THAILAND and Cambodia have formally signed a ceasefire agreement to end a five-day armed conflict along their disputed border that left 43 dead and forced over 300,000 people to flee their homes.
The accord was sealed during an Extraordinary General Border Committee (GBC) Meeting held at the Malaysian Armed Forces Headquarters, with both nations pledging to halt hostilities and avoid further escalation.
Cambodian Defence Minister General Tea Seiha and Thailand’s Acting Defence Minister General Natthaphon Narkphanit signed the agreement, which includes five key commitments: a full ceasefire, a freeze on troop movements near the border, and the formation of a Ceasefire Monitoring Team led by Malaysia’s Deputy Defence Attaché.
Malaysia hosted and coordinated the meeting, with representation from Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution and Chief of Defence Forces General Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaafar. Observers from the United States and China were also present.
“This is a historic step forward. There will be an observation team of ASEAN military attachés based in both countries, led by Malaysia,” said General Nattaphon. “Foreign inspectors based in either country will not cross the border.”
He added, “Thailand and Cambodia are neighbours with a shared border that cannot move away from each other. A resolution allows our people to return to peaceful lives.”
According to a joint statement, both countries agreed to hold further discussions in two weeks and again in a month to monitor progress and prevent further escalation.
The agreement follows intense clashes that peaked on 24 July, involving artillery exchanges and aerial bombardments. Diplomatic efforts by Malaysia, as current ASEAN chair, and China initially failed to halt the violence. Reuters reported that the warring parties only agreed to enter talks after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that ongoing tariff negotiations with both governments would be suspended unless peace was restored.
“Both sides agreed on the terms of implementation of the ceasefire and improving communication between the two armies,” said Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in a statement.
The conflict centres on long-standing disputes over an 800-kilometre land border that remains largely undemarcated since it was first mapped by colonial France in 1907. The volatile border has been a source of tension for decades, with sporadic outbreaks of violence threatening regional stability.
The latest ceasefire agreement marks the most serious diplomatic breakthrough in years, bolstered by regional and international mediation and a strong push for peace by ASEAN. - August 7, 2025
