- At least 30 people killed; Over 130,000 displaced.
- Thai Navy reports clashes in Trat Coastal Province.
- Troops on both sides reinforced in the middle of diplomatic crisis.
SISAKET: Giant on the Thai-Cambodian border is expanding to a third day, and new flash points emerged on Saturday when both sides sought diplomatic support and said they had acted in self-defense and urged the other to cease to fight and start negotiations.
At least 30 people have been killed and more than 130,000 people displaced in the worst battles between the Southeast Asian neighbors of 13 years.
The Thai Navy said there was clashes in the coastal province of Trat early on Saturday, a new front more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from other conflict points along the long -standing border.
The two countries have been exposed to since the murder of a Cambodian soldier in late May under a short three -wing. Troops on both sides of the border were reinforced in the middle of a completely diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand’s fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse.
Thailand’s death toll remained on 19 on Saturday, while spokesman for Cambodian Defense Ministry Maly Socheata said five soldiers and eight civilians were killed in the fighting.
In Kanthralak -District in Thailand’s Sisaket Province, on the border near some of the clashes, hotel worker Chianuwat Thalalai said the city was emptied.
“Almost everyone is gone, it’s almost a deserted city,” the 31-year-old told Reuters. “My hotel is still open to some of those closer to the border area who need a place to stay”.
Thailand’s ambassador to the United Nations told a Security Council meeting on Friday that soldiers had been wounded by newly planted land mines on Thai territory on two occasions since the middle of July says Cambodia has strongly denied and said Cambodia had launched attacks on Thursday morning.
“Thailand calls on Cambodia to cease all hostilities and aggression immediately and resume dialogue in good faith,” Cherdchai Chaivaivid told Council in comments released to the media.
History of disputes
Cambodia’s Defense Ministry said Thailand had launched “a deliberate, unprovoked and illegal military attack” Thursday and now mobilized troops and military equipment on the border.
“These conscious military preparations reveal Thailand’s intention to expand its aggression and violate further Cambodia’s sovereignty,” the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
Cambodia called on the international community to “condemn Thailand’s aggression in the strongest terms” and to prevent an expansion of Thailand’s military activities.
Bangkok reiterated that it wanted to resolve the dispute bilaterally, and told UNSC that it was “deeply regrettable that Cambodia has deliberately avoided a meaningful dialogue and instead tried to internationalize the question to serve his own political goals”.
Thailand and Cambodia have for decades for decades for decades over jurisdiction for various out-of-marked points along their 817-km (508-mile) Earth boundary with ownership of the ancient Hindu temples that moan Thom and the 11th century Preah Vihear, central to the disputes.
Preah Vihear was awarded Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962, but the tension escalated in 2008 after Cambodia tried to list it as a UNESCO World Heritage World Heritage.
It led to Skirmish for several years and at least a dozen deaths.
Cambodia in June said it had asked the court to resolve its disputes with Thailand, which says it has never recognized the court’s jurisdiction and prefers a bilateral approach.
