Kuala Lumpur, December 24: Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to hold talks between defence officials later this week as Southeast Asian leaders pressed both sides to show restraint following renewed cross-border fighting that has killed people and displaced civilians.
Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said on Monday the talks would be held on Wednesday in Chanthaburi province in eastern Thailand under an existing bilateral border committee, following a special meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers in Kuala Lumpur aimed at salvaging a ceasefire.
The truce, first brokered in July by ASEAN chair Malaysia with support from U.S. President Donald Trump, has since collapsed, with both sides accusing each other of escalating military action.
Hours after the regional talks concluded, Cambodia’s defence ministry said Thai fighter jets had bombed areas in Siem Reap and Preah Vihear provinces. The Thai army said Cambodia had fired dozens of rockets into Thai territory, prompting Bangkok’s air force to carry out strikes on two Cambodian military targets.
The neighbours have exchanged rocket and artillery fire almost daily along their 817-km (508-mile) land border, with clashes reported at multiple points from forested areas near Laos to coastal provinces along the Gulf of Thailand.
Despite the continued fighting, Cambodia’s interior ministry said it remained optimistic that Thailand would show sincerity in implementing a ceasefire. Sihasak, however, cautioned that the planned meeting may not immediately lead to a halt in hostilities.
“Our position is a ceasefire does not come with an announcement, but must come from actions,” he told reporters, adding that the two militaries would discuss implementation, next steps and verification mechanisms in detail.
In a statement after the Kuala Lumpur talks, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations urged both countries to exercise “maximum restraint” and take immediate steps toward ending all hostilities. ASEAN also called on Thailand and Cambodia to restore mutual trust, return to dialogue and ensure civilians displaced by the fighting can return home safely and with dignity.
