Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai says Thailand reinforces military presence in response to Cambodia move.
Thailand has reinforced its military presence along a disputed border with Cambodia following an increase in troops on the other side, the Thai defence minister has said.
Tensions between the two Southeast Asian countries have been rising since a Cambodian soldier was killed on May 28 in a brief skirmish in an undemarcated border area.
Since the incident, the two governments have been exchanging carefully worded statements committing to dialogue.
Thailand’s Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who also serves as deputy prime minister, said on Saturday that Cambodia had rejected proposals in bilateral talks held on Thursday that could have led to a de-escalation.
“Furthermore, there has been a reinforcement of military presence, which has exacerbated tensions along the border,” Phumtham said in a statement.
“Consequently, the Royal Thai Government has deemed it necessary to implement additional measures and to reinforce our military posture accordingly.”
He did not provide further details on the extent of reinforcements by either side.
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In a separate statement on Saturday, the Thai army said Cambodian civilians had also repeatedly made incursions into Thailand’s territory.
“These provocations, and the buildup of military forces, indicate a clear intent to use force,” the Thai army said, adding it would take control of all Thai checkpoints along the Cambodia border.
There was no immediate comment from Cambodia.
“This is our stance, not to initiate conflict, but to defend ourselves,” Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said in a speech earlier on Saturday.
“Our guiding principles are … respect for international legal frameworks. These grounded strategies are key to safeguarding our nation’s sovereignty,” he said, adding that its armed forces were ready to defend against aggression.
Thailand remains committed to pursuing bilateral dialogue as a means to restore stability, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.
“The Thai side reaffirms its readiness to engage through established bilateral mechanisms, particularly the upcoming meeting of the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), scheduled for June 14,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura told reporters.
“We sincerely hope that the negotiations will proceed in good faith,” he added.
The reinforcements come despute efforts by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is the current chair of the Southeast Asian ASEAN bloc, and China to reduce tensions, but the border remains disputed.
Thailand and Cambodia have for more than a century contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817km (508-mile) land border.
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Tension escalated in 2008 over an 11th-century Hindu temple, leading to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths, including during a weeklong exchange of artillery fire in 2011.
A meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Boundary Commission – which addresses border demarcation issues – is scheduled for June 14.
