Neighboring nations halt airstrikes and artillery exchanges in U.S.-backed truce, but tensions remain after failed summer accord.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH—Thailand and Cambodia signed a cease-fire agreement on Saturday, halting 20 days of deadly border clashes that killed at least 101 people and displaced more than 500,000 on both sides of their shared frontier. The deal, which took effect at noon local time, mandates that both nations freeze troop positions and refrain from further advances, according to a joint statement from their defense ministers.
“Both sides agree to maintain current troop deployments without further movement,” the statement read. “Any reinforcement would heighten tensions and negatively affect long-term efforts to resolve the situation.”
The agreement was signed by Thai Defense Minister Natthaphon Nakrphanit and his Cambodian counterpart, Tea Seiha, bringing an end to the most intense fighting between the two nations in years. The conflict, which included airstrikes, rocket exchanges, and artillery fire, erupted in early December after the collapse of a U.S.-brokered truce negotiated in July by President Donald Trump.
That earlier cease-fire, described as “immediate and unconditional,” was brokered during talks in Malaysia mediated by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). At the time, the fighting had already resulted in at least 35 deaths and the evacuation of more than 260,000 residents along the 500-mile border.
Trump had held separate phone calls with Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, urging an “immediate cease-fire.” He later stated that both leaders had expressed a desire to end the violence after he issued an ultimatum: the U.S. would withhold potential trade deals unless the fighting stopped. Trump described the discussions as “very good” and emphasized that both sides were working toward a resolution.
In August, Manet nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, a move supported by 70,000 Buddhist monks in Cambodia, who praised his role in halting the earlier conflict.
Despite the summer resolution, violence flared again in mid-December, with Thai and Cambodian forces clashing at multiple points along their 508-mile border. Thailand responded by cutting fuel shipments through a Laos border checkpoint, citing concerns that supplies could be diverted to Cambodian military units.
Officials from both countries have expressed hope that the new cease-fire will create an opening for diplomatic talks to address the underlying issues fueling the conflict. The violence had drawn international condemnation, with calls for peace from regional powers and the United Nations. ASEAN monitors are expected to deploy to verify compliance with the truce, continuing the bloc’s involvement in resolving the crisis.
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