Thailand and Cambodia ‘agree immediate and unconditional ceasefire'
and
Cambodia
have agreed to an 'immediate and unconditional' ceasefire in a significant breakthrough to resolve
deadly border clashes,
the
Malaysian
prime minister has said.
Anwar Ibrahim, who chaired the ceasefire talks as head of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional bloc, said both sides have reached a common understanding to take steps to return to normalcy following what he called frank discussions.
Fighting flared last Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes, which have
killed at least 35 people and displaced more than 260,000 people on both sides.
Both countries recalled their ambassadors and Thailand shut all border crossings with Cambodia, with an exception for migrant Cambodian workers returning home.
Cambodian prime minister Hun Manet and Thai acting prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai have agreed to an 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire' with effect from midnight local time on Tuesday, Mr Anwar said as he read out a joint statement.
Cambodia's prime minister Hun Manet (left) and Thailand's acting prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai (right) shake hands as Malaysia's prime minister Anwar Ibrahim gestures after talks in Putrajaya, Malaysia Photograph: Mohd Rasfan/Pool Photo via AP
'This is a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security,' Mr Anwar said.
Military and officials from both sides will also hold meetings to defuse border tensions, he said.
The foreign and defence ministers of Malaysia, Cambodia and Thailand have been instructed to 'develop a detailed mechanism' to implement and monitor the ceasefire to ensure sustained peace, he added.
Mr Hun Manet and Mr Phumtham hailed the outcome of the meeting and shook hands at the conclusion of the brief press conference.
Mr Hun Manet said he hoped that bilateral ties could return to normal soon so that some 300,000 villagers evacuated on both sides could return home.
It is 'time to start rebuilding trust, confidence and co-operation going forward between Thailand and Cambodia', he said.
Mr Phumtham said the outcome reflected 'Thailand's desire for a peaceful resolution'.
The Malaysian meeting followed direct pressure from US president
Donald Trump
, who has warned that the United States may not proceed with trade deals with either country if hostilities continue.
The joint statement said that the US is a co-organiser of the talks, with participation from China.
The Chinese and American ambassadors to Malaysia attended the meeting, which lasted more than two hours.
The violence marks a rare instance of open military confrontation between ASEAN member states, a 10-nation regional bloc that has prided itself on non-aggression, peaceful dialogue and economic co-operation.
The 800km frontier between Thailand and Cambodia has been disputed for decades, but past confrontations have been limited and brief.
The latest tensions erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and rocked Thailand's domestic politics. - AP
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