Thailand, Cambodia set to resume border ceasefire talks
Thailand and Cambodia will resume talks this week to negotiate a more detailed and lasting border ceasefire, after Thailand said the previous agreement lacked clarity and was violated by renewed fighting and landmine use.
Thailand and Cambodia will resume negotiations later this week to establish a more durable ceasefire along their shared border, Thailand's Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow yesterday (22 December), emphasising that progress requires detailed bilateral talks rather than public statements that internationalize the dispute.
Sihasak said the October ceasefire, rushed to coincide with United Stated (US) President Donald Trump's visit, lacked sufficient detail to ensure a lasting end to the armed conflict. He noted that while Cambodia publicly declared readiness for an unconditional ceasefire, Thailand had received no direct proposal, interpreting the statements as an effort to increase international pressure rather than resolve the crisis.
The joint border committee of both nations is scheduled to meet Wednesday to work out specific measures to ensure a lasting ceasefire. "This time, let's thrash out the details and make sure the ceasefire reflects the situation on the ground and is fully respected by both sides," Sihasak told reporters.
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The border clashes intensified two weeks ago, derailing the July truce promoted by Trump, which had ended five days of fighting. The October agreement, formalized during a regional summit in Malaysia, aimed to add more detail to the truce, which included releasing prisoners and removing heavy weapons and land mines along the frontier.
The conflict, stemming from disputed border territories, has killed more than three dozen people and displaced over half a million. Recent fighting involved Thai F-16 airstrikes and Cambodian BM-21 rocket attacks. Thailand has protested newly laid landmines that injured soldiers, while Cambodia claims they are remnants from its civil war.
Sihasak called the new mine incidents "a clear violation" of the October agreement. Thai authorities said they discovered abandoned weapons and explosives in areas described as Cambodian strongholds, suggesting "deliberate use of anti-personnel landmines" against Thai troops.
Thailand plans to send letters of protest to Cambodia and Zambia, the current chair of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, to seek action under the convention. Cambodia has not responded to the claims.
The US State Department on Sunday urged both countries to end hostilities, withdraw heavy weapons, halt new landmine placements, and fully implement the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords.
