Thailand and Cambodia begin talks to end deadly clashes after venue row | Thailand

Cambodian and Thai officials began four days of talks at a border checkpoint on Wednesday to negotiate an end to deadly clashes between the two countries, Phnom Penh said.

The meeting in Thailand’s Chanthaburi province was put at risk after Phnom Penh requested transfer to a neutral meeting hall.

But the Cambodian government released a photo of two defense delegations in a simply furnished meeting room and said the talks had begun with the aim of “ensuring an end to hostilities”, restoring stability and “facilitating a rapid return to normality”.

A long-running border conflict between the neighbors reignited this month, breaking an earlier ceasefire, killing more than 40 people and displacing nearly a million people, officials said.

The talks are expected to continue until Saturday, and Thai defense ministry spokesman Surasant Kongsiri told reporters that Bangkok was “very hopeful that the meeting will yield positive results.”

However, he said that its success depends on the sincerity of the Cambodian side in its words and actions.

Bangkok had previously demanded that Phnom Penh first declare a ceasefire and cooperate in demining efforts along the border.

Despite ongoing cross-border fire, Cambodia’s interior ministry said this week it was “optimistic that the Thai side will show sincerity” in implementing the ceasefire.

The conflict stems from a territorial dispute over the colonial demarcation of the two countries’ 800-kilometer (500-mile) border and the small number of ancient temple ruins along the border.

Both sides accused each other of provoking renewed fighting since December 7 and traded accusations over attacks on civilians after five days of clashes in July that left dozens of people dead.

The United States, China and Malaysia reached a ceasefire to end such conflicts, but the ceasefire was short-lived.