Thailand and Cambodia agree to ceasefire after weeks of deadly clashes

The defense ministers of Thailand and Cambodia said in a joint statement that the two countries had agreed to an immediate ceasefire.

The two sides agreed to freeze current front lines and allow civilians living in border areas to return home, preventing the return of nearly three people. Weeks of intense conflict have left dozens dead and nearly a million displaced.

The ceasefire came into effect at noon local time (05:00 GMT) on Saturday. The 18 Cambodian soldiers held by Thailand since July will be released once they are in place for 72 hours, the statement said.

The breakthrough came after days of talks between the two countries with diplomatic encouragement from China and the United States.

The agreement prioritizes the return of displaced people to their homes and also includes a deal to clear landmines.

Thai Defense Minister Nataporn Nakpani said the ceasefire was a test of “the other side’s sincerity.”

“If the ceasefire fails or is violated, Thailand will retain its legitimate right to self-defense under international law,” he told reporters.

Thailand has been reluctant to accept the ceasefire agreement, saying the last ceasefire agreement was not properly implemented. They are also unhappy with Cambodia’s internationalization of the conflict.

Unlike the last ceasefire in July, US President Donald Trump was conspicuously absent from this one, although the US State Department was involved.

Ceasefire collapses earlier this monthat this time a new conflict broke out.

Each side blamed the other for the breakdown of the armistice.

Thailand’s military said its troops had responded to a fire in Cambodia in Thailand’s Sisaket province that injured two Thai soldiers.

The Cambodian Defense Ministry said it was Thai troops who first attacked Preah Vihear province and insisted Cambodia would not retaliate.

Clashes continued throughout December. on Friday, Thailand launches more airstrikes in Cambodia.

The Thai air force said it struck a “fortified military position” in Cambodia after civilians left the area. The Cambodian Defense Ministry said the attack was an “indiscriminate attack” on civilian homes.

How well this ceasefire holds depends largely on political will. Nationalist sentiment is running high in both countries.

Cambodia, in particular, lost a large number of soldiers and a large amount of military equipment. It has been pushed back from its positions on the border and suffered widespread damage from Thai airstrikes, and the discontent could make lasting peace harder to achieve.

Disagreements over the border date back more than a century, but tensions heightened earlier this year after a group of Cambodian women sang patriotic songs at a controversial temple.

A Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash in May, and two months later in July five days of fierce fighting along the border left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead. Thousands more civilians have been displaced.

After intervention by Malaysia and President Trump, the two countries negotiated a fragile ceasefire agreement and signed it in late October.

Trump called the agreement the “Kuala Lumpur Peace Agreement.” It requires both sides to withdraw heavy weapons from the disputed area and set up a temporary observation group for monitoring.

However, Thailand suspended the agreement in November after Thai soldiers were injured by landmines, with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul declaring that security threats “have not actually decreased.”