(Dec 22): Cambodia and Thailand agreed to discuss conditions for a ceasefire later this week, after foreign ministers from Southeast Asian nations met in Kuala Lumpur in a fresh bid to end deadly border clashes between the two neighbours.
Army representatives from Cambodia and Thailand will discuss a potential ceasefire in a bilateral meeting of the General Border Committee on Dec 24 in the Thai border province of Chanthaburi, Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow told reporters. He spoke after a special meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on the crisis, which has killed at least 40 people and displaced more than half a million since restarting earlier this month.
Asean foreign ministers welcomed the resumption of ceasefire talks, Sihasak said in a briefing in Kuala Lumpur.
“We proposed that our two militaries should meet as soon as possible, and let the Cambodians choose a date for this meeting,” he said, adding that Thailand will demand the withdrawal of troops and heavy weapons from border areas and efforts to clear land mines. “This time, let’s hash out the details, make sure that the ceasefire reflects the situation on the ground.”
Over the weekend, Thailand bombed a casino and a bridge in Cambodia. Thailand’s army has called some of its strikes a “war against the scam army”, recasting the fighting as a crackdown on transnational crime syndicates, adding a complex security dimension to what is fundamentally a territorial dispute.
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and US President Donald Trump helped facilitate an earlier agreement after the first round of fighting in July, which lasted five days and killed dozens on both sides. Trump had threatened to freeze trade talks with Cambodia and Thailand unless the two agreed to end the violence, and oversaw a signing ceremony for a peace deal in October.
See also: Has Southeast Asia built up some immunity against Trump’s tariffs?
On Monday, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters that the conflict is a “bilateral issue” with Cambodia, while reaffirming that Bangkok wants to resolve the situation peacefully and within an “appropriate framework”.
It’s possible there could be an agreement on the 24th or 25th, but nothing is certain, Sihasak said. “But — at least the Thai side — we’re approaching this in a very constructive way and wanting a true ceasefire,” he said.
Cambodia and Thailand have each accused the other of breaking the earlier peace deal terms, and the latest bout of fighting, which started Dec 7, is now into its third week.
See also: Indonesia meets goal to seize four mil hectares of illegal land
The Asean foreign ministers expressed “serious concerns” along with hopes for the de-escalation of hostilities as soon as possible, according to a statement by the Asean chair. The meeting also urged Cambodia and Thailand to resume talks, including through bilateral mechanisms and Asean channels, the statement said.
“Asean must do whatever is necessary to maintain regional peace and stability,” Malaysia Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said in his earlier opening remarks to Asean foreign ministers.
Thailand previously insisted that for peace to be restored, Cambodia must publicly announce a ceasefire first and cooperate on efforts to remove land mines. Land mines have played a significant part in escalating tensions, with Thai soldiers maimed in eight such incidents, including one over the weekend.
The US also on Sunday made a fresh call for Cambodia and Thailand to end hostilities and return to the so-called Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords brokered by Trump.
In the Monday briefing, top Thai diplomat Sihasak said the peace accord was too rushed because the US had wanted it done in time for Trump’s visit to the Asean leaders’ summit.
“Sometimes we need to sit down and hash things out so that the things we agree will really hold, will really be respected,” he said.
Uploaded by Felyx Teoh
