Ceasefire Brings Relief After Weeks of Thai–Cambodian Fighting
ASEAN, US Welcome Thailand–Cambodia Ceasefire
Phnom Penh/Bangkok: Thailand and Cambodia today agreed to an immediate ceasefire after weeks of intense cross-border fighting that escalated into the most serious confrontation between the two neighbours in recent years, triggering large-scale civilian displacement. The truce came into effect at noon local time and was finalised following deliberations of the General Border Committee, a standing bilateral military mechanism tasked with managing tensions along the disputed frontier.
According to official statements from Phnom Penh, endorsed by Bangkok, the ceasefire requires an immediate halt to all hostilities, including artillery fire, air operations and ground offensives. Both sides have committed to freezing troop deployments at existing positions, refraining from reinforcements or fresh manoeuvres, and avoiding military use of airspace near contested areas. Military communication channels are to remain open to prevent miscalculation and manage incidents along the volatile border.
The agreement follows weeks of fighting along disputed stretches of the 817-kilometre Thailand–Cambodia border, where long-standing territorial disagreements rooted in colonial-era boundary demarcations have periodically flared into violence. Tensions intensified sharply in early December 2025, with clashes involving heavy artillery, rocket systems and limited air operations, drawing sustained regional and international concern. The violence caused at least 47 deaths and displaced more than one million people from border regions on both sides, according to estimates cited by regional authorities and humanitarian agencies.
As a confidence-building measure, Thailand has indicated that it will return 18 Cambodian soldiers currently in its custody if the ceasefire holds for at least 72 hours without violations. Officials from both sides have described the initial monitoring period as critical in determining whether the truce can extend beyond a temporary pause in fighting and stabilise conditions on the ground.
The current agreement comes after the collapse of earlier ceasefire understandings reached earlier in the year, highlighting the fragility of previous arrangements. Analysts note that earlier truces focused primarily on halting active hostilities without resolving deeper structural issues, including unresolved border demarcation, limited verification mechanisms and the absence of sustained political dialogue. Weak monitoring frameworks and rapid escalation of local incidents, combined with domestic political pressures and nationalist sentiment, contributed to repeated breakdowns.
Regional diplomacy played a quiet but significant role in facilitating the latest ceasefire. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) welcomed the agreement and is expected to assist in monitoring compliance. While ASEAN traditionally operates under principles of consensus and non-interference, its engagement reflects a calibrated effort to contain escalation without assuming a formal mediation role. Malaysia, which has previously acted as an interlocutor, along with the United Nations and the European Union, has urged both sides to fully implement the truce and prioritise civilian protection.
International support has also come from Washington. In a press statement issued by the U.S. State Department’s Office of the Spokesperson on December 27, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States welcomed the announcement by Cambodia and Thailand on reaching a ceasefire that halts hostilities along their border following the General Border Committee meeting. Rubio urged both sides to immediately honour their commitment and fully implement the terms of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords, underscoring U.S. support for accords-based diplomatic mechanisms aimed at long-term stabilisation rather than temporary conflict management.
Beyond ASEAN and the United States, other major actors, including China, have also called for restraint and continued dialogue, reflecting wider geopolitical interest in stability across mainland Southeast Asia. The region is regarded as strategically significant for trade routes, connectivity projects and supply chains linking South Asia, China and the wider Indo-Pacific.
Officials involved in the ceasefire process have indicated that humanitarian stabilisation remains a parallel priority. The agreement is expected to facilitate the gradual return of displaced civilians, restoration of basic services and coordinated efforts to reduce residual security risks in affected border areas, though detailed timelines for these steps have not been publicly outlined.
Initial reports following the ceasefire’s entry into force indicated no fresh exchanges of fire, though both militaries remain on alert. Diplomats caution that the coming days will be decisive in determining whether the truce can evolve into a sustained stabilisation process rather than repeating the pattern of earlier breakdowns. Observers note that renewed bilateral dialogue on border demarcation and incident-prevention mechanisms, potentially supported by an ASEAN-backed framework and existing peace accords, will be central to preventing a relapse.
For now, the ceasefire has brought tentative relief to border communities battered by weeks of violence, even as regional and international stakeholders continue efforts to ensure that the pause in hostilities translates into longer-term stability.
– global bihari bureau
