Thailand-Cambodian Border Disputes: What We Know
Thailand launched airstrikes on Cambodia’s military targets, indicating a massive escalation of a long-term border conflict between the two countries.
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POLTRAJAYA, Malaysia, July 28 (Reuters) – Cambodia and Thai leaders agreed to a ceasefire in the middle of the effective night on Monday, in an effort to end a deadly conflict for more than a decade after five days of fierce battles.
In an international effort to quell the conflict, Thais and Cambodian leaders held consultations in Malaysia hosted by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the current chairman of the ASEAN Regional Bloc.
When he held a press conference with Thai and Cambodian leaders, Anwar said, “There will be an immediate and unconditional ceasefire starting midnight tonight. This is the final.”
Southeast Asian neighbors accused each other of starting combat last week, then escalated with violent cannon fire and Thai Airways attacks along the 817 km (508 miles) land border.
Anwar proposed a ceasefire talks on Thursday shortly after the prolonged border dispute broke out into the conflict, and China and the US also offered to support negotiations.
US President Donald Trump called the two leaders over the weekend to urge them to resolve their differences and warned them not to conclude a trade deal with them unless they end the fight.
Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have been intensifying since the killing of Cambodian soldiers in a brief skirmish in late May.
Both sides strengthened their border forces amid a full-scale diplomatic crisis that put Thailand’s vulnerable coalition government on the verge of collapse.
“Today we have a very good meeting and very good results. It wants to quickly stop the fighting that has lost many lives, caused injuries and caused people to evacuate,” Hun Mane expressed his gratitude to Trump and China for his efforts to participate in the process.
“We hope that the solutions announced by Prime Minister Anwar will set the conditions for our bilateral debate to move forward to return to normality in relations and as the basis for breaking away from power in the future.”
Thai Prime Minister Phumtam Wechayachia, who had previously expressed doubts about Cambodia’s integrity prior to negotiations in Malaysia, said that Thailand has agreed that it will be “performed successfully in good faith by both sides.”
Thai and Cambodia troops clash along the border https://www.reuters.com/graphics/thailand-cambodia/zjpqoyezmpx/chart.png
Comparison of Thai and Cambodia military: Comparison of Thai and Cambodia military https://reut.rs/3h3xuh4
(Reporting by Panarat, written by Thepgumpanat, Chayut Setboonsarng, Panu Wongcha-um and Devjyot Ghoshal, Shoon Naing of Sisaket, Chantha Lach, Danial Azhar and Mandy Leong of Phnom Penh, Putrajaya, Gopalakrishnan)
