Fighting continues on Thai-Cambodian border despite Trump

Fighting broke out on Saturday morning along the Thai-Cambodian border, even after US President Trump, acting as mediator, declared that he had reached an agreement of both countries for a ceasefire.

Thai officials have said they did not accept a ceasefire and Cambodia has not commented on Trump’s claim. Instead, its Defense Ministry said Thai jets carried out airstrikes on Saturday morning. Cambodian media reported Trump’s claim without providing further details.

Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said on Saturday that some of Trump’s comments did not “reflect an accurate understanding of the situation.”

“We regret and are disappointed that some of the points raised by President Trump relate to the sentiment of the Thai people, Thailand, because we consider ourselves (in fact, we are proud) to be the oldest treaty ally of the United States in the region,” he said.

The last large-scale fighting was triggered by a skirmish on December 7 who injured two Thai soldiers and ceasefire derailed promoted by Trump that ended five days of previous fighting in July over long-standing territorial disputes.

The July ceasefire was brokered by Malaysia and was driven by pressure from Trump, who threatened to withhold trade privileges unless Thailand and Cambodia agreed. It was formalized in more detail in October at a regional meeting in Malaysia that Trump attended.

Around two dozen people have been officially reported killed in last week’s fighting, while hundreds of thousands have been displaced on both sides of the border.

The Thai military acknowledges that 11 of its soldiers have died, while it estimates that there have been 165 deaths among Cambodian soldiers. Cambodia has not announced military casualties but has said at least 11 civilians have been killed and 76 wounded.

Mr. Trump, on Friday, after speaking Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet had announced an agreement to restart the ceasefire.

“They have agreed to CEASE all shooting starting this afternoon and return to the original Peace Agreement signed with me and them, with the help of the Great Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim,” Trump said in his Truth Social post.

Trump’s statement came after midnight in Bangkok. Thai Prime Minister Anutin, after his call with Trump, said he had explained Thailand’s reasons for fighting and that peace would depend on Cambodia ceasing its attacks first. The Thai Foreign Ministry later explicitly disputed Trump’s claim that a ceasefire had been reached. Anutin’s busy day on Friday included the dissolution of Parliament, so new elections could be held early next year.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, in comments published early Saturday morning, also made no mention of a ceasefire.

He said he had phone conversations Friday night with Trump and a night earlier with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and thanked both “for their continued efforts to achieve lasting peace between Cambodia and Thailand.”

“Cambodia is ready to cooperate in any way necessary,” Hun Manet wrote.

Thailand has been carrying out airstrikes against what it says are strictly military targets, while Cambodia has been firing thousands of medium-range BM-21 rockets that have caused havoc but relatively few casualties.

The BM-21 rocket launchers can fire up to 40 rockets at a time with a range of 30 to 40 kilometers (19 to 25 miles). These rockets cannot aim precisely and have largely fallen in areas where most people have already been evacuated.

However, the Thai military announced on Saturday that BM-21 rockets had hit a civilian area in Sisaket province, seriously injuring two civilians who had heard warning sirens and were running towards a bunker for safety.