Thailand is up in arms in total anger against Cambodia for dragging their border dispute into the La Francophonie Summit ongoing in Phnom Penh.
Days before the summit, Thailand warned Cambodia against using the Francophonie gathering to raise the border dispute. But Prime Minister Hun Manet went ahead anyway.
“Cambodia did not fire the first shot,” Premier Manet said in his opening remarks at the organisation’s Summit on Sunday.
Cambodia accuses Thai troops of continuing to occupy Cambodian territory.
Manet said the ceasefire reached on December 27 is holding, but the situation remains fragile.
He revealed that around 20,000 Cambodians fled and are still unable to return home.
Hun Manet called for existing agreements to be honored and joint border demarcation to resume.
However, Thailand warns that raising the dispute at the summit could undermine efforts to rebuild trust.
On the contrary to the ceasefire, Cambodia sources accuse Thailand of, “increasing military present, continue to dig trenches and fortified the contested area which clearly violated the temporary peace agreement made, and yet asked Cambodia to not say anything.”
French President Emmanuel Macron told Francophonie delegates at the ongoing Summit to seek for “unity” and “consensus” in resolving disputes.
“We must ensure that we preserve what makes it strong, namely its unity,” he adds.
