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

Cambodian and Thai officials began four days of talks at a border checkpoint on Wednesday intended to negotiate an end to the deadly clashes between the two countries, Phnom Penh said.The meeting in Thailand’s Chanthaburi province had been at risk after Phnom Penh demanded a switch to a neutral venue.The Cambodian government, however, posted a picture of the two defence delegations in a simply-furnished meeting room and said the talks had begun, seeking to “ensure the cessation of hostilities”, restore stability and “facilitate a swift return to normalcy”.What to know about the Thailand-Cambodia conflict – video analysisThe neighbours’ long-standing border conflict reignited this month, shattering an earlier truce, killing more than 40 people and displacing around a million, officials have said.Talks are expected to run until Saturday, and the Thai defence ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri told reporters that Bangkok was “very hopeful that the meeting will have positive outcomes”.But he said its success depended on the Cambodian side’s sincerity in words and actions.Bangkok has previously demanded that Phnom Penh announce a truce first and cooperate in demining efforts at the border.Despite ongoing cross-border fire, Cambodia’s interior ministry said this week it was “optimistic that the Thai side will demonstrate sincerity” in implementing a ceasefire.The conflict stems from a territorial dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of the two countries’ 500-mile (800km) border and a small number of ancient temple ruins situated on the frontier.Each side has blamed the other for instigating the renewed fighting since 7 December and traded accusations of attacks on civilians after five days of clashes in July killed dozens of people.The US, China and Malaysia brokered a truce to end that round of fighting, but the ceasefire was short-lived.