ISTANBUL

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet urged Thailand on Monday to peacefully resolve the border dispute between the two countries.

"If Thailand truly loves peace and values its land as Cambodia does, then the Thai government and military should adhere to the peaceful settlement of border issues using agreed mechanisms and currently being implemented by both sides," he said, according to the state-run news agency Agence Kampuchea Presse.

The remarks came following clashes after Thailand accused Cambodia of border attacks which left one Thai soldier dead and four others injured, threatening a fragile ceasefire agreement brokered in late July by US President Donald Trump, with an expanded declaration signed by the two countries in late October at the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, which Trump witnessed.

Five Cambodians including civilians were killed and several others injured, according to CamboJa News.

"I sincerely hope that the Thai side, which has always proclaimed itself a peace-loving country that respects international law, will continue to use peaceful and lawful means in conducting the survey and demarcation of the land boundary to determine the sovereignty of each country," he said.

Hun Manet also said that this is "the simplest, most transparent and most just way, because Cambodia has no intention of violating the lawful sovereignty of any neighboring country. Whatever the results of the survey may be, Cambodia will respect them. I hope that Thailand will have the sincerity to do the same."

Separately on Monday, the Royal Thai Army’s chief of staff vowed to cripple Cambodia’s military capability.

"The objective of the army is to cripple Cambodia’s military capability for a long time to come, for the safety of our children and grandchildren," General Chaiyapruek Duangprapat said, according to The Nation.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul also said that "from now on, there will be no negotiations of any kind. If the fighting is to stop, Cambodia must follow the course of action set by Thailand."

The dispute between the two neighbors escalated into deadly clashes in July, displacing thousands of people.

Cambodia and Thailand signed a ceasefire deal in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 26 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, witnessed by Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who helped broker the ceasefire, in a bid to resolve their longstanding border dispute.