Thailand And Cambodia Agree On Immediate Ceasefire After Weeks Of Deadly Border Clashes

Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an immediate ceasefire following weeks of deadly border clashes that have killed at least 41 people and displaced close to a million, according to BBC.

The agreement was confirmed by the defence ministers of both countries in a joint statement issued on Saturday. The ceasefire came into effect at noon local time (05:00 GMT) and includes a freeze on all troop movements, allowing civilians in affected border areas to return home, BBC reported.

According to BBC, the statement said that once the ceasefire holds for 72 hours, Thailand will release 18 Cambodian soldiers currently in its custody. The release will be carried out “in the spirit of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration”, a ceasefire agreement signed in October at a ceremony attended by US President Donald Trump.

The breakthrough followed several days of talks between Thai and Cambodian officials aimed at halting renewed fighting along their disputed border.

The joint statement outlined measures for “de-escalation”, including the cessation of “attacks on civilians, civilian objects and infrastructures, and military objectives of either side”.

“Both sides must avoid unprovoked firing or advancement or movement of troops towards the other side's positions or troops,” the statement said.

BBC reported that the Kuala Lumpur Declaration had previously mandated the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the disputed region and the establishment of an interim observer team to monitor compliance. However, the truce collapsed earlier this month when fresh clashes broke out, with both countries blaming each other for the breakdown.

The Thai army said its forces had responded to Cambodian fire in Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani Province, during which a Thai soldier was killed. Cambodia’s defence ministry, however, said Thai forces had attacked first in Preah Vihear province and maintained that Cambodia did not retaliate.

Clashes continued throughout December. On Friday, Thailand carried out air strikes on a disputed border area in Cambodia. The Thai Air Force said it targeted a Cambodian “fortified military position” after civilians had evacuated the area. Cambodia’s defence ministry described the strikes as “indiscriminate attacks” on civilian houses, according to BBC.

Border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia stretch back more than a century, but escalated sharply in May this year after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash. In July, five days of intense fighting left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead and displaced thousands more.

Following mediation by Malaysia and US President Donald Trump, a ceasefire was negotiated and signed in late October. Trump referred to the deal as the “Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords”.

However, Thailand paused its participation in the agreement in November. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said at the time that the security threat along the border had “not actually decreased”, BBC reported.

(With inputs from BBC)