Cliff Notes
-
Thailand and Cambodia have mutually agreed to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire effective from midnight on 28 July, following several days of deadly border clashes.
-
The ceasefire agreement, reached during discussions mediated by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, aims to restore trust and cooperation between the two nations after intense fighting resulted in numerous casualties and widespread displacement.
-
Both leaders, Thailand’s Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodia’s Hun Manet, expressed hope that this agreement would pave the way for normalising relations and future de-escalation efforts.
Thailand and Cambodia agree to immediate ceasefire, Malaysian PM says | World News
.
Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to end their border clashes, the Malaysian prime minister has said.
Anwar Ibrahim said both sides had reached a common understanding to end the fighting.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai have agreed to “an immediate and unconditional ceasefire with effect from… midnight of 28 July,” he said as he read out a joint statement.
It is “time to start rebuilding trust, confidence and cooperation going forward between Thailand and Cambodia,” he added.
The Thai and Cambodian leaders met in Malaysia for talks to end the cross-border fighting that has seen dozens of people killed.
The move comes after Donald Trump intervened, suggesting to the leaders of both countries that continued hostilities would harm their chances of getting a trade deal with the US.
The US president posted about the conversations on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday and later said both sides had agreed to meet to negotiate a ceasefire.
China also offered to assist in negotiations.
Monday’s ceasefire agreement aims to bring an end to their deadliest conflict in more than a decade after five days of fierce fighting.
“Today we have a very good meeting and very good results… that hope to stop immediately the fighting that has caused many lives lost, injuries and also caused displacement of people,” said Mr Manet.
“We hope that the solutions that Prime Minister Anwar just announced will set a condition for moving forward for our bilateral discussion to return to normalcy of the relationship, and as a foundation for future de-escalation of forces.”
Mr Wechayachai said Thailand had agreed to a ceasefire that would “be carried out successfully in good faith by both sides”, adding that the outcome of negotiations reflected his country’s “desire for a peaceful resolution”.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X: “President Trump made this happen. Give him the Nobel Peace Prize!”
The South East Asian neighbours blamed each other for starting the fighting which flared last Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers.
Each accused the other of shelling targets across the disputed border areas after the conflict erupted.
Both countries had recalled their ambassadors and Thailand had closed all border crossings with Cambodia – however, migrant Cambodian workers were allowed to return home.
At least 35 people, including more than a dozen civilians, have died, while more than 260,000 have been displaced after being forced to leave their homes to escape the fighting.
Relations between the countries deteriorated sharply after an armed confrontation in May that killed a Cambodian soldier.
Nationalist passions on both sides have further inflamed the situation.