By Panarat Thepgumpanat and Orathai Sriring
BANGKOK, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed on Friday that there was no ceasefire yet with Cambodia and said he had spoken by telephone with U.S. President Donald Trump and told him Bangkok was not the aggressor in the conflict with its neighbour.
Anutin said Trump told him he wanted the two countries to return to a ceasefire first agreed in July. He added that the U.S. president had not indicated that trade tariffs would be used as part of his efforts to end the fighting.
Anutin’s remarks came as heavy border clashes between the two countries continued for a fifth day.
“He (Trump) wanted a ceasefire. I told him to ask our friends – don’t just say a ceasefire but to tell the world that Cambodia will cease fire, withdraw its troops, remove all mines it has planted, and show them that they must stop everything first,” Anutin told reporters.
“Right now, there is no ceasefire yet, the fighting is still ongoing,” he said.
Thailand and Cambodia have been exchanging rockets and artillery at multiple locations along their disputed 817-km (508-mile) frontier in some of the most intense clashes since a five-day battle in July, which Trump stopped with calls to both leaders to halt their worst conflict in recent history.
Trump is keen to intervene again to salvage the truce he brokered. He met Anutin and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Malaysia in October, where they signed an expanded ceasefire agreement.
Trump, who has repeatedly said he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, lauded himself on Thursday as a global peacemaker and had on Thursday expressed confidence he would get the truce “back on track”.
This week’s clashes have killed at least 20 people, with more than 260 wounded, according to tallies by both countries, which have blamed each other for reigniting the conflict.
It was not immediately clear if Trump had spoken also to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.
Cambodian government spokesperson Pen Bona earlier on Friday said he was not aware a call had been scheduled between Hun Manet and Trump, adding “but normally, our PM is always ready to talk”.
Hun Manet in August nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya and Reuters Staff and Panarat Thepgumpanat and Orathai Sriring in Bangkok, Thomas Suen in Surin, Thailand; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by David Stanway and William Mallard)
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