The fighting, with artillery, tanks and Thai jets, has killed 16 Thai soldiers
\n BANGKOK:
\nThailand said Tuesday that Cambodia must be first to announce a truce to halt fighting between the two nations after more than a week of deadly clashes in a reignited border conflict.
\n\u201cAs the aggressor onto Thai territory, Cambodia must announce the ceasefire first,\u201d Thai foreign ministry spokeswoman Maratee Nalita Andamo told reporters in Bangkok, adding that Cambodia must also cooperate in de-mining efforts at the border \u201csincerely\u201d.
\nRenewed fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours this month has killed at least 32 people, including soldiers and civilians, and displaced around 800,000, officials said.
\nEach side has blamed the other for instigating the clashes, claiming self-defence and trading accusations of attacks on civilians.
\nCambodia did not immediately respond to Thailand\u2019s statement.
\nUS President Donald Trump, who intervened in the border conflict earlier this year, last week claimed the two countries had agreed to a ceasefire beginning Saturday night.
\nCambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said his country supported the ceasefire initiative of Malaysia, chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, with Washington\u2019s participation.
\nBut fighting has continued daily since December 7, spreading to seven provinces on each side of the border, and Bangkok denied Trump\u2019s claim of an agreed truce. Cambodia, which is outgunned and outspent by Bangkok\u2019s military, said Monday that Thai forces had expanded their attack \u201cdeep into\u201d Cambodian territory.
\nPhnom Penh accused Thai forces of bombing Siem Reap province, home to the centuries-old Angkor temples \u2014 the country\u2019s top tourist draw \u2014 for the first time in the latest round of clashes.
\nThe fighting, with artillery, tanks and Thai jets, has killed 16 Thai soldiers, one Thai civilian and 15 Cambodian civilians, according to officials.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The fighting, with artillery, tanks and Thai jets, has killed 16 Thai soldiers BANGKOK: Thailand said Tuesday that Cambodia must be first to announce a truce to halt fighting between the two nations after more than a week of deadly clashes in a reignited border conflict. \u201cAs the aggressor onto Thai territory, Cambodia must announce […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":520636,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-520618","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n