Bangkok: Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire in a significant breakthrough to resolve deadly border clashes that entered a fifth day, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Monday. Anwar, who chaired the talks as head of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional bloc, said both sides have reached a common understanding to take steps to return to normalcy following what he called frank discussions.
According to France24.com, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai have agreed to an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire” with effect from midnight local time Tuesday, Anwar said as he read out a joint statement. Hun Manet expressed hope that bilateral ties could return to normal soon so that some 300,000 villagers evacuated on both sides could return home. It is “time to start rebuilding trust, confidence and cooperation going forward between Thailand and Cambodia,” he noted. Phumtham stated that the outcome reflected “Thailand’s desire for a peaceful resolution.”
The fighting flared last Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes, resulting in at least 35 deaths and displacing more than 260,000 people on both sides. In response, both countries recalled their ambassadors, and Thailand shut all border crossings with Cambodia, except for allowing migrant Cambodian workers to return home.
The Malaysian meeting followed direct pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who warned that the United States might not proceed with trade deals with either country if hostilities continue. The joint statement mentioned that the U.S. is a co-organizer of the talks, with participation from China. The Chinese and American ambassadors to Malaysia attended the meeting that lasted over two hours. The violence marks a rare instance of open military confrontation between ASEAN member states, a 10-nation regional bloc known for non-aggression, peaceful dialogue, and economic cooperation.
Evacuees from both sides of the border earlier prayed for a ceasefire deal. At an evacuation shelter in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province, Ron Mao, 56, stated that she and her family fled their home a kilometer away from the front line when fighting broke out Thursday. They took refuge in a shelter but moved again to another camp further away after hearing artillery shelling. “I don’t want to see this war happen. It’s very difficult, and I don’t want to run around like this,” she said. “When I heard our Prime Minister go to negotiate for peace, I would be very happy if they reached the deal as soon as possible, so that I and my children can return home as soon as possible.”
Thai evacuees echoed the sentiment. “I beg the government. I want it to end quickly,” said farmer Nakorn Jomkamsing at an evacuation camp in Surin hosting more than 6,000 people. “I want to live peacefully. I miss my home, my pets, my pigs, dogs, and chicken,” the 63-year-old woman said. The 800-kilometer frontier between Thailand and Cambodia has been disputed for decades, but past confrontations have been limited and brief. The latest tensions erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thailand’s domestic politics.