Defense officials from Thailand and Cambodia agreed to meet on Wednesday to restore a broken ceasefire as deadly fighting along the border entered its third week.
There had been a clash between the two neighboring countries earlier in July. The violence ended with a ceasefire brokered by Malaysia, China and the United States, but the agreement broke down after two Thai soldiers were injured in a clash in early December.
Since then, Thailand has launched airstrikes, while Cambodia has fired rockets in the fighting along the 817-kilometre border, which has killed at least 80 people and displaced more than 900,000. Each side has blamed the other for starting fresh fighting.
Thai officials call for ‘true ceasefire’
On Monday, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) welcomed fresh talks by the General Border Committee, a long-established mechanism for bilateral discussions.
“ASEAN foreign ministers expressed hope for an early cessation of hostilities,” ASEAN chair Malaysia said in a statement.
Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phungketkaew said his country wanted a “true ceasefire” with a detailed implementation plan and Cambodia’s firm commitment.
Cambodia welcomed regional efforts to maintain the ceasefire and end hostilities.
“We are optimistic that the Thai side will demonstrate sincerity in fully implementing the ceasefire in line with ASEAN’s objectives,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement.
Talks after peace efforts by America, China, Malaysia
The previous ceasefire was pushed through under pressure from US President Donald Trump, who threatened to revoke trade privileges.
On Monday, Cambodia’s Defense Ministry accused Thailand of violating its sovereignty with more “armed aggression” and vowed to defend its territory “at any cost.”
Thailand’s military said Cambodia launched intermittent artillery attacks and drone bombardments, prompting Thai airstrikes and artillery shelling of military targets.
The US State Department on Sunday called on Thailand and Cambodia to “cease hostilities, withdraw heavy weapons, stop laying landmines, and fully implement the Kuala Lumpur peace agreement, including mechanisms to accelerate humanitarian demilitarization and address border issues.”
China has also put pressure on both sides to back down, with its special envoy for Asian affairs Deng Zijun holding talks in Bangkok and Phnom Penh in recent days.
The border dispute dates back to the 1950s, when Cambodia gained independence from France. Competing claims initially focused on ownership of the ancient Hindu Preah Vihear temple before expanding into other border areas.
Edited by: Darko Janjevic