Cambodia, Thailand Agree to Ceasefire Monitors After Clashes

(Bloomberg) -- Cambodia and Thailand agreed to maintain a ceasefire and allow monitoring by neutral observers, more than one week after a US-backed truce ended the deadliest clashes between the Southeast Asian neighbors in decades.

A meeting of senior security officials from the two nations held in Kuala Lumpur approved a set of measures to strictly enforce the truce and ease border tensions. The so-called General Border Committee meeting also agreed not to move or reinforce troops and weapons along their roughly 800-kilometer (500-mile) disputed border, Cambodian and Thai officials said at separate briefings.

The latest measures to de-escalate tensions may help hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced by five days of clashes on either side of the border to return home. Even after the July 29 ceasefire, both countries have continued to station troops and weaponry along the frontier after the clashes left more than 40 dead and scores more injured. 

The border talks followed a ceasefire brokered by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in his capacity as Asean chair, that came amid pressure from US President Donald Trump, who used trade tariffs as leverage. Representatives of Malaysia, China and the US attended Wednesday’s border talks as observers. 

The Thai-Cambodia conflict traces its roots to long-standing tensions stemming from colonial-era maps and treaties that defined their shared border. Relations had remained relatively stable since 2011 clashes that left dozens dead, before erupting into intense fighting last month. 

Both the countries hailed the talks as successful with a joint statement saying “the positive momentum generated by the meeting reflects the shared determination of both the sides to work together in fostering lasting peace, stability, cooperation, and development of their mutual benefit.” 

Thailand, which had previously accused Cambodia of breaching the ceasefire agreement, said Phnom Penh has shown sincerity in resolving the conflict. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Hun Manet asked Thailand to immediately release 18 Cambodian soldiers held in its custody. 

“Thailand and Cambodia are neighbors that share a common border and cannot move away from each other,” Thai Deputy Defense Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit told reporters. “If both countries can resolve this issue swiftly, peace will return to our shared border area and our people will be able to resume their normal lives.” 

Read: What’s Behind Deadly Thailand-Cambodia Border Clash?: QuickTake 

The border committee is one of several bilateral mechanisms between Thailand and Cambodia to resolve disputes. The meeting hosted by Cambodia was moved to Kuala Lumpur on Bangkok’s request.

The US will closely monitor the ceasefire implementation as it was a matter of great importance to Trump, according to US Ambassador to Malaysia Edgard Kagan. 

“The US believes this is an important step. However, it’s important to recognize this is only a step,” Kagan told reporters. “The goal here is a sustainable and durable ceasefire, that is one that is able to be accepted and enforced by both sides.” 

Thailand and Cambodia agreed to convene a meeting of their regional army commanders in two weeks for follow-up discussions, Nattaphon said. The border committee will meet again in a month, and Thailand plans to propose cooperation in landmine clearance and cybercrime suppression, he added.

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