Bangkok – Thailand and Cambodia officially agreed on Saturday in a great breakthrough to end the deadly frontier conflict, which has been a major challenge to stability in the region.
The defense ministers of Thailand and Cambodia signed the Thailand-Cambodia Border Peace agreement, effectively ending 20 days of intense fighting that had resulted in at least 101 lives.
The fighting that involved fighter jet attacks and heavy firing of rockets had displaced more than half a million people.
“Both sides agree to maintain current troop deployments without further movement,” the defence ministers said in a joint statement, to take effect at noon (0500 GMT).
A Path to Humanitarian Relief
The most encouraging aspect of this deal is that it will address the concerns of the millions of displaced people caught in the crossfire.
The joint statement states that no party will employ force against civilians, and families can finally be allowed back to their villages.
This Thailand-Cambodia border peace project also involves a program on how the two neighbors can jointly work on demining and combating cybercrime.
Thailand has agreed to release 18 Cambodian soldiers in their custody since the conflicts in July to demonstrate a goodwill gesture, on condition of having the ceasefire fully kept for 72 hours without any other incidents.
International Pressure and Monitoring
Although the previous truces mediated by such international leaders as US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim have not lasted long, this new pact is expected to be successful.
The frontier will be checked by a special team of observers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to make sure that both armies remain in their present positions.
To continue the Thailand-Cambodian border peace, the military chiefs of both countries will also have to communicate directly.
Such a sophisticated coordination is supposed to guard against the type of minor misunderstandings that have in the past caused significant escalations around contested temple ruins.
Also See: Cambodia Accuses Thailand of Aerial Bombing As Ceasefire Talks Continue
Looking Toward a Shared Future
Although the ceasefire was successful, the problem of demarcation of border lines is still complicated, and it will be discussed in long-term bilateral negotiations.
Nonetheless, the representatives of both countries confirmed that they want harmony and that the citizens of the two countries are not really fighting each other.
Air Chief Marshal of Thailand Prapas Sornjaidee pointed out that war and confrontations do not bring happiness to people.
