Thailand’s Foreign Ministry has stated that they do not want a third country to play a mediator role in any discussions to end the ongoing confrontations with Cambodia, insisting that such talks should be held directly between the two countries. The two nations have been exchanging attacks over the past two days, escalating into a major confrontation after weeks of tension near their territorial border, including an incident where a fighter jet dropped bombs on Cambodian territory. In what are described as the most intense attacks between the two countries in the past 10 years, Thailand has reported 16 deaths so far, mostly civilians, according to the Thai government.
The United States, China, and Malaysia have offered to mediate in talks to de-escalate the situation and establish peace. However, Nikondet Balankura, spokesperson for Thailand’s Foreign Ministry, told Reuters that they do not see the need for any mediator in the discussions at this time. “We don’t see the need for any mediator in the talks at the moment,” he said in a statement to the news agency. The exchange of attacks began amid heightened tensions over territorial disputes along the border between the two countries. On May 28, there were clashes and exchanges of fire between border guards of the two countries, resulting in the death of a Cambodian soldier.
Since yesterday, both sides have been accusing each other of further escalating the situation through their attacks. While the Cambodian government has not officially commented on this matter, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet has called for a UN Security Council meeting to address what he described as Thailand’s attacks on Cambodia’s independence and sovereignty. The UN Security Council has announced that it will hold a closed-door meeting regarding this issue.
