Thailand, Cambodia sign agreement on ceasefire

Chanthaburi: Thai Defence Minister Natthapon Nakpanich and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tea Seiha on Saturday signed an agreement on ceasefire at a border checkpoint in Thailand’s Chanthaburi Province.

Earlier in the day, the Cambodian Ministry of Defence said that it reached consensus with Thailand on the content of the draft Joint Statement of the third Special Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee meeting on Friday night, with the participation of ASEAN observers, Xinhua news agency reported.

Ceasefire talks between Thailand and Cambodia began at around 9:40 a.m. local time on Saturday at a border checkpoint in Thailand’s Chanthaburi Province.

The violence intensified on December 8–9 after a July ceasefire collapsed, with Thailand deploying fighter jets and artillery strikes and Cambodia responding with rocket fire.

Clashes have been reported across contested sections of the Thailand–Cambodia border, especially around the Dangrek mountain range, which spans northeastern Thailand and northern Cambodia.

The border region is home to several ancient Khmer temples, many of them located close to the frontier. Control of nearby elevated terrain has long been disputed, and these zones have once again witnessed troop movements, shelling and aerial missions during the latest round of fighting.

The roots of the dispute go back to the early 1900s, when boundary lines were established under French colonial administration in Cambodia. Thailand has maintained that some of the maps produced at the time inaccurately defined the border and failed to follow natural watershed boundaries referenced in earlier agreements.

A key point of contention remains the Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled that sovereignty over the temple rests with Cambodia. However, the judgement did not clearly define ownership of the surrounding land, leaving space for differing interpretations by both sides.

During the December escalation, US President Donald Trump said he had spoken separately with the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia and claimed they had agreed to stop the fighting. He described the talks as positive, saying both governments had pledged to “cease all shooting” and work towards restoring a peace arrangement similar to previous ceasefires.

Despite these statements, reports of clashes continued, highlighting a disconnect between diplomatic announcements and realities on the ground. Officials in both Thailand and Cambodia later confirmed the outreach but said that conditions for a ceasefire had not yet been fully satisfied.

More recently, Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed that he had spoken with Trump but said Thai military operations would continue until there were no further threats to Thai territory or civilians. He accused Cambodian forces of breaching ceasefire commitments and said the border situation remained volatile.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said Cambodia remained committed to peace and dialogue. In public statements, including posts on social media, Phnom Penh reiterated its support for a ceasefire and engagement through diplomatic channels, while accusing Thailand of escalating military action along the border.

Tensions initially rose in May following a confrontation near the Emerald Triangle, where Thailand, Cambodia and Laos converge, which resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier. The situation worsened in July, as both sides exchanged artillery fire and deployed heavy weapons at multiple border locations, forcing large-scale civilian evacuations.

Although a ceasefire declared later in July brought a brief period of calm, isolated incidents persisted. Fresh exchanges of fire in December led to further military casualties and ultimately caused the truce to collapse.

Authorities in both countries have confirmed that soldiers were killed and several others wounded during the clashes. Civilians in border areas have also borne the impact, with tens of thousands displaced during the July fighting and again after the renewed violence in December.

ASEAN member states have urged both countries to return to negotiations. Diplomatic efforts have focused on preventing further civilian displacement and restoring calm along the frontier.

IANS