Thailand-Cambodia Ceasefire: Immediate Halt to Conflict

After weeks of fighting on the border, Thailand and Cambodia have agreed on an immediate ceasefire. The defense ministers of the two countries signed a corresponding agreement. This affects “all types of weapons, attacks on civilians, civilian objects and infrastructure as well as military targets on both sides – in all cases and in all areas,” says the joint statement.

The ministers met at a border checkpoint between Cambodia’s Pailin province and Thailand’s Chanthaburi province. This was preceded by preparatory discussions in a joint committee on border issues in recent days.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul expressed hope in Bangkok on Friday that the two sides would agree on a joint statement.

The fighting took place at several points along the approximately 800-kilometer-long Thai-Cambodian border. The two countries accused each other of also targeting civilian areas. The allegations were rejected by both countries. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced on both sides of the border. Over 100 people were killed in the fighting, including several dozen civilians.

The background to the hostilities is a decades-long dispute over territorial claims. There had already been heavy fighting in July; after a few days a ceasefire was agreed.

In October, the two sides agreed, among other things, to withdraw heavy weapons from the border area and to jointly clear mines.

But in November the ceasefire was suspended after another border incident. Since December 7th, the situation has worsened again following a border skirmish.

New fighting broke out at several points along the border. The conflict between the two countries over territorial claims has been simmering for decades.