Ceasefire on the brink: Thailand, Cambodia trade blame as border tensions flare again
The nations agreed a truce starting Tuesday after five days of clashes killed at least 43 people on both sides, as a long-standing dispute over contested border temples boiled over into fighting on their 800-kilometre boundary.
Khuon Sudary, president of the National Assembly of Cambodia, urged other countries to help ensure the ceasefire is upheld.
'To prevent the breach of the ceasefire, it is urgent to deploy international observers and inspection teams. Please hold accountable those who violate the ceasefire,' she said at the sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva.
Thailand's foreign ministry said its troops in Sisaket province 'came under attack by small arms fire and grenade assaults launched by Cambodian forces' in an offensive that continued until Wednesday morning.
'This represents a flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement,' said a foreign ministry statement.
Thai government spokesman Jirayu Huangsab also reported overnight clashes but said 'the Thai side maintained control of the situation' and conditions along the border were 'reported to be normal' from 8am (0100 GMT).
On Wednesday, a Cambodian defence ministry official accused Thailand of twice breaching the ceasefire, intended to end fighting which has seen the two countries evacuate a total of more than 300,000 people from the border region.
UN rights chief Volker Turk urged the neighbouring nations to implement their ceasefire deal in full and take rapid steps to build confidence and peace.
'This crucial agreement must be fully respected, in good faith, by both sides, as diplomatic efforts continue, in a bid to resolve the root causes of the conflict,' Turk said.
At a temple in Thailand's Surin city serving as a shelter and field kitchen 50 kilometres away from the frontier, volunteer Thanin Kittiworranun said evacuees remain in limbo.
'We don't believe Cambodia will hold the ceasefire,' the 65-year-old told AFP.
But an AFP journalist on the Cambodian side who heard a steady drumbeat of artillery fire since fighting began on Thursday reported hearing no blasts between the start of the truce and Wednesday morning.
Beijing said deputy foreign minister Sun Weidong hosted a meeting with Thai and Cambodian officials in Shanghai, where both 'reaffirmed to China their commitment to abide by the ceasefire consensus'.
'Fragile'
The armistice got off to a shaky start in the early hours of Tuesday, with Thailand accusing Cambodia of continuing attacks in 'a clear attempt to undermine mutual trust' — before peace generally prevailed.
Meetings between rival commanders along the border — scheduled as part of the pact — went ahead, with Thailand's army saying de-escalation steps were agreed including 'a halt on troop reinforcements or movements that could lead to misunderstandings'.
But later in the day a foreign affairs spokeswoman for Bangkok's border crisis centre, Maratee Nalita Andamo, warned the situation — in the early days of the truce — remained 'fragile'.
Jets, rockets and artillery have killed at least 15 Thai troops and 15 Thai civilians, while Cambodia has confirmed eight civilian and five military deaths.
The flare-up has surpassed the death toll of 28 in violence that raged sporadically from 2008 to 2011 over the territory, claimed by both nations because of a vague demarcation made by Cambodia's French colonial administrators in 1907.
The peace pact was sealed in Malaysia after intervention from US President Donald Trump — who both Thailand and Cambodia are courting for a trade deal to avert his threat of eye-watering tariffs. — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Asean's parallel diplomacy on Myanmar: Creativity sans coordination
AT the 58th Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting on July 9, the regional bloc reiterated its commitment to the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) as the central political reference for addressing the deepening crisis in Myanmar, which was also stated in the 2025 Asean Leaders' Statement on a Ceasefire in Myanmar Extended and Expanded. Yet more than four years since the military coup, with escalating violence, deepening displacement and widespread human rights violations, one must ask: How effective has this approach truly been? What has become increasingly clear is the growing disconnect between Asean's rhetoric and its actions. Far from being a roadmap to peace, the 5PC has become a diplomatic placeholder, invoked ritually in communiqués yet divorced from realities on the ground. What has emerged in its place is a fragmented and contradictory set of responses has emerged, exposing Asean to what is described as the trap of "parallel diplomacy". This trap reveals both institutional stagnation and growing division among Asean member states. Rather than forging a cohesive and principled regional strategy, Asean has allowed individual member states to pursue uncoordinated and improvised national initiatives. These fragmented actions, often detached from Asean's formal mechanisms, have bred confusion, diluted collective pressure on the junta and eroded public confidence in the bloc's credibility. Parallel diplomacy, by nature, is not inherently flawed. Informal channels, Track 1.5 dialogues and backchannel negotiations can play crucial roles in complex conflict contexts. However, when these efforts unfold without coordination or a shared strategic vision, they risk