Phumtham said that Thailand agreed in principle with Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim’s offer to mediate in the conflict, Bernama reported.
Anwar, who spoke to both prime ministers on Thursday evening, had said earlier today the two leaders had agreed to a ceasefire.
“We have no objection, but for a ceasefire to happen, there must be clarity. We’ve been trying to achieve this all along, but to no avail,” Phumtham was quoted as saying at a press conference today on the Thailand-Cambodia border situation.
He said he had asked Anwar to ensure there is a concrete commitment and guarantee that similar incidents would not recur.
“Only then can we consider the next steps. For now, our military remains on high alert,” Bernama quoted him as saying.
Reuters reported earlier today that Cambodian prime minister Hun Manet said he had supported the Malaysian proposal for a ceasefire but the Thai foreign ministry said Thailand rejected mediation efforts by third countries and insisted that the situation be resolved only through bilateral talks.
The Cambodian premier said in a Facebook post that “the key to resolving the current armed conflict between Thailand and Cambodia is the genuine willingness of the Thai side to accept a ceasefire”.
However, Thai vice-minister for foreign affairs Russ Jalichandra told reporters that Thailand appreciated Anwar’s offer to mediate “and we don’t want to rule out having a third country to help, but right now we believe that bilateral mechanisms have not been exhausted” while foreign ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura told Reuters: “I don’t think we need any mediation from a third country yet.”
Thai and Cambodian forces clashed early on Thursday in the disputed border area, with both sides accusing each other of initiating the latest round of violence.
The latest round of hostility followed a skirmish between troops of the two countries near the Preah Vihear area on May 28. A Cambodian soldier was killed in the shootout.
The two neighbouring countries have been locked in recurring diplomatic spats over a long-standing border dispute.