Defence officials from Thailand and Cambodia will meet on Dec. 24 to discuss the possibility of resuming a ceasefire between the two countries, Thailand’s top diplomat said on Monday, as border fighting entered a third week.
The decision was taken on Monday during a special meeting in Kuala Lumpur of foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), who were seeking to salvage a truce first brokered by ASEAN chair Malaysia and U.S. President Donald Trump after a previous round of clashes in July.
The two countries agreed to hold talks using their General Border Committee, an established bilateral mechanism, with Thailand proposing that it takes place at the border line in the Thai province of Chanthaburi, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow told a briefing in Kuala Lumpur.
Cambodia’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Sihasak said Thailand wanted a “true ceasefire” with a firm commitment from Cambodia and a detailed implementation plan, adding that de-mining was necessary to move the process forward.
“A ceasefire cannot just be declared, it needs a discussion,” he said.
Fierce fighting
The ASEAN meeting followed two weeks of fierce fighting that has killed at least 80 people and initially displaced more than half a million.
The regional peace push comes as the U.S. and China pursue separate diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, with no signs of success so far.
Sihasak said neither the U.S. nor China were involved in the decision for the two countries to resume discussions later this week, adding it was about Thailand and Cambodia “working things out”.
Bangkok and Phnom Penh each accuse the other of aggression and moves that led to the breakdown of an enhanced ceasefire agreed in October in Malaysia in Trump’s presence, during which they committed to de-mining and withdrawal of troops and heavy weapons.
Heavy exchanges of fire have occurred in multiple locations along their 508 mile (817 km) land border, from forested inland areas near Laos to coastal provinces. Clashes flared again on Monday, with both sides trading accusations of aggression.
‘We must intensify trust building’
Monday’s gathering was the first face-to-face meeting involving the two governments since the fighting resumed on Dec. 8. In opening the meeting, Malaysia’s foreign minister urged the bloc to play a more forceful role in halting the conflict.
“ASEAN must do whatever is necessary to maintain regional peace and stability,” Mohamad Hasan said.
“Our goal goes beyond de-escalating the tension. We must intensify trust-building among the conflicting parties and provide the horizons for dialogue despite the prevailing differences.”
Cambodia’s defence ministry on Monday said Thailand had violated its sovereignty with more “armed aggression” and vowed to defend what it said was its territory “at any cost”.
Thailand accused Cambodia of seeking to fire rockets on a border town and said another soldier had lost a leg to a landmine. Thailand has accused Cambodia of laying new mines in violation of its international treaty commitments, an allegation Phnom Penh has rejected.
REUTERS
