On the third day of the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, the tension remains high: Thailand accuses Cambodia of firing rockets on their joint neighboring country Laos. AP and Southeast Asian media report this Saturday. Houses would have been damaged in that rocket attack.
The Cambodian Ministry of Defense rejects the allegation and speaks of a ‘manufactured and unfounded accusation’, thus the English -speaking Cambodian newspaper De Khmer Times. Moreover, according to the ministry, the accusation is unfounded, because LAOS no investigation was started into the incident and has not filed a formal complaint about it.
The border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia has escalated since last May a Cambodian soldier was shot and the countries generated measures to be bothering each other. Last Wednesday there was also military escalation, in which at least twelve people were killed on the Thai side. The total death toll is now on twenty on the Thai side and thirteen on the Cambodian side. According to local authorities, 131,000 Thai fled through the conflict, as well as more than 37,000 Cambodians.
As a mediator, Malaysia has tried to organize a cease-fire between the two parties. Cambodia already agreed to the proposal, Thailand is standing aloof for the time being.