Cambodia calls for 'urgent' UNSC meeting as cross-border clash with Thailand escalates

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council on Thursday in the wake of cross-border firing with Thailand.

“Considering the recent extremely grave aggressions by Thailand, which have gravely threatened peace and stability in the region, I earnestly request you to convene an urgent meeting of the Security Council to stop Thailand’s aggression,” PM Manet wrote in a letter addressed to the sitting UN Security Council president Asim Iftikhar Ahmad.

The Thai army has said that Cambodian attacks have killed at least 12 people and wounded 14 others.

Bangkok launched airstrikes against Cambodia earlier today after Phnom Penh fired rockets and artillery, killing a civilian, as tensions between the neighbouring countries escalated overnight.

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The two sides have blamed each other for increasing hostilities along the border, with Thailand accusing Cambodia of its “inhumane, brutal and war-hungry” and Phnom Penh slamming Bangkok over “unprovoked military aggression”.

The neighbours are locked in a bitter spat over an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of both countries and Laos meet, and which is home to several ancient temples.

The squabble has dragged on for decades, flaring into bloody military clashes more than 15 years ago and again in May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a firefight.

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The conflict blazed up on Thursday, with Cambodia firing rockets and artillery shells into Thailand and the Thai military scrambling F-16 jets to carry out air strikes.

Meanwhile, China has issued an advisory for its citizens living in Cambodia amid the deadly clashes. “We are deeply concerned over the current developments (and) hope both sides can properly resolve issues through dialogue and consultations,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.

The Thai prime minister’s office said a Cambodian artillery shell hit a house over the border, killing one civilian and wounding three others, including a five-year-old child.

With inputs from agencies