Cambodia, Thailand hold talks in Malaysia amid tense truce
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Thailand and Cambodia resume border talks after deadly clashes, aiming to stabilize a fragile ceasefire amid allegations and deep-rooted mistrust.
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Thailand's acting PM Phumtham Wechayachai (center) addresses reporters alongside Cambodia's PM Hun Manet (left) and Malaysia's PM Anwar Ibrahim after ceasefire talks in Putrajaya, Malaysia, July 28, 2025 (AP)
Defense officials from Thailand and Cambodia began preliminary discussions in Malaysia on Monday, setting the stage for a crucial ministerial-level meeting scheduled for Thursday, while a delicate ceasefire remains in place following the agreement reached by both sides just a week ago.
Authorities from both Thailand and Cambodia confirmed that their defense ministers are scheduled to convene a General Border Committee meeting to explore ways of sustaining the ceasefire, with the upcoming Thursday session set to be monitored by representatives from the United States, China, and Malaysia.
Despite the continuing diplomatic discussions, deep-seated mistrust persists between the two neighboring nations, as Cambodia's Defense Ministry released a statement accusing Thailand of breaching the ceasefire agreement by deploying excavators and installing barbed wire in a disputed border zone.
Thailand, on its part, claimed that both sides were holding their positions without major movements, though Thai military spokesperson Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri noted that, according to reports, Cambodian forces had allegedly adjusted their defensive positions and bolstered troop numbers in strategic areas to compensate for personnel losses sustained in previous engagements.
Cambodia further pressed for the immediate release of 18 captured soldiers, while Thailand responded in a statement that the detained individuals were being properly cared for under prisoner-of-war status and would only be freed following a full resolution of the armed conflict rather than just a temporary ceasefire.
The truce, which went into effect on July 28, followed five days of deadly clashes that left at least 43 people dead on both sides. The violence stemmed from a long-standing dispute over ancient border temples and erupted into fierce fighting along their 800-kilometre (500-mile) frontier, and ended up displacing around 100,000 Thai civilians.
