BANGKOK: Thailand favours bilateral negotiation rather than third-party mediation to resolve its military conflict with Cambodia, two Thai officials said on Friday (Jul 25), as fighting along their disputed border continued unabated.
Simmering border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have flared into open hostilities at multiple locations along the frontline in the heaviest fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours in over a decade. There were exchanges of artillery for a second straight day on Friday.
The United States, China and Malaysia, which is the current chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, have offered to facilitate dialogue but Bangkok is seeking a bilateral solution to the conflict, Thai foreign ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura told Reuters.
“I don’t think we need any mediation from a third country yet,” Nikorndej said in an interview.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the chair ASEAN, of which both Thailand and Cambodia are members, said on Thursday he had spoken to both countries’ leaders and urged them to find a peaceful resolution.
“We appreciate (the offer) and we don’t want to rule out having a third country to help, but right now we believe that bilateral mechanisms have not been exhausted,” Thai vice minister for foreign affairs Russ Jalichandra told reporters.
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