Cambodia’s former Prime Minister Hun Sen has condemned the brief exchange of gunfire between Thai and Cambodian troops, at the shared border in Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani province yesterday, during which a Cambodian sergeant died.
Without mentioning Thailand directly, Hun Sen pointed to what he described as a group responsible for initiating the aggression.
He compared the clash to the military fighting near Preah Vihear Temple between 2008 and 2011, during which both countries engaged in multiple confrontations that resulted in death and injury to soldiers and civilians on both sides.
Father of current Prime Minister Hun Manet Hun Sen, and now president of the Cambodian Senate, Hun Sen wrote on his Facebook page that, while he does wish to see armed conflict, he supports the government’s decision to deploy troops and heavy weapons to the border as a precaution against further incursions.
He expressed hope that today’s discussion between the two armies would be successful, adding that tensions along the border should not escalate to the point of obstructing broader cooperation.
He urged all involved to prevent the conflict from turning into ethnic hatred and called for trust in both governments and militaries to resolve the dispute peacefully.
Hun Sen also expressed sympathy for the family of the soldier who died, saying a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development should not be the site of such incidents.
