By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON Prime Minister of Thailand Anutin Charnvirakul on Sunday denied reaching any ceasefire agreement with Cambodia and said its military operations will continue along the disputed border, contradicted claims made earlier by US President Donald Trump, as per media reports.
Anutin said Thailand had not agreed to stop fighting and that there were no active ceasefire negotiations with Cambodia at this stage.
He made comments after Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called on both sides to halt hostilities from 10 pm on Saturday.
The call followed an announcement by Trump, who said Thai and Cambodian leaders had agreed to “cease all shooting”.
Neither Anutin nor Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet mentioned any ceasefire agreement in official statements released after their separate phone calls with Trump.
Over 20 people have been killed across both countries in six days of renewed fighting, with 200 wounded.
Some 600,000 people have been displaced on both sides of the 800-kilometre Thailand-Cambodia border, where tensions centre on disputed ownership of centuries-old temples, Al Jazeera reported.
Thailand’s clarification came after Cambodia earlier accused Thai forces of continuing air attacks on its territory hours after Trump claimed that Bangkok and Phnom Penh had agreed to stop fighting.
“It is likely a misunderstanding,” Anutin said. “Currently, there is a lot of communication going on. It would be best to listen to the statements from the military. At this time, there are no ceasefire negotiations, and it is not yet the time for that.”
Thai Defence Minister Gen Nattaphon Narkphanit also said the government had issued no ceasefire order to the armed forces.
He added that operations would continue until Cambodia “clearly ceases all hostility” toward Thailand.
Anutin said any real ceasefire would require Cambodia to submit a formal proposal directly to Thailand, with a complete halt to military action.
“A true ceasefire cannot involve only a verbal announcement or a partial suspension while troops remain in position,” he said.
Media reported that fighting continued on Saturday, with Thai authorities reporting fresh Cambodian attacks in Ubon Ratchathani province.
Four Thai soldiers were killed as troops retook the strategic Hill 677, it said.
“Is there a ceasefire?” Anutin asked. “This morning, Cambodia launched heavy attacks. BM-21 rockets landed in civilian areas, causing severe injuries and loss of limbs. At this point, should Thailand be listening to anyone else?”
The continued clashes stand in sharp contrast to Trump’s announcement late on Friday, in which he said he had personally brokered a halt to the fighting.
“I had a very good conversation this morning with the Prime Minister of Thailand, Anutin Charnvirakul, and the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Manet, concerning the very unfortunate reawakening of their long-running War,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“They have agreed to CEASE all shooting effective this evening, and go back to the original Peace Accord made with me, and them, with the help of the Great Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim,” he said.
Despite Trump’s statement, the clash has continued and Thai officials have maintained that no ceasefire agreement is in place.
