Thailand, Cambodia urged to stop escalated border clashes

Indonesia, which holds the rotating chair of ASEAN, has called for an immediate end to the violence along the disputed border between Thailand and Cambodia .
Indonesia , which holds the rotating chair of the Association ofSoutheast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has called for an immediate end to theviolence along the disputed border between Thailand and Cambodia .

The Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson,Kusuma Habir, said in a statement released to reporters on April 23 thatIndonesia called on the two sides to make greater effort topeacefully solve border disputes.

She added thatIndonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa is discussing with his Thaiand Cambodian counterparts on the latest developments in the disputedborder.

On April 23, troops from Thailand andCambodia continued exchanging fires surrounding the Ta Mon Thom and TaKrabek temples and in Chub Korki along the disputed border stretch inOdda Meanchey province.

Cambodian Defence Ministerspokesperson Chhum Socheat said “Clashes have been escalating as Thaimilitary used modern weapons such as heavy and machine-guns and mortarsto fire at the temples and civilians’ houses in the area”.

Oddar Meanchey Governor Pich Sokhin said trucks have evacuated 595families in the surrounding area to safer places some 30km away from thescene. He added clashes were still going on by 9h10 this morning andsome Cambodian soldiers were killed.

However both sides have not yet released the injured and death tolls.

It was the second flare-up of fires in the last two days with thefirst one lasting four hours which cost both sides the lives of sixsoldiers and injured dozens of civilians.

Regarding the case, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Nam Hong has sent aletter to the UN Security Council chair, accusing Thailand of“attacking the Cambodian territory with assorted weapons”.

On April 22, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei called onthe two sides to keep calm, restrain themselves and resolve disputesthrough negotiations.

The Singaporean ForeignMinistry has also expressed concerns over the fighting along theThailand-Cambodia border and called on the two sides to keep calm andsit down for negotiations. The ministry said in a statement that itwould back efforts made by Indonesian Foreign Minister Marti Natalegawawho had contacted the two sides after the April 22 clash.

Indonessia in the capacity of ASEAN chair has made great effort tohelp Thailand and Cambodia conduct negotiations on borderdisputes./.

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