Thai and Cambodian leaders began talks aimed at ending their deadliest border conflict in more than a decade, as the US and regional powers push for a ceasefire and diplomatic resolution.
Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet are holding discussions Monday in Putrajaya, Malaysia’s administrative capital. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is facilitating the dialogue in his role as the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with Washington and Beijing dispatching envoys.
Anwar’s office said that the talks had begun shortly after the scheduled 3 p.m. start time.
The talks mark the first formal dialogue since fresh clashes erupted on July 24, with at least 35 people killed and more than 150,000 civilians displaced on both sides of their 800-kilometer border. Tensions escalated rapidly over the weekend as heavy artillery fire and aerial strikes were reported, and both sides accused each other of targeting civilian areas.
US President Donald Trump had said before the discussions that the Thai and Cambodian leaders had agreed to “quickly work out a ceasefire.” After separate calls with Phumtham and Hun Manet on Saturday, Trump had threatened that Washington would not do a trade deal with either as long as the fighting continued.
Before departing for the talks, Phumtham questioned Cambodia’s sincerity in halting fighting as clashes continued into early Monday. The discussions were set to focus on ending the hostilities and maintaining Thailand’s sovereignty, he told reporters.
Thailand has insisted that any ceasefire must include troop withdrawals, an end to lethal force and an agreement to resolve conflict through bilateral mechanisms. Cambodia, by contrast, says it supports an unconditional end to hostilities.
