Thailand Says Cambodia Agrees to Border Talks as Fighting Persists

Overview

• Bangkok says negotiations will restart Wednesday, Dec. 24, within the existing Joint Border Committee, a date Thailand says was proposed by Phnom Penh.
• Cambodia’s defence ministry reported continued clashes and accused Thailand of artillery fire, and its interior ministry said a Chinese civilian was wounded.
• Thailand’s foreign minister cautioned that the meeting may not produce an immediate truce, arguing that a cease-fire requires concrete actions.
• Malaysia, as current ASEAN chair, convened the regional meeting in Kuala Lumpur and urged the neighbours to halt fighting and consider wider consequences.
• Authorities report at least 43 deaths this month and more than 900,000 displaced, with some tallies putting fatalities nearer 80, in a dispute rooted in a colonial-era 800 km border and contested temple sites.