described it as “a small issue related to flying drones seen by both sides along the borderline”.

‘Continued provocation’

Thai army spokesman Major-General Winthai Suvaree, however, said in a statement that the drone incident 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”, he 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.

Mr 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 800km Thai-Cambodian border, where both sides claim centuries-old temple ruins.

While both sides agreed on Dec 27 to stop fighting, they will still need to resolve the demarcation of their border.

At the end of talks in China’s Yunnan province on Dec 29, Cambodia, Thailand and China issued a statement saying the three sides had discussed “working step by step through mutual efforts to resume normal exchanges, rebuild political mutual trust, improve Cambodia-Thailand bilateral relations, and safeguard regional stability”.

Cambodia also said it called on Thailand to join another bilateral meeting in Cambodia in early January to “to discuss and continue survey and demarcation work” at the border. AFP