Thailand, Cambodia agree in principle on ceasefire terms

After three days of intense negotiations between Thai and Cambodian officials, a preliminary ceasefire has been agreed upon, set to take effect on December 27. The talks were held at the Ban Pakkad immigration office in Pong Nam Ron district, amid rising tensions and ongoing hostilities along their shared border.

According to a source close to the Thai delegation, the ceasefire will initially be monitored for 72 hours, with any further extensions or adjustments requiring approval from Thailand’s National Security Council (NSC), Caliber.Az reports via Thai media.

The atmosphere during the final round of talks was reportedly tense, as both sides sought to develop a peace accord that was acceptable to both nations. This is the sixth draft agreement to come out of the ongoing discussions.

If approved by the NSC, the agreement will be formally signed on December 27 by Thai Defence Minister Gen. Nattaphon Nakpanich and his Cambodian counterpart in Chanthaburi province. Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is expected to oversee the process.

The latest round of negotiations began on December 24, following a breakdown of the previous ceasefire in early December. At least 98 people have been killed and more than half a million displaced as a result of the ongoing violence. Both Thailand and Cambodia have accused each other of actions that led to the collapse of the July truce, which was later expanded in October to try to stabilise the situation.

The countries have long disputed sections of their 817-kilometre border, with tensions often flaring over areas in both the forested inland regions near Laos and along the coastal provinces.

By Sabina Mammadli