Sawt Falasteen - Thailand and Cambodia begin truce talks as fighting drags on

More than 200,000 people have fled as the two sides fired artillery, rockets and guns in a battle over the long-disputed area, which is home to a smattering of ancient temples.

The flare-up is the deadliest since violence raged from 2008-2011 over the territory, which is claimed by both sides because of a vague demarcation made by Cambodia's French colonial administrators in 1907.

Hours ahead of the talks, an AFP journalist in the Cambodian city of Samraong -- 17 kilometres (10 miles) from the fraught frontier -- reported hearing a steady drumbeat of up to 10 blasts a minute.

US President Donald Trump -- who both nations are courting for trade deals to avert the threat of eye-watering tariffs -- intervened over the weekend, and said both sides had agreed to "quickly work out" a truce.

Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet began their talks in the administrative capital Putrajaya around 3:15pm (0715 GMT).

They met at the residence of Malaysian leader Anwar Ibrahim, serving chair of the ASEAN bloc of which Thailand and Cambodia are both members, who earlier told media he would focus on an "immediate ceasefire".

Washington's top diplomat Marco Rubio said State Department officials were on the ground in Malaysia to assist the "peace efforts" while Cambodia said a delegation from its close ally China would also attend.

But ahead of the summit, Thailand and Cambodia traded fresh fire and barbed accusations.

Cambodia's defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said it was "the fifth day that Thailand has invaded Cambodia's territory with heavy weapons and with the deployment of a lot of troops".

As he departed Bangkok airport, Phumtham told reporters he did not believe Cambodia was "acting in good faith" and called on the country "to demonstrate genuine intent" in the meeting.

In Thailand's Surin city -- 30 kilometres from the border and a hub of evacuees fleeing the fighting -- 58-year-old Lamduan Chuenjit shared her leader's scepticism.

"I hope the negotiation goes well today and ends with a ceasefire," the cleaner told AFP while sweeping a shopfront. "But I do wonder how trustworthy Cambodia is."

- Both sides point the finger -

On the eve of the talks, Thailand's military said Cambodian snipers were camped in one of the contested temples, and accused Phnom Penh of surging troops along the border and hammering Thai territory with rockets.

It said there was fighting at seven areas in the rural region, marked by a ridge of hills surrounded by wild jungle and fields where locals farm rubber and rice.

"The situation remains highly tense, and it is anticipated that Cambodia may be preparing for a major military operation prior to entering negotiations," the Thai military statement read.

Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn marked his 73rd birthday on Monday, but a notice in the country's Royal Gazette said his public celebrations scheduled for Bangkok's Grand Palace have been cancelled amid the strife.

Trump has threatened both countries with high levies in his global tariff blitz unless they agree to independent trade deals -- but said he would "look forward" to signing them once "peace is at hand".

Each side has already agreed to a truce in principle, while accusing the other of undermining peace efforts and trading allegations about the use of cluster bombs and targeting of hospitals.

Thailand says eight of its soldiers and 14 civilians have been killed, while Cambodia has confirmed eight civilian and five military deaths.

The Thai military said it had returned the bodies of 12 Cambodian soldiers killed in combat.

More than 138,000 people have fled Thailand's border regions, while around 80,000 have been driven from their homes in Cambodia.

With the skirmish enflaming nationalist sentiments, Thailand warned its citizens to "refrain from any kind of violence, whether in speech or action" against Cambodian migrants living in the country.

burs-jts/djw/fox

P.Tamimi--SF-PST