On Saturday, Dec. 27, Cambodia and Thailand agreed to a ceasefire aimed at ending weeks of intense border clashes between the two countries.
In a joint statement, Cambodia and Thailand said that “any reinforcement of forces would escalate tensions and negatively affect long-term efforts to resolve the situation.”
During the 20-day clash, at least 101 people were killed on both sides of the border, and more than half a million were displaced.
The fighting began in early December, after a previously mediated ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim collapsed.
Thailand and Cambodia have disputed sovereignty over various points along their 817-kilometer border for more than a century, occasionally resulting in armed clashes.
Officials said the new ceasefire would be monitored by an observer team appointed by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and through direct coordination between the two countries.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Thailand will release 18 Cambodian soldiers it had detained during July clashes if the truce holds for a full 72 hours.