undermining peace building efforts. Fragmented diplomacy, in such a case, becomes a symptom of disunity, not a strategy for flexibility. Thailand's approach to the Myanmar crisis exemplifies the consequences of this incoherence. Often operating outside Asean frameworks, Thailand has spearheaded what has come to be known as the 'Bangkok Process', a series of direct engagements with Myanmar's military regime. This began with then-foreign minister Don Pramudwinai's visit to Naypyidaw in 2021 and continued with the appointment of a Thai special envoy to Myanmar. Several informal consultations followed, including meetings involving the junta and its closest allies. In December 2022, Thailand hosted a closed-door meeting that included junta representatives and the foreign ministers of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore boycotted the meeting, citing their commitment to the 5PC and objected to the junta's inclusion. Similar meetings followed in June 2023 and December 2024, often framed around humanitarian engagement. The latter was attended by ministers from Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore, with the rest sending lower-level delegates. These moves signalled improvisation over unity, diplomacy over strategy. Indonesia as Asean chair in 2023, meanwhile, held consultations with over 145 stakeholders, including resistance groups, by September that year. These engagements evolved into an informal Joint Coordination Body known as the "Jakarta Club", which remains active today. The January 2025 Asean Foreign Ministers' Retreat further highlighted the region's growing fragmentation over Myanmar. The Philippines proposed a new political framework, while Vietnam called for the inclusion of ethnic armed organisations in future dialogue. These diverging positions do not signal healthy pluralism, they reflect deepening strategic incoherence within Asean. In April, Malaysia initiated direct engagement with the National Unity Government Myanmar's civilian-led opposition. However, diplomatic courtesies and technical cooperation with the junta continue in parallel, lending de facto legitimacy to the military regime while reducing pro-democracy actors to symbolic participants. The emergence of multiple informal mechanisms, such as Indonesia's Jakarta Club, Thailand's Bangkok Process and Malaysia's dual-track diplomacy, reflects both innovation and disarray in Asean's approach. These ad-hoc efforts, in the absence of a unified strategy, illustrate Asean's drift: engaging both the junta and the opposition without a coherent political roadmap risks perpetuating stalemate rather than resolving the crisis. Part of this incoherence stems from Asean's institutional structure. The rotating nature of the Special Envoy, changing with each Asean Chair, undermines continuity and long-term strategy. Compounding this, minister-level envoy is no longer on the table. While some of these adjustments are framed as strategic, they also reflect the bloc's limited political will and uneven commitment to addressing the crisis. Another structural flaw lies in Asean's lack of a clear, enforceable mechanism to address unconstitutional changes of government. This institutional gap not only enables impunity but makes the bloc complicit in democratic backsliding. Without the courage to confront member states that violate core democratic norms, the bloc merely adds strain to its already fragile regionalism project. Another disunity has been revealed in member states' responses to Myanmar's planned 2025 elections, to be held later this year. Malaysia and Singapore have rightly questioned the vote's legitimacy, while Thailand remains neutral and Cambodia has even offered to send observers. These divergent positions highlight Asean's chronic inability to speak with one voice on fundamental democratic principles, undermining its credibility and emboldening authoritarian actors within and beyond Myanmar. Asean stands at a critical juncture shaped by crisis, centrality and conscience. This photo taken on December 10, 2023 shows members of the Mandalay People's Defense Forces (MDY-PDF) heading to the frontline amid clashes with the Myanmar military in northern Shan State. Myanmar's junta ended the country's state of emergency on July 31, 2025, ramping up preparations for a December election being boycotted by opposition groups and criticised by international monitors. — AFP The humanitarian catastrophe in Myanmar, marked by mass killings, displacement and aid blockades, has spilled across borders, fuelling instability and transnational crime. Some advocate for using all diplomatic tools, including parallel tracks, but innovation without principled leadership and a unified strategy risks becoming a smokescreen for inaction rather than a path to peace. The true test of Asean's centrality is no longer its ability to speak in uniformity, but to harmonise many voices without losing the plot. Centrality must mean more than procedural prominence, it must signal strategic coherence and moral leadership. The Myanmar crisis has revealed troubling signs of institutional drift, and unless corrected, Asean's foundational claims to unity and purpose will ring increasingly empty. Above all, Asean must summon moral clarity. Leading with conscience means naming the perpetrators, supporting the victims and rejecting impunity masquerading as diplomacy. — The Jakarta Post/ANN Yuyun Wahyuningrum is executive director of Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR).
