Kuala Lumpur (TDI): After days of clashes, Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to allow the observers of the Southeast Asian Organization ASEAN to monitor the ceasefire deal that ended five days of cross-border military clashes.
On Thursday in Malaysia, Nattaphon Narkphanit, who is currently serving as the acting Defense Minister of Thailand, and Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Seiha met to thrash out the terms of a permanent cessation of hostilities.
The Southeast Asian countries saw that last month, military clashes between two neighboring countries resulted in exchanges of artillery fire and jet fighter bombing runs that claimed at least 43 lives and displaced more than 300,000 people on both sides of the border.
Despite diplomatic interventions from China and Malaysia, the two countries didn’t choose a peaceful path until President Trump told them that tariff negotiations would not continue unless there was peace; only under the economic pressure, both countries secured a ceasefire deal.
Nattaphon told the media after the meeting that, “There will be an observation team of ASEAN military attaches based in Thailand and Cambodia, led by Malaysia.”
Read More: Pakistan Welcomes Thailand, Cambodia Ceasefire
He also mentioned that foreign inspectors based in any country would not be allowed to cross the border. “Thailand and Cambodia are neighbors with a shared border that can move away from each other… a resolution will allow our people to return to peaceful lives,” he said.
As per a joint statement issued by both Thailand and Cambodia states, they have agreed to engage in more talks in a week or two, and then again in a month.
The peace conditions were made during three days of talks between top officials from both countries in Kuala Lumpur and were finalized on the fourth day in the presence of observers from China and the United States.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on social media, “Both sides agreed on the terms of implementation of the ceasefire and improving communication between the two armies.”
An IR student whose interest lies in diplomacy and current affairs and a part time debater
