Kuala Lumpur – SABA:
Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to extend the ceasefire that ended five days of deadly clashes along their shared border last month, which left at least 43 people dead.
The truce was brokered through negotiations led by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), under pressure from both the United States and China. The agreement called for a regional leadership summit between the two neighbors, followed by three days of defense talks held in Kuala Lumpur.
The talks concluded Thursday with a joint statement in which both sides committed to a full cessation of hostilities. The United States cautiously welcomed the agreement, which includes a pledge to cease all forms of fire targeting civilians, private property, and military positions across all border areas, with no exceptions.
Thailand and Cambodia have long disputed the demarcation of their 800-kilometer border, but last month’s flare-up marked the most serious escalation since 2011.