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Thailand agrees to Malaysia, US and China observers for GBC meeting in Kuala Lumpur
Japan's Ambassador to Thailand Otaka Masato reacts next to a woman, injured from an artillery shell that struck a 7-Eleven convenience store and gas station on July 24, which also resulted in multiple fatalities, as foreign military attaches from major powers and Asean member countries and diplomats from 23 countries inspect the site, following a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand, in Sisaket province, Thailand, August 1, 2025. -- REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa BANGKOK (Bernama): Thailand has agreed to the inclusion of representatives from Malaysia, this year's Asean Chair, alongside the United States and China as observers at the upcoming General Border Committee (GBC) meeting, set to take place in Kuala Lumpur next week. Acting Defence Minister General Natthapon Nakpanich welcomed the consensus on holding the extraordinary GBC meeting in Malaysia from August 4 to 7, expressing appreciation for the collaborative effort. "It is my pleasure to confirm that Thailand accepts the proposal to include representatives from Malaysia, as the ASEAN Chair, US and China, who have been providing assistance since July 28, as observers to the GBC meeting,' he said in a statement. He added that the participation of observers from Malaysia, the United States, and China is scheduled to take place on August 7. Natthapon also expressed his sincere appreciation to all parties involved in making the preparations possible, particularly to the Malaysian side for its excellent coordination in arranging this important meeting. Last Thursday, Thailand's Defence Ministry proposed that the upcoming GBC meeting be held on neutral ground, suggesting Malaysia as the venue, and recommended that it run from Aug 4 to 7 to allow sufficient time for comprehensive discussions. Conflict at the Thai-Cambodian border began with a brief skirmish on May 28 and escalated into armed clashes on July 24. On Monday, Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire following a special meeting hosted in Putrajaya by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the current Asean Chair. - Bernama
Borneo Post
3 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Peace, stability enable Malaysia to act as mediator in regional conflicts, says Anwar
Anwar says the strength and stability of Malaysia's government have earned the nation international recognition, leading to its selection as the coordinator for ceasefire negotiations between Thailand and Cambodia. – Bernama photo KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 2): Malaysia's peace and political stability have positioned the country as a credible mediator in facilitating reconciliation efforts between two Asean countries recently affected by conflict, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said the strength and stability of Malaysia's government have earned the nation international recognition, leading to its selection as the coordinator for ceasefire negotiations between Thailand and Cambodia. 'The country remains peaceful because we have a strong government. Therefore, we must be cautious of any efforts aimed at weakening it. If the country were to fall into disarray, with constant conflict and political demands, who would come to us?' he said. Anwar made the remarks at the opening of the Mega 3D Carnival 2025 (MK3D 2025) at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) today. Elaborating further, he said the Defence Ministers of Thailand and Cambodia are expected to arrive in Kuala Lumpur on Monday (August 4) to engage in negotiations and finalise matters related to maintaining peace along their shared borders. Anwar said the matter proves that Thailand and Cambodia remain in close contact with Malaysia in their efforts to achieve lasting peace. 'I asked about the latest developments, and (Cambodian Prime Minister) Hun Manet kept thanking Malaysia, informing me that there is no more fighting (with Thailand). 'He (Hun Manet) requested us (Malaysia) to help…Both the Thai and Cambodian Defence Ministers will be coming to Kuala Lumpur for talks starting Monday to formalise detailed security arrangements between the two countries,' he said. Anwar added that Malaysia's role in brokering the ceasefire talks between Thailand and Cambodia gained international attention, including from United States President Donald Trump, who personally contacted him to express gratitude for Malaysia's efforts. 'President Trump praised us for doing a 'fantastic job' in bringing Thailand and Cambodia together to reach a peace agreement…something that had proven difficult elsewhere. 'The first attempt at negotiations had limited success. President Trump had tried by phone. China also tried, and there was some success. 'So, Malaysia, through the Foreign Ministry and the Commander of the Armed Forces, took coordinated action. Eventually, the Prime Ministers of Thailand and Cambodia came to Malaysia, and within just two and a half hours, a ceasefire agreement was reached,' he said. Earlier reports confirmed that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire following a Special Meeting in Putrajaya, with Malaysia acting as the official coordinator of the session. – Bernama Anwar Ibrahim cambodia conflict malaysia peace Thailand
