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UPDATES:
7:35 pm: European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday that the conflict between Cambodia and Thailand must not be allowed to spiral further.
“I will continue to engage to help get out of the escalation cycle,” she said, adding that the European Union could offer satellite imagery to monitor a ceasefire.
She said she conveyed the same message in calls earlier on Wednesday with the foreign ministers of Thailand and Cambodia.
Cambodia’s Defense Ministry has released updated claims of continued border fighting as of Wednesday evening (5:20 pm):
The ministry said the Thai military continued firing on key locations in Cambodian territory from 4:45 am to 3:00 pm on Wednesday, targeting areas including Koul 8, Ta Krabei, Preah Vihear Temple, Choam Te, Ta Sim, and Hill 333 in Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear provinces.
In Banteay Meanchey and Pursat provinces, the ministry said Thai forces attacked Prey Chan and Chouk Chey villages from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm using tank artillery and drones, and what the ministry described as “toxic gas,” similar to earlier reports of alleged “toxic smoke.” From 6:25 am to 4:00 pm, it said Thai forces continued to fire artillery and drop bombs by drone in the O’Phlork Domrei area.
The ministry accused Thailand of using heavy weapons, F-16 fighter jets, DTI-2 rocket launchers, cluster munitions, toxic gas, and deploying large numbers of troops in what it described as a violation of the U.N. Charter, the ASEAN Charter, and international law.
“Such actions pose a serious danger to regional peace and stability. We urge Thailand to cease all acts of aggression and stop indiscriminate attacks on civilians, civilian infrastructure, and historical sites,” Defense Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata said.
4:10 pm: Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry said in a press release that Malaysia, other ASEAN states, the U.S., China, France, Canada, South Korea, the UN Secretary-General, and the European Union have called on Cambodia and Thailand to exercise restraint, protect civilians, and return to negotiations to resolve the border dispute peacefully under international law and existing agreements, including the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration (KLJD).
“Cambodia expresses its high appreciation for all calls to return to the path of peace. Cambodia remains committed to the peaceful settlement of disputes with Thailand, in good faith and in full compliance with international law. We have called for a return to the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration,” the ministry said.
4:00 pm: The U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh has responded to concerns raised by the American business community in Cambodia over the potential impact of new Thai restrictions on sea shipping routes.
In a letter dated Dec. 16 and addressed to Casey Barnett, the director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia, the embassy said it was actively encouraging both Cambodia and Thailand to uphold and return to the principles of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords.
3:56 pm: As of Wednesday, Cambodia’s Information Ministry said about 134,668 families, or 447,509 people, have been displaced by clashes along the border, seeking shelter in camps across eight provinces.Thailand has said at least 263,285 of its citizens from border areas have been displaced as of Tuesday.
3:47 pm: Phnom Penh City Hall on Wednesday issued a directive banning the use of all unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, in the capital, citing the need to ensure security, safety and public order amid the ongoing border conflict with Thailand.
The municipality said anyone who violates the directive or operates drones without permission will be held responsible under the law. It also urged residents to report any drone activity in prohibited areas to authorities.
Cambodia’s Defense Ministry released claims of continued border fighting from Tuesday evening to Wednesday.
In Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces, Cambodia said Thai forces continued firing from 5:00 pm Tuesday to 8:00 am Wednesday.
The ministry said Thai troops used artillery heavily around Hill 333 and Ta Krabei Temple along the Oddar Meanchey border on Tuesday evening, and F-16 aircraft between 5:35 pm and 7:35 pm. Earlier, from 4:45 am to 7:00 am, the Thai military allegedly fired 100 mm BK cannons at the Tathav area and used drones to attack Ta Krabei Temple, Thmar Daun, and Ta Moan Temple.
In Banteay Meanchey and Pursat provinces, Cambodia said Thai forces fired from 5:00 pm Tuesday to 8:00 am Wednesday in the villages of Chouk Chey, O’Phlork Damrei, and Area C1.
The ministry claimed that at 6:24 am Wednesday, Thai forces used artillery in O’Phlork Damrei and F-16s to bomb Chok Chey village, followed about 20 minutes later by an infantry assault on Chouk Chey and Prey Chan villages. At 6:56 am, the ministry said Thai troops fired “toxic smoke” into Prey Chan, and at 7:21 am fired into Chamkar Kok, Svay Chek district.
Defense Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata alleged during a Wednesday press briefing that Thai attacks continue to hit civilians, causing deaths and injuries. She said 17 civilians, including an infant, have been killed since renewed clashes began this month, and 77 people have been injured.
Thailand’s account of events on Tuesday:
Thailand’s Defense Ministry claimed Cambodian forces launched attacks into Thai territory along the border, prompting Thai retaliation in self-defense Tuesday.
Spokesperson Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri said Cambodian forces fired BM-21 rockets at Thai troops at Hill 677 near the Ubon Ratchathani–Preah Vihear border by 7:00 am Tuesday. He said attacks continued at Hill 350 by 11:00 am, and that Cambodian forces heavily shelled Thai troops at Ta Kwai Temple (called Ta Krabei by Cambodia) at noon. Thailand claims it now occupies Ta Kwai/Ta Krabei.
Thailand has reported 15 civilians killed and six injured in renewed border clashes this month.
Thailand moved on Tuesday to cut fuel supplies and other shipments to Cambodia, blocking deliveries via a Laos border checkpoint and imposing new maritime restrictions on Thai vessels.
The move has raised concerns among the European and American Chambers of Commerce in Cambodia over potential supply chain disruptions. It comes as the Southeast Asian neighbors continue fighting along their 817-km (508-mile) land border, with no sign of the clashes easing despite international efforts to return to an expanded ceasefire agreement, including calls from its lead broker U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Thai military halted fuel transport at the Chong Mek crossing on the border with Laos after it said intelligence reports indicated the supplies were being diverted to Cambodia.
Following approval of maritime transport restrictions in the Gulf of Thailand by the National Security Council on Tuesday, the council’s secretary-general, Chatchai Bangchuat, told local media that Thailand’s Maritime Enforcement Command Center would coordinate action against Thai vessels suspected of delivering fuel and armaments to Cambodia.
The Royal Thai Navy later said the measures would stop short of a full blockade and would not affect vessels from other countries.Despite Thailand’s push to curb what it says is fuel and araments transshipment linked to the conflict, Cambodia earlier this year banned imports of Thai fuel and other products when tensions first flared.
