Last month, Thailand and Cambodia experienced their most intense military confrontation in over ten years, involving artillery shelling and airstrikes by fighter jets. These hostilities led to the deaths of at least 43 individuals and caused the displacement of more than 300,000 people across both nations. In response, top military leaders from both countries convened to establish peace measures aimed at preventing the renewal of violence.
On Thursday, senior defense officials from Thailand and Cambodia agreed to permit representatives from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to observe the contested border regions. This move aims to monitor the fragile ceasefire that ended the five-day conflict in late July. The agreement came after repeated calls for de-escalation from regional powers, including China and Malaysia, the latter of which currently chairs ASEAN. Despite these appeals, fighting continued until the leaders of both nations were compelled to engage in peace talks after U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly conditioned further trade negotiations on the establishment of peace.
The crucial meeting took place at the Malaysian Armed Forces headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, where Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Seiha and Thailand's acting defence minister Nattaphon Narkphanit finalized terms for long-term peace. Nattaphon announced that ASEAN military attachés stationed in Thailand and Cambodia would form a neutral observation team, under Malaysian leadership. These observers, however, would remain within the borders of their respective host countries and not physically cross into the disputed zones.
Emphasizing the importance of peaceful coexistence, Nattaphon reiterated that as neighboring countries sharing an 817-kilometer border, Thailand and Cambodia must work toward stability so that their citizens can resume normal lives. To that end, the two sides issued a joint statement confirming plans to hold additional rounds of peace talks in the coming weeks, including meetings two weeks and one month from now.
The ceasefire implementation terms and plans to enhance communication between the respective armies were settled after four days of negotiations, with representatives from China and the United States attending the final session as observers. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet later confirmed via social media that both governments had committed to these agreements.
The source of the conflict lies in the longstanding territorial disputes along areas of the border that were first delineated by French colonial authorities in 1907. These areas remain poorly demarcated, and sovereignty over them has been the cause of friction for decades.
