Thailand has not yet commented on the proposal, as fighting continues for a third day with 32 confirmed killed.

Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire for a second day on Friday as their worst fighting in over a decade intensified and spread to new areas.

The deadly conflict on the Thai-Cambodian border pits a longtime United States ally with decades of experience against a relatively young armed force with close ties to China.

As fighting spread to at least six areas along the arcane frontier, Thailand’s military closed crossings between the countries. The fighting spurred at least 40,000 civilians from more than 80 villages near the border to flee to makeshift bomb shelters of sandbags and car tires.

China has dismissed allegations that it was supplying weapons to Cambodia amid its ongoing border conflict with Thailand that has led to at least 33 people dying and hundreds of thousands displaced.

The UN Security Council held an emergency closed-door meeting Friday in New York. Malaysia, which chairs the 10-nation regional bloc that includes both countries, called for an end to the hostilities and offered to mediate.

By Shoon Naing SURIN, Thailand (Reuters) -Six-year-old Sunisa Chanprakhon was looking forward to running in her school sports day in their Thai border village on Thursday when explosions shattered the morning calm.