The Thai military has accused Cambodia of ignoring the agreement by flying more than 250 drones into Thai territory.
What you should know
Cambodia, which signed a peace agreement with Thailand last Saturday to end a war over a border dispute, was accused of violating it on Monday.
The Thai military has accused Cambodia of violating a recent ceasefire agreement. The Thai military has accused Cambodia of ignoring the agreement by flying more than 250 drones into Thai territory.
The Thai military said in a statement that more than 250 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were detected flying from Cambodia into Thai territory on Sunday night. The Thai military said that such activities undermined the peace agreement. The Thai side accused Cambodia of not following the joint statement issued after a meeting of the bilateral border committee, saying that such incidents had damaged mutual trust between the two countries.
Responding to the Thai accusation, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said on Monday that representatives from both countries had discussed the incident on state television. Prak Sokhonn described the incident as a “small problem” and said that both countries had agreed to investigate and resolve it immediately. Years of border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have been eased recently, with US President Donald Trump leading the charge. Tensions have reached a peak after the two countries, which had agreed to a near-ceasefire, resumed fighting this month, killing dozens of people. The latest clashes have reportedly displaced more than a million locals. The renewed fighting has spread to almost all border provinces in both countries.
Under the agreement signed on Saturday, the two Southeast Asian neighbors pledged to refrain from firing on the border, limit troop movements and cooperate against cybercrime.
China's mediation efforts
HONG KONG - China held a trilateral meeting with the foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand on Monday in an effort to further strengthen its role in Southeast Asian diplomacy. Beijing appears to be trying to increase its role as an effective mediator in the ongoing violent border dispute between the two neighbors. While US President Donald Trump is also trying to take a stand on the issue. Trump on Monday argued that the peace agreement between Cambodia and Thailand on Saturday was possible on his initiative, arguing that the United States is seen as a 'United Nations' for the world. But tensions are building again between Cambodia and Thailand on Monday.
The meeting took place two days after Thailand and Cambodia signed a ceasefire agreement to end the fighting in a meeting held in Yunnan, China's southwestern province north of the disputed border. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at the meeting that joint efforts are needed for regional peace, stability and development. It has been analyzed that this indicates that China wants to be directly involved in regional crises.
Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn expressed confidence that the latest ceasefire will be sustainable and hoped that the previously agreed mechanisms for improving relations between the two countries and resolving differences would be reactivated. Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkol also expressed hope for peaceful coexistence with neighboring countries. China has been presenting itself as an international mediator in recent years. Beijing appears to have intensified diplomatic activity with the aim of increasing its influence in regional crises, including in Asia.
