Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an “unconditional” ceasefire to end five days of deadly fighting along their disputed frontier, a conflict that has left at least 35 people dead and forced more than 200,000 from their homes.
The deal, set to take effect at midnight local time, was reached Monday during talks hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in his capacity as ASEAN chair. The negotiations came after U.S. President Donald Trump warned the escalating border violence could jeopardize trade relations with both nations.
Under the agreement, senior Cambodian and Thai military commanders will begin talks Tuesday to ease tensions, while foreign and defence ministers from both countries and Malaysia are tasked with creating mechanisms to implement and monitor the truce. A General Border Committee meeting hosted by Cambodia is scheduled for August 4.
At a press conference in Putrajaya, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand’s Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Vejjayachai announced the agreement, shaking hands in front of reporters.
“Today we have a very good meeting and very good results that we hope will stop immediately the fighting that has caused many lives lost, injuries, and displacement of people,” Hun Manet said, thanking both Trump and China for pressing for an end to hostilities.
Phumtham pledged the ceasefire would be “carried out successfully in good faith by both sides.”
Thai officials said the clashes have killed nine soldiers and 14 civilians on their side. Cambodia has reported eight civilian and five military deaths.
Images from evacuation centres showed families sleeping under makeshift tents as food supplies were distributed to those uprooted by the fighting.
The flare-up followed the killing of a Cambodian soldier in a contested border area on May 28 and weeks of diplomatic friction, including Thailand’s expulsion of the Cambodian ambassador on July 23. The first exchange of fire erupted the following day, quickly spiraling into the most serious border conflict between the neighbors in over a decade.