Thailand and Cambodia on Saturday agreed to halt weeks of intense border clashes, marking an end to the worst fighting between the two Southeast Asian neighbours in years. The violence had involved fighter jet sorties, rocket exchanges and heavy artillery fire along disputed stretches of their shared frontier.
Read More: Thailand and Cambodia push for lasting ceasefire
The ceasefire agreement was signed by Thai Defence Minister Natthaphon Nakrphanit and Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Seiha, with both sides committing to maintain current troop deployments and refrain from further military movement. A joint statement said any reinforcements could escalate tensions and undermine long-term efforts to resolve the dispute.
BREAKING: Thailand and Cambodia said they have signed a ceasefire agreement to end weeks of fierce fighting along their border that has killed more than 100 people and displaced more than half a million civilians in both countries https://t.co/H8vsul6N7t pic.twitter.com/NyifA5UJdf
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The truce brings an end to 20 days of fighting that killed at least 101 people and displaced more than half a million civilians on both sides of the border. The clashes reignited in early December after the collapse of an earlier ceasefire brokered in July with the involvement of US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Thailand and Cambodia have long disputed sovereignty over several undemarcated areas along their 817-kilometre land border, a disagreement that has periodically erupted into armed confrontations over the past century. The latest round of fighting spread from forested regions near Laos to coastal provinces along the Gulf of Thailand, heightening regional concern.
Under the new agreement, the ceasefire will be monitored by observer teams from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), along with direct coordination between the defence ministries and armed forces of both countries. Both sides also agreed to facilitate the return of displaced civilians and pledged not to use force against non-combatants.
Thailand said it would return 18 Cambodian soldiers held since the July clashes if the ceasefire holds for 72 hours. However, the agreement clarified that it would not affect ongoing border demarcation activities, which will continue through existing bilateral mechanisms.
Read More: Cambodia pushes Thailand for neutral border talks
Thai officials stressed that the conflict did not reflect hostility between the two peoples. “War and clashes don’t make the two countries or the two people happy,” Thailand’s air force chief said, underscoring hopes that dialogue would now replace confrontation.