Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spoken by phone with his counterparts in Thailand and Cambodia, the State Department said on Sunday, urging them to lower tensions immediately and agree to a cease-fire, as the United States joined a flurry of diplomatic efforts to halt a deadly border conflict that has entered its fourth day.
The announcements about Mr. Rubio’s phone calls came a day after President Trump called the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand and said they had both agreed to a cease-fire.
But sporadic skirmishes flared between Thai and Cambodian troops along the two countries’ disputed border early on Sunday, underscoring the challenge of resolving an increasingly bitter and long-running conflict, which has reached its deadliest point in at least 14 years. Analysts said that both countries could also be seeking to grab territory before an agreement is signed.
Mr. Rubio said he told Cambodia’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Prak Sokhonn, and Thailand’s foreign minister, Maris Sangiampongsa, about Mr. Trump’s desire for peace and the importance of an immediate cease-fire. On Saturday, Mr. Trump said he would not negotiate trade deals with Cambodia and Thailand until they stopped the fighting.
Efforts are accelerating internationally to find an end to the conflict, which has killed at least 34 people. A high-ranking Thai delegation, led by Thailand’s acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, is scheduled to arrive in Malaysia on Monday to discuss a possible cease-fire with Cambodia. Malaysia is the chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The consultation is intended to air all proposals that could contribute to restoring peace, said Jirayu Houngsub, a Thai government spokesman. Cambodia’s prime minister, Hun Manet, is expected to attend in person, according to Mr. Jirayu. Cambodian officials said they did not have any information on this.
On Sunday, Mr. Phumtham said he had told Mr. Trump that Thailand had agreed in principle to a cease-fire and had asked the American president to inform Cambodia that talks should take place as soon as possible. He added that he would “like to see sincere intention from the Cambodian side.”
But the deputy spokesman of the Thai Army, Col. Richa Suksuwanont, drew a distinction between Mr. Trump’s conversation with the Thai leader and what was happening on the ground.
“The troops in the battlefield are still following battle strategies,” he said in a statement. “Thailand confirms that the cease-fire will happen only when Cambodia reaches out to us themselves for negotiation.”
The conflict flared after two months of tension over contested territory. In the last outbreak of deadly battles between the countries, from 2008 to 2011, 34 people were killed, according to an academic paper. This year, that death toll was reached in less than a week.
Mr. Hun Manet said he hoped Thailand would not go back on its cease-fire vow. He asserted that the Thais had violated a similar promise that the Malaysian prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, had negotiated with both sides on Thursday.
Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fire on Sunday along their border, near the site of a temple claimed by both countries, which is known as Prasat Ta Khwai to the Thais and Prasat Ta Krabey to the Cambodians. The deputy Thai Army spokesman, Colonel Richa, said the first shots had been fired by Cambodia into Thai territory in several areas, including into civilian homes, early on Sunday.
Maly Socheata, a spokeswoman for the Cambodian Defense Ministry, said Cambodia “categorically rejects and condemns in the strongest terms the baseless and irresponsible accusation by Thailand that Cambodia initiated hostilities.”
She said Thailand’s troops had started shelling Cambodian territory at 2 a.m. and expanded their operations to Prasat Ta Krabey and also near another temple, an ancient one also claimed by both countries, called Prasat Ta Moan Thom by the Cambodians and Prasat Ta Muen Thom by the Thais. The site is where violence first erupted on Thursday.
At 6 a.m., Thai troops sent in tanks and troops to “invade” in multiple areas, according to Ms. Maly Socheata.
“Such actions undermine all efforts toward peaceful resolution and expose Thailand’s clear intent to escalate rather than de-escalate the conflict,” Ms. Maly Socheata said.
Sun Narin contributed reporting from Siem Reap, Cambodia, Kittiphum Sringammuang from Bangkok, and Edward Wong from Siem Reap.
Sui-Lee Wee is the Southeast Asia bureau chief for The Times, overseeing coverage of 11 countries in the region.
The post U.S. Urges Thailand and Cambodia to Reach a Cease-Fire appeared first on New York Times.
