PUTRAJAYA (MALAYSIA): Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an “unconditional” ceasefire starting midnight, Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim said Monday, a significant breakthrough to resolve five days of deadly border clashes that have killed dozens and displaced tens of thousands of people.Cambodian PM Hun Manet and Thai acting PM Phumtham Wechayachai hailed the outcome of the meeting and shook hands along with Anwar at the conclusion of the brief press conference in Malaysia. The fighting began Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes, that have killed at least 35 people and displaced more than 260,000 people on both sides.Hun Manet and Phumtham have agreed to an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire” with effect from midnight local time, Anwar said, who hosted the talks as annual chair of Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional bloc. “This is a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security,” Anwar said. As part of the ceasefire deal, military commanders from both sides will hold talks Tuesday to defuse tensions while Cambodia will host a border committee meeting on Aug 4, he said. 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.Phumtham said the outcome reflected “Thailand’s desire for a peaceful resolution”. The Malaysian meeting followed direct pressure from US President Trump, who had warned the US may not proceed with trade deals with either country if hostilities continue. The joint statement said the US is a co-organiser of the talks, with participation from China. The Chinese and American ambassadors to Malaysia attended the meeting that lasted over two hours. On Monday, Trump wrote on Truth Social “Just spoke to the acting prime minister of Thailand and prime minister of Cambodia. I have instructed my trade team to restart negotiations on trade.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted news of the ceasefire on X and wrote: “President Trump made this happen. Give him the Nobel Peace Prize!”
