Anutin says landmine incidents not an accident in response to Trump
Prime Minister Anutin Chanvirakul responded to United States President Donald Trump on Saturday, saying that the landmine incidents along the Cambodian border that injured several Thai soldiers were definitely not a roadside incident, and confirmed that Thailand would continue military operations until security is assured.
Trump claimed on Friday that, after speaking with Prime Minister Anutin and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet, the two leaders had agreed to halt fighting along their disputed border, with assistance from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The US president, who facilitated an initial peace agreement between the two countries in July, said the two Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) members “have agreed to CEASE all shooting effective this evening,” adding that the roadside bomb that initially killed and injured Thai soldiers was an accident, but Thailand retaliated strongly.
On Saturday morning, Mr Anutin confirmed on Facebook that military actions would continue, saying, “It’s definitely not a roadside accident,” in reference to Trump’s remarks.
Eighteen Thai soldiers were injured during border patrols, with seven losing limbs. “Thailand will continue military actions until we feel no harm or threats to our land and people,” Mr Anutin insisted.
According to a statement from the Joint Press Centre on the Thailand-Cambodia Border Situation, Thai forces acted in self-defence while exercising maximum restraint, focusing on protecting civilians and adhering to principles of necessity, proportionality and distinction between military and civilian targets.
The armed conflict between both countries resumed on Dec 7.
A soldier salutes next to a coffin of Sergeant Major Ananda Udon, 39, a Thai soldier who died on December 10 amid clashes between Thailand and Cambodia along a disputed border area, during his funeral at a temple in Si Sa Ket province, Thailand, on Friday. (Photo: Reuters)
The Thai Ministry of Defence reported that Thai casualties included four civilian deaths, nine soldiers killed and over 120 injured after five days of attacks, prompting thousands to evacuate to shelters.
According to the Thai Second Army’s Operations Centre, the death toll for Cambodian soldiers was reported as 102.
Related: PM Anutin to Trump: Thailand defending its people from Cambodian attacks
Cambodia, which nominated Trump for the peace prize in August, rejects the landmine allegations.
On Saturday, a Thai Defence Ministry spokesman, RAdm Surasant Kongsiri, told a press conference that clashes had taken place across seven border provinces and Cambodia had fired heavy weapons, “making it necessary for Thailand to retaliate”.
Cambodia’s Information Ministry said Thai forces had struck bridges and buildings overnight and fired artillery from a naval vessel.
Cambodia’s Hun Manet said he had asked the United States and Malaysia, which has been a mediator in peace talks, to use their intelligence gathering capabilities to “verify which side fired first” in the latest round of fighting.
Source – Bangkok News
