The governments of Thailand and Cambodia agreed in Malaysia to declare an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire starting at midnight after five days of border clashes that left 35 dead.
PUBLICIDAD
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the agreement in his capacity as President of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Bangkok and Nom Pen are members, at the end of a meeting between the Prime Ministers of Thailand and Cambodia, Phumtham Wechayachai and Hun Manet, respectively.
PUBLICIDAD
“An immediate and unconditional ceasefire, effective from 24:00 (local time) on July 28. This is a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security,” Anwar said in his speech alongside the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand.
Agreement with the mediations of the United States and China
The Malaysian leader also stated that the meeting resulted in positive discussions that concluded with the commitment to restore peace and security in the border areas, where about 300,000 people have been evacuated in the last week due to hostilities.
To drive this de-escalation forward, Anwar continued, at least two bilateral meetings will be held, starting with one on Tuesday between military leaders and another scheduled for August 4th.
When he spoke, Hun Manet thanked the intervention of the US president, Donald Trump, in this matter, as well as the participation of China, which joined as an observer in these discussions.
Today’s meeting was attended by the ambassadors of the United States and China in Malaysia, Edgard D. Kagan and Ouyang Yujing.
Advance and restore diplomatic channels
The Cambodian leader hopes that this agreement will help to advance and restore diplomatic channels, which were reduced after both countries recalled their ambassadors following the escalation of the conflict.
“Hun Manet expressed, ‘Let our bilateral discussions return to normal in the relationship.’”
On the other hand, Phumtham Wechayachai, acting as interim prime minister due to the suspension of Paetongtarn Shinawatra, thanked Anwar and the parties for the mediation, and highlighted the agreement as a peaceful resolution to protect sovereignty and people’s lives.
After weeks of tensions on their border, on Thursday, July 24, the confrontation between the armies of the two sides erupted. They accused each other of initiating the attacks, in which they used F-16 fighter jets and BM-21 rockets, among other artillery.
The conflict has left 35 dead, 22 on the Thai side (14 civilians and 8 soldiers) and 13 on the Cambodian side (8 civilians and 5 military), according to the latest official reports.
In addition, dozens of people have been injured and around 291,000 displaced individuals are taking refuge in evacuation centers and temporary camps, with over 156,000 in Thailand and approximately 135,000 in Cambodia.