 "Thailand-Cambodia conflict spills over to Laos, Thai military cuts fuel shipments to country")
Thailand has stopped fuel shipments passing through its Chong Mek border crossing with Laos amid growing fears that the supplies were being diverted into neighbouring Cambodia, where fighting with Thai forces has escalated sharply, sources told Reuters.
The move is a dramatic step in a conflict now in its second week along the roughly 817-kilometre disputed border between the two Southeast Asian neighbours, which has left dozens dead and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.
Thai military officials say they are concerned that some fuel sent to Laos was ending up in Cambodia, where soldiers and heavy weaponry have clashed in multiple areas. As a result, fuel shipments through Chong Mek have been halted entirely, even as other cross-border trade continues under existing rules.
Cambodian officials accuse Thailand of attacking military and civilian infrastructure with drones and heavy artillery, and deploying airstrikes near key areas like Siem Reap Province, which includes the Angkor Wat tourist zone.
“It is also noteworthy that the number of fighter jets and cluster bombs used by the Thai military to attack Cambodia has been increasing significantly,” Maly Socheata, a spokesperson for Cambodia’s Defence Ministry, told a briefing.
Diplomacy under strain
The escalating conflict has disrupted a planned regional diplomatic meeting, originally scheduled for December 16, which was postponed to December 22 at Thailand’s request, according to the Malaysian foreign ministry.
Quick Reads
View AllDespite ongoing international efforts, including attempts to revive an earlier ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump, fighting has shown no sign of abating. Both Thailand and Cambodia blame each other for breaking the July truce, with Bangkok insisting that any peace talks must begin with a genuine ceasefire proposal and a cessation of hostilities.
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