Thailand and Cambodia have reached an immediate ceasefire after almost three weeks of deadly border clashes that killed dozens of people and forced nearly one million residents to flee their homes.
In a joint statement issued on Saturday, 27 December, the defence ministers of both countries said the ceasefire came into effect at noon local time (05:00 GMT).
The agreement allows both sides to hold their current front-line positions while enabling displaced civilians in border communities to return home.
It also provides for the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers detained by Thailand since July, once the ceasefire holds for 72 hours. In addition, both countries agreed to begin clearing landmines from affected areas.
Thailand’s Defence Minister, Natthaphon Narkphanit, said the ceasefire would serve as a test of Cambodia’s commitment to peace, adding that Thailand would exercise its right to self-defence under international law if the agreement is breached.
The deal followed days of negotiations supported diplomatically by China and the United States.
Earlier, Thailand had voiced doubts about another truce, pointing to the collapse of a previous ceasefire and accusing Cambodia of trying to internationalise the conflict.
Fighting intensified throughout December, with both sides accusing each other of violating ceasefire terms. Thailand confirmed it carried out air strikes inside Cambodia on Friday, while Cambodia said the attacks were indiscriminate and struck civilian areas.
The long-running border dispute between the two South-East Asian neighbours dates back more than a century but escalated earlier this year following renewed tensions around a disputed temple site.
