“FABRICATED”
Neth Pheaktra said the claims that its military fired on patrolling Thai troops were “fabricated and grossly distort the facts”.
The minister reiterated Cambodia’s “unwavering commitment” to the December truce and an earlier short-lived ceasefire deal from October.
“Cambodia is deeply concerned that unilateral allegations made without joint verification, consultation or factual substantiation risk misrepresenting the situation on the ground and undermining mutual trust,” he said.
Cambodia’s defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said liaison teams from the Cambodian and Thai militaries promptly discussed the matter after “reports of explosions and gunfire on the Thai side”.
“Cambodian officials explicitly informed their Thai counterparts that Cambodian forces did not fire any weapons as alleged,” Maly Socheata said in a statement.
Under the December truce, Cambodia and Thailand pledged to cease fire, freeze troop movements and cooperate on demining efforts along their border.
But last month, Thailand accused Cambodia of violating the truce, saying cross-border mortar fire wounded a soldier, while Phnom Penh said a “pile of garbage” exploded, injuring two of its own troops.
Since the latest round of heavy fighting, Cambodia has said Thai forces captured several areas in border provinces – contrary to their agreements – and has demanded their withdrawal.
Bangkok has insisted it merely reclaimed land that was part of Thailand and had been occupied by Cambodians for years.
While the two nations agreed in December to stop fighting, they still need to resolve their century-old conflict, stemming from a dispute over the French colonial-era demarcation of their 800km frontier.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/thailand-cambodia-allegations-open-fire-ceasefire-5949406
