A ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia appears to be holding, despite initial claims by Bangkok of “continuous and indiscriminate attacks” on its territory.
Thailand and Cambodia reached an agreement in Malaysia on Monday to unconditionally end five days of fighting during which 43 people were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced, in the worst violence between the two nations in more than a decade.
Shortly after the deal came into effect at midnight, Thailand’s military accused Cambodia of attacking Thai territory “in several places” overnight. Such actions were “a deliberate violation of the agreement, aimed at destroying trust between one another”, said a Thai military spokesperson, Maj General Winthai Suvaree.
A Thai government statement accused Cambodia of “continuous and indiscriminate attacks on Thai territory”.
Cambodia said it firmly rejected the allegations, with the Cambodian defence ministry spokesperson, Maly Socheata, saying there had been no new fighting. “Royal Cambodian Armed Forces have strictly adhered to the orders and agreements under the ceasefire,” the ministry said in a statement.
Thailand’s acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, sought to reassure fears over the strength of the ceasefire, telling reporters there was “no escalation” in hostilities. “Right now things are calm,” he said.
Meetings between military commanders from either side of the border went ahead, as proposed under Monday’s deal. During their talks, they agreed to refrain from reinforcing or moving troops in a manner that could cause misunderstanding.
The two sides would also facilitate the repatriation of injured and deceased from the clashes, and establish a local coordination team.
The Thai military said on Tuesday it had captured 18 Cambodian soldiers in post-ceasefire fighting after “heavy and indirect fire” was launched into Thai territory. The group was being provided with basic provisions, including food and water, it said.
Both countries have faced growing international pressure to end the fighting, including an intervention by the US president, Donald Trump, who warned on Saturday that trade negotiations would be paused until the clashes stopped. Thailand and Cambodia face the prospect of a 36% US tariff from 1 August.
The Thai government, which has faced criticism over claims it was too soft on the border issue in recent months, is also facing domestic pressure to adopt a tough stance. “Are you trying to pressure the military to backdown for sake of tariff negotiations?” a reporter asked Phumtham on Tuesday in a heated exchange.
Trump said after the ceasefire deal, for which he took credit, that he had spoken to both Cambodia and Thailand’s leaders, and had instructed his trade team to restart tariff talks. Thailand’s finance minister, Pichai Chunhavajira, said later that he expected negotiations would be finished ahead of the deadline on 1 August.
On the Cambodian side of the border, some evacuees were seen leaving shelter centres on Tuesday to return home, AFP reported. In Thailand people have been told to wait for official guidance before leaving evacuation areas, though some border areas began to return to normal, with shops reopening.
In Cambodia’s Samraong city – 12 miles (20km) from the border – an Agence France-Presse journalist said the sound of blasts stopped in the 30 minutes leading up to midnight, with the lull continuing until dawn.
Monday’s ceasefire talks were hosted by Malaysia, the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional bloc, and attended by officials from the US and China.
Under the deal, a cross-border committee is also scheduled to convene in Cambodia to further salve tensions on 4 August.
The Malaysian prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, who announced the ceasefire agreement on Monday, described it as “a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security”.
A spokesperson for UN secretary general, António Guterres, said “he urges both countries to respect the agreement fully and to create an environment conducive to addressing longstanding issues and achieving lasting peace”.
Thailand says 15 civilians and 15 soldiers have been killed in the fighting, while Cambodia has confirmed eight civilian and five military deaths.
Agence France-Presse contributed to this report
