More Cambodians flee from refugee shelters amid escalating border tensions with Thailand

A growing number of Cambodians have been fleeing from the border refugee camps in their country's Kampong Cham Province for fear that the tensions with Thailand will further escalate.

The Cambodia-Thailand border conflict has reignited since Dec 7, and both sides have accused the other of initiating the attacks.

On Tuesday, the Cambodian Defense Ministry's Undersecretary of State and Spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata, said the Thai military forces continued to fire artillery shells at many locations in Cambodian territory from Monday midnight until Tuesday morning.

On the same day, Cambodia's Interior Ministry said in a press release that the civilian death toll in Cambodia has increased to 15. The video footage released by China Media Group (CMG) showed that a village of Kampong Cham, which is located near a highway connecting the national capital Phnom Penh and the border area, is receiving a growing number of displaced refugees from the conflict zone.

The Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement released on Monday that the sites targeted by the Thai military's artillery shelling and bombing have reached 80 to 90 kilometers inside Cambodia.

The increasing border tensions forced many Cambodians into the village.

"I feel that the refugee camps are no longer safe, so I chose to return to my hometown," said San Chhay, a refugee.

"Those who have relatives in this village all have come here. Now, those who have a car are on their way here, but those who don't have a car have no choice but to stay in the refugee camps," said Yuth Kunthea, a local villager.

The villagers said they learned of horrific scenes from their displaced relatives, and it took them great effort to escape the conflicts.

"My sister was terrified when she arrived because her home was only one kilometer from where the bombs were dropped," said Oeun Sreyhun, another villager.

"The travel was hard for my brother, because he took an infant with him and had to feed the baby with milk. He rode a motorcycle on mountain roads with a lot of luggage," said Leng Chamroeun, a villager.

Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Tuesday reaffirmed the country's stance regarding the Thailand-Cambodia border situation, saying that Cambodia is required to be the first to declare a ceasefire, ensure the ceasefire is genuine and sustainable, and cooperate in mine clearance seriously and sincerely.

More Cambodians flee from refugee shelters amid escalating border tensions with Thailand

Thai and Cambodian leaders must find a way to resolve their differences through talks and not on the battlefield, according to a former Thai foreign minister, who also believes China could be in a unique position to serve as a mediator given its strong ties with both sides.

Border clashes between the two sides have reignited since Dec 7 -- less than two months after the two sides signed a joint peace declaration -- with both trading the blame for instigating the attacks.

The latest round of fighting has left at least 19 Thai soldiers and 19 Thai civilians dead, with over 270,000 people displaced, Thailand's defense ministry announced on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, on the same day, the Cambodian Defense Ministry said that 17 civilians have been killed and 77 injured as the Thai military forces have continued airstrikes and artillery shelling into Cambodian territory, with over 438,000 individuals fleeing their homes.

With the two sides continuing to point the finger of blame and trade accusations of attacks on civilians, peace talks appear to be a long way off.

Kasit Piromya, who formerly served as Thailand's Minister of Foreign Affairs, urged the two countries' leaders to put people first, set aside their pride and find a resolution.

"The people must be the priority, not the victory or losses or the battlefield. It's detrimental and destructive to all. It is easy to arouse the passion, but [the sign of] great leaders, great statesmen is to be able to overcome the nationalistic sentiment and come back to the sense and sensibility and to start to talk with one another," he said.

China has called for utmost restraint and every possible measure conducive to a ceasefire to ensure de-escalation of tensions as soon as possible, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman told a daily press briefing on Monday.

China supports direct dialogue and consultation between the two countries, as well as the efforts of ASEAN -- and Malaysia, in particular -- to promote peace talks, and the pursuit of a mutually acceptable solution within the ASEAN framework, according to the spokesman.

Piromya said he believes China could play a constructive role in a peace process between the two sides.

"China has been having, I think, more or less an excellent bilateral relationship respectively with Thailand and Cambodia. So China is in a very unique and great position to bring the two sides, Cambodia and Thailand, together," Piromya said.

Former official urges Thailand, Cambodia to make people priority, end border clashes