Cambodia, Thailand clash over venue for border talks as fighting continues

Cambodia has requested that critical military talks with Thailand be moved to a neutral venue in Malaysia, citing security risks from persistent clashes along their shared border. Thailand has rejected the proposal, insisting the meeting proceed on its soil, highlighting the deadlock even as regional diplomacy attempts to de-escalate the conflict.

Dispute Over Venue for General Border Committee Meeting

In a letter to his Thai counterpart, Cambodian Defense Minister General Tea Seiha proposed relocating the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting to Kuala Lumpur, stating Malaysia had agreed to host. He argued the move was necessary "for security reasons, due to the ongoing fighting." Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow countered that the meeting would be held as planned in Thailand's Chanthaburi province. The dispute follows a special ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Monday aimed at addressing the border crisis.

Ongoing Clashes and Diverging Casualty Reports

Fighting continued across border provinces, with each side blaming the other for artillery fire and reporting differing casualty figures. Thai authorities reported 21 soldiers and one civilian killed, with 33 other civilian deaths as "collateral effects." Cambodia’s Interior Ministry stated 21 of its civilians were killed and 83 injured. Separately, China issued a travel warning for the border area, urging its citizens to avoid the region and calling for the protection of Chinese nationals after one was reportedly injured in Cambodia.