Thailand, Cambodia agree to talks
Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to a ceasefire and start talks on their decades-long border dispute under the mediation of Malaysia, the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan announced on Sunday.
Mohamad said Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai were set to meet in Malaysia on Monday evening.
The talks in Malaysia come after Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim proposed a ceasefire on Friday and US President Donald Trump threatened to scuttle tariff talks with both nations if they did not agree to a ceasefire.
“They have full confidence in Malaysia and asked me to be a mediator,” Mohamad said, adding he had talked with his Cambodian and Thai counterparts and they agreed no other country should be involved in the issue.
Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday (Sunday in most of Southeast Asia) that he told the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia that he would not move forward with trade agreements with either country if the hostilities continued. He later said both sides agreed to meet to negotiate a ceasefire.
The Cambodian prime minister said on Sunday his country agreed to pursue an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire.” Hun said Trump told him that Thailand had also agreed to halt attacks after the American leader spoke with Phumtham.
“This is positive news for the soldiers and people of both countries,” Hun said, adding that Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn would coordinate next steps with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and to engage directly with Thailand’s foreign minister to implement the ceasefire.
Cautious support
Thailand expressed cautious support. Phumtham thanked Trump and said that Thailand agreed in principle to a ceasefire but stressed the need for “sincere intention” from Cambodia, the Thai Foreign Ministry said.
“Any cessation of hostilities cannot be reached while Cambodia is severely lacking in good faith and repeatedly violating the basic principles of human rights and humanitarian law,” Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said separately.
Both sides blamed each other for the clashes that broke out July 24 and have so far resulted in 30 deaths and the evacuation of more than 200,000 Thais and Cambodians.
The two countries have been disputing portions of an 800-kilometer frontier that arose from the French-Siamese treaty of 1907. The dispute has worsened since 1953 when Cambodia became independent and restored its own monarchy.
After current hostilities broke out last week, the UN Security Council called on the Asean to mediate peace between the two nations. Human Rights Watch has condemned the reported use of cluster munitions, weapons banned by International law, in populated areas, and urged both governments to protect civilians.
