According to The Associated Press
On Sunday, at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump, Thailand and Cambodia signed a peace agreement aimed at putting an end to their long-standing border conflict.
According to international news agencies, the expanded agreement, drafted in July to halt hostilities along the border between the two states, was signed in Kuala Lumpur by Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Hun Manet.
In July, when heavy fighting erupted along the border, resulting in dozens of deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, Trump threatened Bangkok and Phnom Penh with tariffs, after which the sides halted the fighting.
The signed agreement includes, among other things, Thailand’s release of 18 Cambodian soldiers who are held in captivity, and the start of the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the border area by both sides.
The area along the 800-kilometer border between Thailand and Cambodia remains the subject of decades-long disputes and clashes between the military; previously, skirmishes were limited and short-lived, unlike this year’s prolonged exchanges of blows.
Key Provisions of the Agreement and Context
The agreement envisions resolving border issues through the release of prisoners and the establishment of a zone free of active hostilities, including information sharing and coordination between the sides.
The urgent situation along the 800-kilometer line of division leaves room for further dialogue, since earlier conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia were predominantly shorter than the current exchanges of blows.
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