Cambodia accuses Thailand of bombing Poipet as ASEAN, China press for ceasefire
Cambodia accused Thailand’s military of bombing the border city of Poipet, a major crossing and casino hub, as international pressure mounted on both governments to halt renewed clashes along their frontier.
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Thai forces “dropped two bombs in the area of Poipet Municipality, Banteay Meanchey Province” at around 11 a.m. local time, Cambodia’s defense ministry said in a statement. Thailand has not confirmed any strike on Poipet.
The fighting, which reignited this month after a border skirmish, has killed at least 21 people in Thailand and 17 in Cambodia and displaced around 800,000 people, officials said. Each side has blamed the other for starting the latest round of hostilities and has accused the other of targeting civilians.
Poipet, a frenetic gateway for trade and tourism and a magnet for Thai gamblers, has become a focal point of the tensions. Cambodia’s interior ministry said at least four casinos there have been damaged by Thai strikes this week. Bangkok said Tuesday that between 5,000 and 6,000 Thai nationals remained stranded in the city after Cambodia closed its land border crossings. Phnom Penh called the closures a necessary step to reduce risks to civilians and said air travel remained available for those seeking to leave.
On the battlefield, the confrontation has involved artillery, tanks, drones and fighter jets, according to both sides’ accounts. Five days of clashes in July killed dozens before a truce brokered by the United States, China and Malaysia, but that agreement unraveled within months. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said the two countries had agreed to a new ceasefire; Bangkok denied any such deal, and the exchanges of fire have continued daily since.
China said it would dispatch its special envoy for Asian affairs to Cambodia and Thailand for a “shuttle-diplomacy” mission aimed at bridging differences and “rebuild[ing] peace.” “Through its own way, China has been working actively for de-escalation,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said late Wednesday.
Regional diplomacy is also accelerating. Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are due to meet Monday in Malaysia for emergency talks focused on a diplomatic path out of the crisis. “Our duty is to present the facts but more important is to press upon them that it is imperative for them to secure peace,” Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told reporters, adding he was “cautiously optimistic” about the talks. “We are appealing to them to immediately stop this frontline offensive and if possible, an immediate ceasefire.”
European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas said she spoke Wednesday with the foreign ministers of both countries and offered the European Union’s support for ceasefire monitoring using satellite imagery. “The conflict between Thailand and Cambodia must not be allowed to spiral further. That’s why the ceasefire needs to be immediately restored,” Kallas said.
The accusations around Poipet underscore the risk of a broader humanitarian crisis and economic disruption along one of Southeast Asia’s busiest land borders. With thousands stranded, key crossings shut and neighborhoods under intermittent fire, diplomats warned that the window for restoring calm is narrowing even as envoys from ASEAN, China and the West scramble to revive a credible truce.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
