Thailand’s Defence Minister to Join Truce Talks with Cambodia Amid Ongoing Border Clashes

BANGKOK:  Thailand’s defense minister is set to participate in ongoing talks with Cambodia on Saturday aimed at brokering a truce, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced Friday. The announcement comes as border clashes between the two Southeast Asian neighbors continue into a third week.

“If the defense ministers reach an agreement, both countries will formalize a deal in line with a previous pact brokered with the assistance of former U.S. President Donald Trump following clashes in July,” Anutin told reporters in Bangkok. He emphasized that “both sides must uphold their promises not to threaten, offend, or instigate, and to reduce hostility between the countries.”

The ceasefire, which had been established in July and expanded in October, collapsed in early December. Since then, at least 98 people have been killed and more than 500,000 displaced.

Thai and Cambodian officials have been holding negotiations at a border crossing since Wednesday. While previous efforts by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, chair of the ASEAN bloc, and former President Trump failed to halt hostilities, both sides are under increasing diplomatic pressure from China. Deng Xijun, China’s special envoy for Asian affairs, recently held talks in Bangkok and Phnom Penh, urging a resolution.

Anutin expressed hope that this round of negotiations would result in lasting peace, allowing civilians to return to their homes. The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia stretches across 817 kilometers (508 miles), with recent clashes affecting areas from forested inland regions near Laos to coastal provinces.

Neither Cambodia nor Thailand has publicly responded with details regarding potential concessions, but both sides have accused each other of violating the previous truce, contributing to renewed fighting.