Agencies Surin (Thailand)

Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire for a second day on Friday as their worst fighting in over a decade intensified and spread to new areas, despite international calls for a ceasefire.  At least 16 people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced in the escalating border battle.

Both sides have blamed each other for starting the conflict and on Friday ratcheted up the rhetoric, with Thailand accusing Cambodia of deliberately targeting civilians and Cambodia alleging Thailand was using cluster munitions, a controversial and widely condemned ordnance.

Thailand’s acting PM Phumtham Wechayachai said Cambodia had launched attacks on multiple fronts and Thailand was defending its territory. “The situation invol­ves acts of intrusion and aggr­ession causing harm to peo­ple’s lives. The situation has intensified and could escalate into a state of war. At present, it’s a confrontation involving heavy weapons,” he said.

Fighting re-erupted before dawn, with clashes reported in 12 locations, up from six on Thursday, as per Thailand’s military, which accused Cam­bodia of using artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rocket systems to target areas, inclu­ding schools and hospitals.

Temporary shelters

The Thai health ministry said over 58,000 have fled villages to temporary shelters in four affected border provinces, while Cambodian authorities said more than 4,000 people have evacuated from areas near the border. 

No mediation

As fighting along the disputed border continued unabated, Thai officials favoured bilateral negotiations over third-party mediation to resolve the military conflict. The US, China and Mala­y­sia, which is the current chair of the Asean regional bloc, have offered to facilitate dialogue but Bangkok is seeking a bilateral solution to the conflict, Thai foreign ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Bala­nkura said, adding, “I do not think we need any mediation from a third country yet.”