Thailand and Cambodia militaries hold talks on resuming ceasefire

[BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH] Military officials from Thailand and Cambodia began talks on Dec 24, both countries said.

The move comes days after the neighbours agreed to discuss the resumption of a ceasefire after 16 days of fierce border clashes that have killed at least 86 people. 

The talks come two days after a special meeting in Kuala Lumpur of South-east Asian foreign ministers convened to try to salvage a truce  first brokered by Asean chair Malaysia and US President Donald Trump after a previous round of clashes in July.

Thai Defence Ministry spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said the Dec 24 meeting of the General Border Committee would last three days and could pave the way for an agreement.   

The talks were held at a border checkpoint towards the southern end of their 817km frontier.

“If the secretariat meeting goes smoothly and leads to an agreement, then there will be a meeting between the defence ministers of the two countries on Dec 27,” Rear-Admiral Surasant told reporters. 

Cambodian Defence Ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said the talks began at 5.30pm Singapore time, led by generals from both sides.  

The meeting is the most significant step since fighting re-erupted and follows separate, unsuccessful efforts by Malaysia, China and the US to bring the two countries to the table. 

Continued fighting

Cambodia and Thailand have each accused the other of aggression and violations of an enhanced ceasefire reached in October in Malaysia in Mr Trump’s presence, during which they committed to demining and withdrawing troops and heavy weapons from areas over which sovereignty has been contested bitterly for decades. 

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Thailand sets demands ahead of four days of Cambodia peace talks

In the run-up to the Dec 24 talks, Thailand and Cambodia have continued clashing, with both sides fighting at multiple points since early December, stretching from forested regions near Laos to the coastal provinces of the Gulf of Thailand.

At least 21 civilians have been killed in Cambodia since the fighting and more than half a million people have been displaced, according to national authorities. In Thailand, at least 65 people have lost their lives, with over 150,000 evacuated from their homes.

Cambodia’s Defence Ministry on Dec 24 accused Thailand of using fighter jets to drop bombs in its border province of Banteay Meanchey, describing the actions as “brutal” and indiscriminate.  

Thailand, on the other hand, said its neighbour continued to fire heavy weapons into civilian areas in Sa Kaeo province on Dec 24, prompting Thai troops to retaliate. REUTERS