Thailand-Cambodia border conflict

Thailand and Cambodia in peace talks on Monday

Cambodia and Thailand are to meet in Malaysia to discuss the conflict between the countries on Monday, AFP reports.

According to the AP, the leaders of both countries are to participate in the talks, which have as their stated goal to end the fighting, in which at least 34 people have died

Analysis: Personal power struggle is behind the fighting – Thailand has the advantage

Thailand's military capability is considered to be clearly superior to Cambodia's, which together with Bangkok's strong connections to Washington could be an advantage in the conflict between the countries, writes Brad Lendon in an analysis on CNN.

Cambodia, on the other hand, has strong ties to China, but is completely dependent on support from Beijing to provide its soldiers with modern equipment. Cooperation between the countries is expected to "reach new levels and develop further" during the year, writes Lendon.

The latest fighting comes after decades of border conflict between the countries, but is different from previous violence, says The Guardian's Rebecca Ratcliffe.

A personal conflict between the countries' former leaders, Cambodia's Hun Sen and Thailand's Thaksin Shinawatra, is said to have escalated in recent months. Their continued influence in the countries may have triggered the latest border fighting, writes Ratcliffe.

The border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia — the point

• Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia on the border has claimed at least 33 lives and led to more than 200,000 people being displaced.
• Thailand has used both American F-16s and Swedish Jas 39 Gripen in air strikes against Cambodia, according to several media outlets.
• The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting and urged a de-escalation, while Cambodia demanded an immediate ceasefire and Thailand declared martial law in border areas.
• Both countries have closed the border, recalled ambassadors and accused each other of war crimes and the use of banned weapons.
• US President Donald Trump brokered ceasefire talks, but fresh fighting was reported despite promises of negotiations.