Cambodia and Thailand sign ceasefire in Malaysia

In late July and early August 2025, Thailand and Cambodia sat down for high-level talks in Malaysia. These Southeast Asian neighbors have fought over land for years. The meetings tried to keep a shaky truce going after five days of the worst fighting in more than ten years. They also wanted to set up ways for outsiders to watch and help solve problems. This observation looks at why these talks happened how they were set up, what they covered, the big issues they faced, and what people hope will come out of them to bring lasting peace to the area in dispute.

The conflict over land between Thailand and Cambodia has roots stretching back hundreds of years. In recent times, this dispute has grown more heated due to rival claims on areas near the Preah Vihear temple. The International Court of Justice ruled on this matter in 1962 siding with Cambodia (International Court of Justice, 2013). Relations between the two countries took a sharp downturn in May 2025. A Cambodian soldier died in a border skirmish, and Thai troops suffered injuries from landmines. This led to a quick breakdown in diplomatic ties. The situation came to a head with five days of heavy fighting from July 24 to 28, 2025. These clashes resulted in at least 43 deaths on both sides and forced over 300,000 civilians to flee their homes (Reuters, 2025).

With significant economic pressure coming from the United States, including many presidential warnings of future trade being threatened by continued conflict, both governments agreed to a ceasefire on July 28, 2025 (Al Jazeera, 2025). Malaysia, as the rotating ASEAN Chair, along with observers from China and the United States acted as the truce broker and organized the discussions that followed in Kuala Lumpur. As a neutral location in the region, Kuala Lumpur was able to serve as the location for the first meeting of the General Border Committee, which was originally meant to happen in Cambodia but was moved as a consequence of ensuring that the border discussions were impartial and unbiased.

The agenda for the meetings in Malaysia comprised four days. There was one set of meetings (the defense officers’ level) on Monday and then a ministerial level meeting on Thursday, co-chaired by the Thai Deputy Defense Minister General Natthaphon Nakpanit and the Cambodian Minister of Defence and Deputy Prime Minister Tea Seih.

 

The primary objectives were:

– Maintenance of the ceasefire: Finalizing standard operating procedures for patrolling and forbidding new construction or the use of heavy machinery in disputed parts of the border.

– Creation of an ASEAN Monitoring Team: Outlining the composition, jurisdiction, and rules of engagement of the third-party observers that monitor compliance.

– Humanitarian issues: Arranging for the exchange or possible returns of detained soldiers, particularly without exacerbating the plight of the 18 Cambodian soldiers being held by Thailand, and occasional repatriation of injured personnel.

Although there are some official developments, sticky mistrust continues to block full implementation. Cambodia accused Thailand of violating the ceasefire by building barbed wire fences, while Thailand is accusing Cambodian forces of reinforcing important positions. Both sides have organized guided tours of destroyed civilian areas to highlight alleged violations, and both sides have accused each other of violations of international humanitarian law. The status and treatment of captured soldiers also remains very contentious, as Cambodia is classifying them as prisoners of war while Thailand argues that they should be released when hostilities are completely finished.

While the political will for both governments to participate in multilateral talks is an essential preliminary step toward a de-escalation of tensions, ASEAN’s neutrality in terms of facilitation and monitoring of dialogue could contribute to greater confidence, if the ASEAN teams are permitted unimpeded access and given unambiguous mandates. Nonetheless, absent real-time, corresponding advancement on stimulating confidence-building measures in respect of the disputed border, transparent channels to report incidents, and prescribed engagement protocols, they may remain vulnerable to sporadic outbreaks of violence. Lasting peace requires sustained high-level political commitment on both sides of the border, ongoing international monitoring, and reconciliation measures at the community level.

The talks in Malaysia represent a critical juncture in Thailand-Cambodia relations. The talks signify a transformation from urgent conflict management to a more gradual, complex process of confidence-building. The procedures agreed to regarding ASEAN monitoring and third-party observers, represent a meaningful way to prevent future conflicts; nonetheless, long-term stability regarding underlying distrust and unresolved territorial claims is a potential source of future conflict. If diplomatic efforts are sustainable and supported by robust regional structures and humanitarian concerns, we will find out over time whether the fragile ceasefire will lead to real peace.

 

Prepared by Abdurrahman Bükel

 

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