Cambodian evacuees from border fighting with Thailand hope to return home as leaders agree to ceasefire

ODDAR MEANCHEY, Cambodia, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Rik Channa, a 35-year-old Cambodian evacuee from the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict, was thrilled on Monday when she heard that the two countries' leaders reached an agreement on a ceasefire.

Sitting under a makeshift tent at a safe refuge in Chong Kal district, more than 100 km away from the Cambodia-Thailand border, the mother of three said her family and other villagers had fled homes near the border since July 25, escaping artillery shells fired by Thai soldiers.

"I'm very happy to hear the information about the ceasefire," she told Xinhua. "I'm really eager to return to my home because there are dogs, cats, cows at home, and no one tends them."

Channa said that at the safe zone, it was difficult to live because there were shortages of food, clean water, and sanitary facilities.

"I fled to here, bringing along only a few clothes, little rice, and a bicycle," she said. "I could not bring along a lot of belongings because artillery shells landed very close to my house, so I hurried to escape, worried about being hit by artillery shells."

"I have seen people escaping from artillery shells. Some got wounded and others escaped unharmed," she said.

Yong Yim, a 45-year-old Cambodian evacuee, said he was also delighted to hear about the ceasefire.

"I don't want to see war, I hope to see peace for all," the father of four children told Xinhua.

Yim said his family fled to this refuge, bringing along a few clothes, a remorque, and some rice.

"I experienced with my own eyes, both sides fired artillery shells at each other, destroying a few buildings, that's why we fled to here," he said.

The exchange of gunfire between Cambodian and Thai soldiers over disputed border areas began on July 24, with both sides accusing each other of violating international law and opening fire first.

Cambodian Defense Ministry's spokeswoman Lieutenant General Maly Socheata said that so far, a total of 39,828 Cambodian families with 134,707 individuals, including children, pregnant women, the elderly and persons with disabilities, have fled to safe zones or to the homes of their relatives.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai agreed on Monday to implement an "immediate and unconditional ceasefire" starting midnight on Monday, according to a joint press release.

The ceasefire was reached after their talks in Malaysia, hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the current chair of ASEAN.■