In a significant breakthrough, Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an ‘immediate and unconditional’ ceasefire to resolve deadly border clashes that entered the fifth day, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday.
Anwar, who chaired the talks as head of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional bloc, said both sides have reached a common understanding to take steps to return to normalcy, following what he called frank discussions.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai have agreed to an ‘immediate and unconditional ceasefire’ with effect from midnight local time on Tuesday, Anwar said as he read out a joint statement.
“This is a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security,” Anwar said.
Military and officials from both sides will also hold meetings to defuse border tensions, he said. The foreign and defence ministers of Malaysia, Cambodia and Thailand have been instructed to ‘develop a detailed mechanism’ to implement and monitor the ceasefire to ensure sustained peace, he added.
Hun Manet and Phumtam hailed the outcome of the meeting and shook hands at the conclusion of the brief press conference. Hun said he hoped that bilateral ties could return to normal soon so that some 3,00,000 villagers evacuated on both sides could return home.
“It is time to start rebuilding trust, confidence and cooperation going forward between Thailand and Cambodia," he said.
Phuntam said the outcome reflected ‘Thailand's desire for a peaceful resolution’. The fighting flared last Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border in which five Thai soldiers were injured. Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes in which 35 people have been killed and more than 260,000 displaced on both sides.
Both countries recalled their ambassadors and Thailand shut all border crossings with Cambodia, with an exception for migrant Cambodian workers returning home.
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