SINGAPORE: Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has called for restraint and dialogue between Thailand and Cambodia, urging an amicable resolution to their border dispute in line with international law.
“In today’s uncertain global environment, Asean countries cannot afford to let disputes divide us,” Wong said in a Facebook post late Wednesday following a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Phnom Penh. “It is in our collective interest to work together to preserve peace, strengthen regional stability, and deepen Asean integration.”
Tensions escalated after troops from both countries exchanged fire on May 28 in a disputed border area, resulting in the death of a Cambodian soldier.
Since then, the two countries have shut several border crossings in tit-for-tat moves, massed troops along the frontier and closed or shortened the operational hours of key land routes that serve as vital trade links.