Ceasefire talks begin between Thailand and Cambodia after deadly clashes
BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH — Military officials from Thailand and Cambodia began talks Wednesday, both countries said, days after the neighbors agreed to discuss resumption of a ceasefire after 16 days of fierce border clashes that have killed at least 86 people, reports BritPanorama.
The talks come two days after a special meeting in Kuala Lumpur of Southeast Asian foreign ministers convened to try to salvage a truce first brokered by ASEAN chair Malaysia and U.S. President Donald Trump after a previous round of clashes in July.
Thai Defense Ministry spokesman Rear Adm. Surasant Kongsiri stated that Wednesday’s meeting of the General Border Committee would last three days and could pave the way for an agreement.
The negotiations were held at a border checkpoint toward the southern end of their 508-mile frontier. “If the secretariat meeting goes smoothly and leads to an agreement, then there will be a meeting between the defense ministers of the two countries on Dec. 27,” Surasant told reporters.
Cambodian defense ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata noted that the talks began at 4:30 p.m., led by generals from both sides.
This meeting represents a significant step since fighting resumed and follows separate, unsuccessful efforts by Malaysia, China, and the United States to bring the two countries to the negotiating table.
Both Cambodia and Thailand have accused each other of aggression and violations of an enhanced ceasefire reached in October in Malaysia during Trump’s visit. During that truce, both committed to demining and withdrawing troops and heavy weapons from contested areas.
In the run-up to Wednesday’s discussions, clashes have persisted, with both nations engaged in fighting at multiple locations since early December, from forested regions near Laos to the coastal provinces of the Gulf of Thailand.
According to national authorities, at least 21 civilians have died in Cambodia due to the ongoing conflict, with over half a million people displaced. In Thailand, at least 65 fatalities have been reported, along with more than 150,000 people evacuated from their homes.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department expressed concern over the continued fighting and casualties along the Cambodia-Thailand border, indicating that Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio remain in contact with their Cambodian and Thai counterparts, as well as Malaysia, to convey this concern.
“We strongly urge the immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians, and for both sides to fully implement the ceasefire and the other de-escalatory measures outlined in the October 26 Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Cambodia’s defense ministry on Wednesday accused Thailand of using fighter jets to drop bombs in its border province of Banteay Meanchey, labeling the actions as “brutal” and indiscriminate.
Thailand, in turn, claimed that its neighbor continued to fire heavy weapons into civilian areas in Sa Kaeo province on Wednesday, prompting Thai troops to retaliate.
