The Albany Gazette - Thailand confirms first civilian killed in week of Cambodia fighting

The latest killing comes a day after Bangkok denied US President Donald Trump's claim that a truce had been agreed between the Southeast Asian neighbours.

The conflict, rooted in a colonial-era demarcation dispute along their 800-kilometre (500-mile) border, has displaced around 800,000 people, officials said.

"I have been here for six days and I feel sad that the fighting continues," 63-year-old Sean Leap told AFP at an evacuation centre in Cambodia's border province of Banteay Meanchey.

"I want it to stop," he said, adding he was worried about his home and livestock.

At least 27 people have been killed, including 15 Thai soldiers and 11 Cambodian civilians, officials said Sunday.

A Thai civilian killed in Sisaket province was the first non-military death recorded in the country since the latest round of fighting began on December 7, health ministry spokesman Ekachai Piensriwatchara confirmed to AFP.

The Thai army said the 63-year-old man was killed by shrapnel after Cambodian forces fired rockets into a civilian area.

Each side has blamed the other for instigating the clashes, claiming self-defence and trading accusations of attacks on civilians.

Trump, who earlier backed a truce and follow-on agreement, said Friday the two countries had agreed to stop fighting.

But Thai leaders later said no ceasefire deal was made, and both governments said Sunday that clashes were ongoing.

Thai defence ministry spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said Cambodia shelled and bombed several border provinces overnight.

The Thai military has imposed a curfew from 7:00 pm to 5:00 am (1200 to 2200 GMT) in parts of Sa Kaeo and Trat provinces.

Cambodia, which is outgunned and outspent by Thailand's military, said Thai forces had shelled and launched air strikes on Cambodian territory near the border on Sunday.

- Closed border crossings -

After Trump's promised truce did not come to pass, Cambodia shut its border crossings with Thailand on Saturday, leaving migrant workers stranded.

Under a makeshift tent at an evacuation site in Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey, Cheav Sokun told AFP her husband in Thailand wanted to return home.

She and her son left Thailand alongside tens of thousands of other Cambodian migrant workers during deadly clashes in July, but her spouse stayed to work as a gardener with his "good Thai boss".

"He asked me to return first. After that, the border was closed so he cannot come back," the 38-year-old said.

In Thailand, officials said Sunday that nine civilians have died of non-combat-related causes after evacuating from their homes.

The United States, China and Malaysia, as chair of the regional bloc ASEAN, brokered a ceasefire in late July.

In October, Trump backed a follow-on joint declaration between Thailand and Cambodia, touting new trade deals after they agreed to prolong their truce.

But Thailand suspended the agreement the following month, after Thai soldiers were wounded by landmines at the border.

Trump last week pledged he would "make a couple of phone calls" to get the earlier brokered truce back on track.

But Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told journalists on Saturday that Trump "didn't mention whether we should make a ceasefire" during their Friday phone call.

Anutin said there were "no signs" Trump would connect further US-Thailand trade talks with the border conflict, but also said the US president had guaranteed Thailand would get "better benefits than other countries".

Thailand and Cambodia were both facing eye-wateringly high tariffs on their exports to the United States earlier this year, but secured reduced levies of 19 percent after Trump intervened following the July clashes.

(F.Jackson--TAG)