Cease-Fire in Deadly Thailand-Cambodia Conflict Gets Armies’ Backing – The New York Times
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Cambodia, Thailand agree to ceasefire, ending deadly border clashes
Thailand and Cambodia agreed on Monday, July 28, to an unconditional ceasefire to end a deadly five-day border clash. The conflict killed dozens of people and displaced more than 200,000 more. President Donald Trump informed the Thai and Cambodian leaders that the U.S. wouldn’t negotiate trade deals until the fighting ended. The International Court of Justice awarded Cambodia the Preah Vihear temple in a 1962 ruling over the border between Thailand and Cambodia. The two countries have disputed the border around the temple since at least 2008, a German political science professor wrote in a 2011 analysis of the conflict.
Ibrahim shared an image on his X account of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai shaking each other’s hands. The ceasefire is set to begin at midnight local time, according to The New York Times. Ibrahim commended President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping of China for facilitating the talks.
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Trump informed the Thai and Cambodian leaders that the U.S. wouldn’t negotiate trade deals until the fighting ended, the Times reported.
“Alhamdulillah, two fellow ASEAN nations, Thailand and Cambodia, have agreed to end their hostilities through the implementation of a ceasefire, effective from midnight tonight,” Ibrahim wrote, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which he chairs.
The agreement initiated an unconditional ceasefire, the prime ministers said in a joint statement Monday.
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Reddit Unbiased. Straight Facts.TM The International Court of Justice awarded Cambodia the Preah Vihear temple in a 1962 ruling over the border between Thailand and Cambodia.
Countries clash over land dispute
Cambodia and Thailand have disputed the border around the Preah Vihear temple since at least 2008, Martin Wagener, a German political science professor, wrote in a 2011 analysis of the conflict. The International Court of Justice ruled that the temple was in Cambodia, but the surrounding 2 square miles remain in dispute.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization declared the temple a Cambodian world heritage site, sparking deadly fights between Cambodia and Thailand, Wagener wrote. Both countries exchanged fire during several ceasefire negotiations at the time.
The most recent conflict broke out after a land mine exploded along the border on Thursday, July 24, The Associated Press reported. Five Thai soldiers were wounded. The two countries then blamed one another for starting the fighting that has now claimed at least 35 lives and displaced more than 260,000 people from both countries.
Details of ceasefire
According to the joint statement shared Monday on the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, Thailand and Cambodia agreed to have their military officials meet on Tuesday, July 29, to resolve the conflict. That will be followed by another meeting, hosted by Cambodia, on Aug. 4.
Cambodia remained doubtful on how long the ceasefire would last, as Manet accused Thailand of breaking a previous agreement during the week of July 20. Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared skepticism about Cambodia’s commitment to peace in a Sunday, July 27 statement, accusing the country of indiscriminate attacks.
Thailand and Cambodia agree to ceasefire. What’s behind the conflict?
Thailand and Cambodia agree to ceasefire. What’s behind the conflict? At least 35 people have been killed and thousands displaced. Both countries claim ownership of Preah Vihear, an 11th century Hindu temple on the border. Each side blames the other for the escalation, with Thailand accusing Cambodia of firing rockets, while Cambodia accuses Thailand of carrying out airstrikes. The latest bout of fighting flared up when a mine explosion last week killed five Thai soldiers. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened both countries with higher tariffs if the fighting continued. However, even as the talks were underway, fighting was reported to be ongoing. The ceasefire would start at midnight local time, after it had taken effect, military commanders from both sides would meet.
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Cambodia and Thailand agreed to a ceasefire on Monday, set to start at midnight local time, after attending talks in Malaysia aimed at ending a 5-day border dispute that has left dozens dead.
The ceasefire came after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened both countries with higher tariffs if the fighting continued, and amid pressure from China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. However, even as the talks in Kuala Lumpur were underway, fighting was reported to be ongoing.
How did this border conflict start?
Cambodia and Thailand have long had a dispute over part of their shared border, which has resulted in sporadic eruptions of fighting from time to time — most recently in 2011.
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Part of the problem dates back over a century to when French colonial powers mapped out the borders of the two nations. Both countries claim ownership of Preah Vihear, an 11th century Hindu temple on the border. In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled that Preah Vihear fell within the sovereignty of Cambodia. Thailand rejects that, despite the ICJ repeating the ruling in 2013 and ordering Thai forces to leave the area. It’s a heated topic for both Thai and Cambodian nationalists.
The latest bout of fighting flared up when a mine explosion on the border last week killed five Thai soldiers. In the past five days at least 35 people have been killed and thousands displaced. Each side blames the other for the escalation, with Thailand accusing Cambodia of firing rockets, while Cambodia accuses Thailand of carrying out airstrikes.
But tensions started before that, when a Cambodian soldier was killed on the border in May. An ensuing phone call between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and former Cambodian strongman – and de facto leader — Hun Sen resulted in a huge political fallout.
Hun Sen leaked the call, where Shinawatra appeared to defer to him, criticizing one of her own military top brass. It caused an uproar in Thailand over the perception she was kowtowing to the Cambodian and saw Shinawatra suspended while a court investigates whether to dismiss her.
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What was agreed in Malaysia?
Malaysian leader Anwar Ibrahim announced the ceasefire had been agreed, saying it was “a vital first step to a de-escalation and a restoration of peace and security.” The ceasefire would start at midnight and on Tuesday, after it had taken effect, military commanders from both sides would meet, he added.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet — Hun Sen’s West Point-educated son — thanked Trump and the Chinese government for their involvement in the mediation. He said it was time to “start rebuilding trust and confidence going forward between Cambodia and Thailand.”
For his part, Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai also thanked Trump and said Thailand had negotiated the ceasefire in “good faith.”
Over the weekend Trump called both leaders, threatening to pull out of tariff negotiations if fighting continued. On Sunday Secretary of State Marco Rubio also called for a swift end to hostilities.
Why does it matter?
Many analysts see the dispute as a test of which superpower has more influence in this strategic part of Southeast Asia; the U.S., which conducts joint military exercises with Thailand, or China, which is the biggest trading partner of both Cambodia and Thailand. Cambodia also has a naval base mainly funded by China.