Bangkok (TDI): Thailand has turned down mediation offers from multiple countries, saying it prefers to resolve its intensifying border dispute with Cambodia through direct talks, but only once the violence stops.
Tensions between the two Southeast Asian nations flared again this week after heavy artillery exchanges left at least 16 people dead, marking the worst border clashes in over a decade.
In a statement issued Friday, Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura said, “I don’t think we need any mediation from a third country yet,” despite offers from the United States, China, and Malaysia, the current chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, to help de-escalate the crisis.
The refusal came just a day after a Thai F-16 fighter jet launched an airstrike on a Cambodian military target in response to a series of artillery volleys. Civilians bore the brunt of the violence, with 11 people reportedly killed on Thursday alone.
By Friday morning, fighting had spread to several points along the disputed frontier. Thai military officials reported pre-dawn clashes in Ubon Ratchathani and Surin provinces, accusing Cambodian forces of using heavy artillery and Soviet-era BM-21 rocket launchers.
Read More: Thailand F-16 Bombs Cambodian Territory as Border Tensions Explode
In a statement, the Thai military said, “Cambodian forces have conducted sustained bombardment utilizing heavy weapons, field artillery and BM-21 rocket systems. Thai forces have responded with appropriate supporting fire under the tactical situation.”
The conflict has already forced over 100,000 people on the Thai side to flee their homes, with evacuation centers rapidly filling up.
Cambodia in 2013 successfully sought clarification from the International Court of Justice, which reaffirmed its sovereignty over the Preah Vihear temple area and ordered Thai troops to withdraw. Despite the ruling, tensions on the ground never fully dissipated.
The latest fighting began early Thursday near a contested ancient temple. It was reportedly sparked by a landmine explosion that severely injured a Thai soldier. In retaliation, Bangkok expelled the Cambodian ambassador and recalled its own, a move Phnom Penh rejected as unjustified.
Read More: Amid Crash Aftermath, Bomb Threat Forces Emergency Landing of Air India Flight in Thailand
What began as scattered gunfire quickly escalated into coordinated shelling across at least six different locations. Both governments blame each other for initiating hostilities.
At least 15 civilians, most of them Thai, have died in two days of fighting, and the number is expected to rise if the violence continues. Cambodia claims its troops have only responded in self-defense.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
