Rubio says US officials are in Malaysia to help in Cambodia-Thailand talks

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said State Department officials were in Malaysia to assist peace efforts as Cambodia and Thailand were scheduled to begin talks there on Monday in hopes for a ceasefire.

Reuters reported U.S. President Donald Trump and Rubio were engaged with their counterparts for each country and were monitoring the situation very closely, Rubio said in a statement released by the State Department late on Sunday in the U.S. and early Monday in Asia.

"We want this conflict to end as soon as possible," he said. "State Department officials are on the ground in Malaysia to assist these peace efforts."

The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia were scheduled to attend mediation talks over their deadly border conflict in Malaysia on Monday, the Thai government said, as both sides accused each other of launching fresh artillery strikes across contested areas.

Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have intensified since the late-May killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief border skirmish. Border troops on both sides were reinforced amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand's fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse.

Hostilities resumed on Thursday and, within just four days, escalated into the worst fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbors in more than a decade.

The death toll has risen above 30, including 13 civilians in Thailand and eight in Cambodia, while authorities report that more than 200,000 people have been evacuated from border areas.

Trump said on Sunday he believed both Thailand and Cambodia wanted to settle their differences after he told the leaders of both countries that he would not conclude trade deals with them unless they ended their fighting.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported today that leaders from Thailand and Cambodia are expected to meet here at 3 pm today for a high-level negotiation aimed at halting deadly border clashes that have erupted between the two Southeast Asian neighbours.

The conflict, which flared up on July 25 near Cambodia’s northern border, has already claimed more than 20 lives on the Thai side.

 Cambodian authorities have reported five soldiers and eight civilians killed, with thousands of residents displaced across both sides.

Tensions have been brewing since a fatal skirmish on May 28 near the disputed Preah Vihear border zone, where a Cambodian soldier was reportedly shot.

The 817-kilometre undemarcated stretch between the two countries has long been a flashpoint for military and diplomatic disputes.

On Sunday, the Thai government confirmed its participation in the regional consultation hosted by Malaysia, expressing hope that the talks would pave the way for informed decisions and help restore calm.

Thai Government spokesperson Jirayu Huangsap said the meeting would serve to consider peace proposals submitted by both sides.

In an event here yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that he is expected to chair the meeting, having held separate discussions with Thai and Cambodian leaders over the past week.

He said global leaders, including US President Donald Trump and representatives from China, have urged both parties to seek a peaceful resolution. - July 28, 2025