Ceasefire Agreement Reached
Thailand and Cambodia signed a ceasefire agreement on Saturday, effective at noon local time, to conclude weeks of armed conflict along their shared border. The agreement was finalized at a border checkpoint by Cambodia's Defense Minister Tea Seiha and Thailand's Defense Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit. This followed three days of military official talks under the established General Border Committee.
Key Provisions of the Agreement
The agreement includes several key provisions:
- An immediate cessation of fighting.
- Prohibition of further military movements by either nation.
- Restrictions on military use of either side's airspace. Thailand had previously utilized airstrikes, with Cambodia's defense ministry reporting strikes as recently as Saturday morning.
- Repatriation of 18 Cambodian soldiers held by Thailand since July, contingent on the ceasefire holding for 72 hours.
- Commitment to an earlier ceasefire established in July and subsequent agreements, alongside 16 de-escalation measures.
Background to the Conflict
The border conflict stems from competing territorial claims, which escalated into widespread heavy fighting in early December despite previous agreements. An initial July ceasefire, brokered by Malaysia and supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, was formalized in October at a regional meeting. However, propaganda campaigns and minor cross-border violence persisted before the recent escalation.
Casualties reported since December 7 include:
- Thailand: 26 soldiers and 1 civilian directly from combat, with an additional 44 civilian deaths attributed to collateral effects.
- Cambodia: 30 civilians killed and 90 injured. Official military casualty figures have not been released.
- Hundreds of thousands of individuals from both sides of the border have been evacuated from affected areas.
Both nations attributed the initiation of fighting to the opposing side, claiming actions were in self-defense.
Additional Clauses
The ceasefire agreement also addresses other areas of bilateral concern:
- Adherence to international agreements prohibiting the deployment of landmines. Thailand has reported nine incidents this year involving what it claimed were newly planted Cambodian mines, while Cambodia states these are remnants from its civil war in the late 1990s.
- A mutual commitment to refrain from disseminating false information or "fake news."
- Resumption of previously established measures for border demarcation.
- Cooperation on efforts to suppress transnational crimes, particularly online scams for which Cambodia is noted as a hub.