Thailand has said it is suspending a "peace deal" with neighboring Cambodia over a disputed border, just two weeks after US President Donald Trump presided over its signing.
Points of attention
- Thailand has suspended the 'peace agreement' with Cambodia over a disputed border just two weeks after signing it at the ASEAN summit with the presence of US President Donald Trump.
- The conflict between Thailand and Cambodia has been ongoing for over a century, resulting in massive forced displacement of populations and frequent border clashes.
- Thailand decided to suspend the agreement after its soldiers were injured in a landmine explosion near the Cambodian border, highlighting the security threats that persist in the region.
Thailand suspends 'peace deal' with Cambodia after two weeks
Thailand made the announcement after its soldiers were injured in a landmine explosion near the Cambodian border in Sisaket province, a government spokesman said. The soldiers were injured while on patrol, with one losing a leg, according to the Bangkok Post.
Cambodia said it remained committed to the agreement, which was intended to ensure lasting peace after border clashes that killed more than 40 people in July.
However, on November 10, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said at a press conference that he agreed with the country's Ministry of Defense's position that "the security threat has not actually decreased."
The border conflict between the two sides has been going on for more than a century, dating back to the establishment of the border following the French occupation of Cambodia. The dispute has led to a series of clashes over the years, the most recent in July, forcing 300,000 people to flee their homes.
The sides later signed an agreement, which Thailand refused to call a peace deal, in October at a ceremony attended by the US president in Malaysia. Both sides agreed to withdraw their heavy weapons from the disputed region and set up a temporary observer group to monitor it.
The next step was to release the 18 Cambodian soldiers being held in Thailand.
After the heads of government of Thailand and Cambodia reached a ceasefire agreement in July after five days of fighting during talks in Malaysia, which were also attended by envoys from the US administration, Donald Trump stated that he had brokered the ceasefire agreement between the two countries.
On October 26, Thailand and Cambodia signed a peace agreement at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Malaysia in the presence of the US president, which was supposed to end their long-standing border conflict.
