BANGKOK, July 27: Thai and Cambodian leaders will meet in Malaysia for talks to end hostilities, following pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to end a deadly border dispute that has killed at least 34 people and displaced more than 168,000. Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai will attend Monday’s talks in response to an invitation from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim “to discuss peace efforts in the region.”
The spokesperson also said Phumtham’s Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet will also attend the talks, though this was not immediately confirmed by the Cambodian side. Anwar was acting in his capacity as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), held on an annual rotating basis by its 10 members.
Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday that he spoke to the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia and suggested he would not move forward with trade agreements with either country if the hostilities continued. He later said both sides agreed to meet to negotiate a ceasefire. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said earlier Sunday his country agreed to pursue an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire.” He tasked his deputy, Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, to coordinate the next steps with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and to engage directly with Thailand’s foreign minister to implement the ceasefire.
Both sides blame each other for the clashes, which flared Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Both countries recalled their ambassadors and Thailand closed its border crossings with Cambodia. Fighting continued Sunday along parts of the contested border, with both sides refusing to budge and trading blame over renewed shelling and troop movements.
Cambodian Defense Ministry spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata accused Thai forces of escalating the violence with bombardment of Cambodian territory early Sunday, followed by a “large-scale incursion” involving tanks and ground troops in multiple areas. The UN Security Council has called on ASEAN, a regional bloc, to mediate peace between the two members. Human Rights Watch has condemned the reported use of cluster munitions, weapons banned by International law, in populated areas and urged both governments to protect civilians. (AP)
