On the 29th, the Thai Army accused Cambodia of violating the ceasefire agreement. Cambodian authorities have not yet responded. (CCTV News, Song Huanyu)
Why did Thailand and Cambodia quickly reach a ceasefire less than three hours after the talks?
This photo was taken at a special meeting on the border situation between Thailand and Cambodia held in the residence of the Prime Minister of Malaysia on July 28. Photo by Xinhua News Agency (provided by the Prime Minister’s Office of Malaysia).
Xinhua News Agency, Putrajaya, Malaysia, reported on July 28 that Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Pran and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen held talks in Malaysia on the 28th. After less than three hours of face-to-face discussions, both sides announced an “unconditional” ceasefire.
Regional experts believe that Thailand and Cambodia were able to quickly reach a ceasefire agreement because both sides have an inherent desire for dialogue, consultation, and peaceful resolution of conflicts. Additionally, the active mediation efforts by the international community have created a favorable external atmosphere. However, the land dispute between the two countries has not been resolved, and effectively implementing the agreement and properly managing differences will be key to further restoring peace and stability in the border region.
Pran and Hun Sen led their senior delegations separately to attend the special meeting on the border situation between Thailand and Cambodia held in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on the afternoon of the 28th. The meeting was chaired by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar.
On July 28, in Putrajaya, Malaysia, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar (center), Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Pran (right), and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (left) shook hands. Photo by Xinhua News Agency/Malaysia National News Agency.
Anwar stated in a press conference after the meeting that Thailand and Cambodia agreed to “immediately and unconditionally” suspend hostilities starting from midnight local time on the 28th. “This is a crucial first step towards achieving a de-escalation of the situation, restoring peace and security.”
According to Anwar, there are also clear arrangements for the subsequent process.
Both sides agreed to convene an informal regional commanders’ meeting at 7 AM on the 29th, and the joint committee meeting on the border will be hosted by Cambodia on August 4th.
双方同意恢复两国首相（总理）、外长及防长间的直接沟通，并将同马来西亚一道制定详细的停火执行、监督和报告机制，为实现长期和平与问责建立制度基础。马来西亚将联合其他东盟成员国协商派遣观察团队，确保双方认真履行和平承诺。
柬泰领导人均积极评价这次会谈及成果。洪玛奈表示，此次特别会议达成良好结果并为推进两国恢复正常关系创造条件。普坦表示，双方本着诚意进行会谈，所取得成果反映了泰国积极寻求和平解决方案的意愿。
在安瓦尔主持下，洪玛奈和普坦在新闻发布会结束后在媒体面前握手。
媒体留意到，从当天下午会议开始到达成停火协议消息宣布，历时不到3小时。泰柬专家认为，双方能迅速达成协议缘于多重因素。
7月28日，柬埔寨首相洪玛奈在马来西亚总理官邸出席泰柬两国边境局势特别会议。新华社发（马来西亚总理府供图）
其一，泰柬均清楚通过武力无法解决双方领土争端。双方都不愿冲突长期化扩大化。连续多天冲突已致双方上百人伤亡，边境地区逾10万民众被迫疏散，两国关系受到严重影响。泰国学者颂猜·帕卡帕维瓦说，双方都希望找到解决冲突的途径，停火对双方来说都是好事。柬埔寨皇家科学院国际关系研究所所长金平和泰国《即时新闻》资深巴威·罗乍那普均认为，泰柬经济往来较为密切，冲突给两国带来巨大经济风险，将导致边境贸易受创、旅游业受损。
其二，双方过去有通过谈判解决冲突的经验。双方2000年就曾就边境领土争端签订过谅解备忘录。
In 2008, following the UNESCO’s designation of the Bokor Temple in Thailand-Cambodia border area as a World Heritage Site, the sovereignty dispute over this region between the two countries heated up again, leading to numerous conflicts that were eventually resolved through negotiations and international coordination.
Thirdly, the international community actively voiced its concerns and participated in mediation. Following the outbreak of conflicts, various actors from the international community urged for peace talks. Experts such as Gan Jiayi, a senior researcher at the National University of Malaysia, pointed out that China and other nations made efforts to cool down the situation and facilitate negotiations. The ASEAN Chairpersonship country, Malaysia, and the ASEAN also played constructive roles, providing a relatively neutral and culturally aligned platform for dialogue between the conflicting parties.
The key lies in faithfully implementing the ceasefire agreement.
According to media reports, after the start of the talks, shelling could still be heard near the Thai-Cambodian border. The Deputy Minister of Defense of Thailand, Nathapol, stated that he had requested the Thai military to continue its border mission until 24:00 local time and then adhere to the ceasefire agreement.
Thai scholar Supanon believes that whether both sides can quickly and effectively fulfill the ceasefire agreement will be crucial for the next steps in the situation and will serve as a barometer for whether the ceasefire can be sustained.
On July 28, Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Pramoj met with a special meeting on the border situation between Thailand and Cambodia at the residence of the Prime Minister of Malaysia. (Photo provided by the Prime Minister’s Office of Malaysia)
Experts from Thailand and Cambodia expressed that continuing the conflict would not serve the interests of either country or the regional and international community as a whole. They called for both sides to earnestly implement the ceasefire agreement and truly achieve a cooling-down of the situation through further negotiations.
Tong Meng David, a researcher at the Institute of International Affairs and Public Policy at the Royal University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia, said that the ceasefire agreement is welcome progress. The ASEAN can continue to play a role in promoting a resolution of the Cambodian-Thai situation. Chava Mithiman, Director of the East Asia Studies Institute at Thailand’s Faculty of Law and Politics, mentioned that the ultimate resolution of the conflict depends on the sincerity and willingness to cooperate of the governments of Thailand and Cambodia.
The mediation efforts of ASEAN are conducive to enhancing the confidence of regional countries, and contribute to ensuring a fair and transparent conflict resolution process.