
According to foreign media reports the ongoing violence along Thailand and Cambodia borders has now claimed at least 32 lives.
The United Nations Security Council held an emergency closed-door meeting late Friday in New York to address the escalating crisis. Although no official statement was released, a diplomat present at the meeting revealed that all 15 member states urged both countries to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and pursue a peaceful resolution. The council also encouraged the regional bloc ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) to step in and mediate the dispute.
Malaysia, currently chairing ASEAN, echoed these sentiments and offered to mediate dialogue between the two nations.
Cambodia’s U.N. Ambassador Chhea Keo, whose country had requested the emergency session, called for an unconditional ceasefire and emphasized the need for a peaceful resolution. Responding to accusations that Cambodia initiated the hostilities, Keo questioned how a smaller country with no air force could realistically attack Thailand, whose military is three times the size. “We do not do that,” he insisted.
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However, Thailand’s U.N. ambassador declined to speak to reporters after the meeting.
According to Thailand’s Health Ministry, over 58,000 residents have been displaced in four affected border provinces. Cambodian officials reported that more than 23,000 people had evacuated from nearby areas.
The latest round of hostilities was reportedly sparked by a land mine explosion along the disputed border, which injured five Thai soldiers on Wednesday. The skirmishes have since escalated, resulting in the deaths of at least 19 people in Thailand—most of them civilians, while Cambodia reported 13 fatalities on its side.