The chiefs of the armies of Thailand and Cambodia will meet today, a day after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a shootout on the border between the two countries. The news was confirmed by the Cambodian prime minister and the Thai defense minister, quoted by Agence France-Presse, reports BTA.
“I hope the meeting (...) will lead to positive results to keep the situation calm“, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on his Facebook profile.
“We do not want any confrontation“, said Thai Defense Minister Phumtham Vechaychai. He stressed that it was a misunderstanding between the two countries.
Talks between the Thai army chief and his Cambodian counterpart are scheduled for later today in the border area of Chong Chom, a Thai military spokesman told AFP.
Border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand are not new. The two countries have long argued over the demarcation of their 800-kilometer border, which is largely based on agreements dating back to the French colonial era in Indochina.
The incident that led to the current escalation occurred at around 05:30 local time yesterday in the Chong Bok district, in eastern Thailand. Soldiers from both sides exchanged fire for about 10 minutes, with each side accusing the other of opening fire first.