U.S. welcomes Cambodia-Thailand ceasefire, urges full peace accord implementation

U.S. welcomes Cambodia-Thailand ceasefire, urges full peace accord implementation
Reuters

The U.S. on Saturday welcomed the ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand, which ended weeks of deadly border clashes, and called on both countries to fully implement the Kuala Lumpur Peace Agreement.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Cambodia and Thailand “to immediately honour this commitment and fully implement the terms of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords,” according to a statement.

The truce, reached earlier on Saturday, halted 20 days of fighting along the two countries’ disputed 800-kilometre (500-mile) border, which left 99 people dead and displaced nearly a million civilians.

The peace agreement was originally signed in October in Kuala Lumpur in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, but implementation stalled after Thai soldiers were seriously injured in a landmine explosion. The accord followed earlier clashes in July, when five days of fighting killed dozens.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the ceasefire as “a positive step towards alleviating the suffering of civilians, ending current hostilities, and creating an environment conducive to achieving lasting peace.” He commended ASEAN chair Malaysia, China, and the U.S. for supporting the resolution and said the UN “stands ready to support efforts aimed at sustaining peace and stability in the region.”

China also welcomed the truce, noting that “dialogue and consultation is a viable and effective way to resolve complex disputes.” A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Foreign Minister Wang Yi will meet his Cambodian and Thai counterparts in Yunnan this week alongside military representatives to facilitate further communication and consolidation of the ceasefire.

Japan similarly expressed support for the agreement, with Press Secretary Toshihiro Kitamura saying Tokyo “strongly hopes the ceasefire will be steadily implemented.”

The Cambodia-Thailand border dispute centres on territorial claims, including ancient temples, and has periodically escalated into armed clashes despite previous diplomatic efforts.

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