Thailand and Cambodia reached an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire deal Monday, bringing an end to days of heavy fire stemming from long-standing border disputes after President Donald Trump got involved in the conflict over the weekend.
The ceasefire agreement, set to take effect at midnight, was announced by neighboring country Malaysia, where U.S. State Department officials engaged in peace talks between acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet over the weekend. China, which has ties to Thailand and Cambodia, sent officials to help broker peace.
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“This is a vital first step towards a de-escalation and a restoration of peace and security,” said Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who hosted the peace talks in his capacity as chairman of the regional bloc ASEAN. The morning after the ceasefire takes effect, Thai and Cambodian military commanders will hold an “informal meeting,” Anwar continued.
Wechayachai added during the press conference that Thailand had agreed to a ceasefire that would “be carried out successfully in good faith by both sides.”
One of the closest allies to the United States in the Indo-Pacific region, Thailand has engaged in skirmishes with Cambodia for years over border disagreements stemming from a border treaty between the French Empire and the Kingdom of Siam signed in the early 20th century.
The latest conflict broke out in full force last Thursday, leading to the displacement of over 300,000 people and killing dozens.
Trump got involved in the dispute over the weekend, threatening to call off trade talks the U.S. is holding with both countries unless they come together for peace talks.
“We happen to be, by coincidence, currently dealing on Trade with both Countries, but do not want to make any Deal, with either Country, if they are fighting — And I have told them so!” the president said Saturday.
He then said, “I called the prime ministers of each and said, ‘We’re not going to make a trade deal unless you settle a war.’ A lot of people killed. I think by the time I got off, I think they wanted to settle.”
On Sunday night, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that State Department officials had flown to Malaysia to assist in the ceasefire talks between the two countries.
“We want this conflict to end as soon as possible,” he said.
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Thai and Cambodian leaders also confirmed Sunday that they would attend peace talks on Monday in response to an invitation from Anwar “to discuss peace efforts in the region.”
The latest ceasefire agreement comes after the two sides appeared to reach a deal easing tensions last week, before the agreement fell through the cracks. Manet claimed on Friday that Thailand had agreed to a ceasefire brokered by Anwar but reversed its position an hour later.