Thailand, Cambodia ceasefire holds as displaced villagers return home

Business Standard

a day ago

A ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia appeared to hold Tuesday as tensions lingered despite a truce agreement to end deadly border clashes following economic pressure from the US The ceasefire that was reached in Malaysia was supposed to take effect at midnight, but was quickly tested. The Thai army accused Cambodia of launching attacks in multiple areas early Tuesday, but Cambodia said there was no firing in any location.
The Thai army later said fighting had stopped after military commanders along the border from both sides met. They agreed to halt troop movements, avoid escalation and establish coordination teams ahead of a joint border committee meeting in Cambodia on August 4, army spokesman Major General Winthai Suvaree said.
Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Seiha said he spoke to his Thai counterpart about incidents that occurred during the implementation of the ceasefire but stressed the Cambodian army abided by the truce. He said Cambodian defence officials will lead a delegation of diplomats, foreign military attaches, and others to observe the situation.
The Thai government separately said it has lodged complaints to Malaysia, the US and China about Cambodia's alleged breach of the ceasefire agreement.
Along the border, there were signs of calm with some of the more than 260,000 people displaced by the fighting returning to their homes.
The agreement was made under US pressure
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai had agreed Monday to an unconditional halt in fighting that has killed at least 41 people.
The meeting was hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as the annual chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He called the ceasefire a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US applauded the ceasefire declaration. President (Donald) Trump and I are committed to an immediate cessation of violence and expect the governments of Cambodia and Thailand to fully honour their commitments to end this conflict, Rubio said in a statement.
Hun Manet said Tuesday that Trump had called to offer congratulations on the peace move. He posted on social media that Trump pledged the US would join the monitoring process along with Malaysia to ensure the ceasefire is implemented.
Trump also called Phumtham after his return to Bangkok. Phumtham said Trump told him that Thailand's talks with Washington to negotiate tariff levels on Thai exports could now proceed and that he would seek to make them as favourable as possible.
The ceasefire comes days before the US is expected to announce new trade tariff decisions. Cambodia and Thailand have both been two of the hardest-hit countries as a result of Trump's trade war, with a 36 per cent tariff on goods from both countries taking effect this coming Friday.
Trump had warned that the US might not proceed with trade deals with either country if hostilities continued, giving both sides a face-saving justification for halting the clashes.
Residents along the long-disputed border are wary
Cambodia and Thailand have clashed in the past over their 800-kilometre border. The fighting began on Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Tensions had been growing since May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thailand's domestic politics.
Residents on both sides of the border expressed relief about the ceasefire but remained wary, unsure how long the peace would last.
I am very concerned that new fighting may break out. Thailand often provokes the fighting first, but then accuses Cambodia. Their aim is to occupy our temples (along the border). I really don't want to see any new fighting happen, said Soklang Slay, as he helped his daughter move back into her home in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchay province, where heavy fighting had occurred.
Soklang Slay and his family dug a bunker to shield themselves from artillery when fighting started, but fled on the second day when bombings intensified.
In Thailand's Surin province, village chief Kitsada Jindasri said he heard heavy firing and explosions Monday night before silence fell at midnight.
"We are still cautious. We still don't totally believe (that it would stop). We still wait to assess the situation, said Kitsada, who had stayed back along with 60 other community leaders after some 400 villagers evacuated last week.
His brother, Jirayu Jindasri, returned home after seeking refuge with relatives. I still don't feel comfortable, because they just announced it for the first day. I'm not confident. If it breaks out again, I'll have to go, he said.
Analysts said the ceasefire remains tenuous and politically complicated.
Kokthay Eng, a Cambodian researcher in history, politics, and international relations, said Trump's trade leverage and strongman mentality have helped save Thai and Cambodian people from further bloodshed. But he warned that the ceasefire may not last if the Thai government fails to secure lower US tariffs.
It is risky and will require clear markers to build traction, said Southeast Asian political expert Bridget Welsh. A proper border survey should begin immediately. Right now, it's on pause because the roots of the conflict have yet to be addressed.
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