UN chief urges restraint; UNSC to meet on Thai-Cambodian border clashes
UN Secretary General António Guterres has urged both nations to exercise maximum restraint, a UN spokesperson said Thursday.
“The Secretary General is following with concern reports of armed clashes at the border between Cambodia and Thailand. He urges both sides to exercise maximum restraint and address any issues through dialogue and in a spirit of good neighbourliness, with a view to finding a lasting solution to the dispute,” said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN chief, during a daily briefing.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Friday over the deadly border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand, diplomatic sources told AFP.
The meeting, requested by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, will be held behind closed doors at 3:00 p.m. (1900 GMT), the sources said.
In his letter, Hun Manet asked the UNSC to convene an urgent meeting to halt what he described as Thailand’s “grave aggression,” which he claims threatens peace and stability in the region.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as ASEAN Chair, wrote on his Facebook page yesterday that he had contacted Hun Manet and Thai Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai to express Malaysia’s concern over rising tensions along the border.
“In our conversations, in Malaysia's capacity as ASEAN Chair for 2025, I appealed directly to both leaders for an immediate ceasefire to prevent further hostilities and to create space for peaceful dialogue and diplomatic resolution.
Anwar said he welcomed the positive gestures and willingness shown by both Bangkok and Phnom Penh in considering this matter.
“Malaysia is ready to help and facilitate this process in the spirit of ASEAN unity and joint responsibility.”
He firmly believed that ASEAN’s strength lies in its solidarity and that peace must always remain the region’s undivided collective choice.
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