Malaysia’s capital, Putrajaya—After nearly a week of deadly border violence, the acting prime minister of Thailand, Phumtham Wechayachai, and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet met today in Malaysia for urgent talks hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Just hours after the meeting, all three leaders held a press conference announcing an immediate, unconditional ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, effective midnight tonight.
The ceasefire comes after five days of intense fighting along disputed stretches of the Thailand-Cambodia border. At least 35 people have been killed, most of them civilians, and over 270,000 have fled their homes on both sides of the conflict. The violence flared up following a landmine explosion on Thursday that injured Thai soldiers, rapidly escalating into artillery exchanges, airstrikes, and accusations of civilian targeting from both governments.
Terms of the Ceasefire
The ceasefire terms, as laid out by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the press conference, include several key steps:
- Immediate and Unconditional Halt to Fighting: All hostilities between the two countries are to cease at exactly midnight local time on July 28, 2025.
- Re-Establishment of Military Communication: Regional army commanders from both sides will meet face-to-face at 7a.m. local time on July 29. This is intended to prevent miscommunication and reduce the risk of renewed clashes6.
- Diplomatic and Defense Dialogues: A meeting of the defense attachés from both countries will follow, with Malaysia chairing the talks as the current head of ASEAN, if agreed by both parties.
- Joint Border Security Committee: Both parties will join a General Border Committee meeting on August 4, hosted by Cambodia, to seek longer-term solutions.
- ASEAN Monitoring: Malaysia, in its capacity as ASEAN chair, has offered to coordinate a regional observer team to verify and ensure the ceasefire is implemented. Other ASEAN nations may be invited to join the monitoring efforts, signaling a wider regional commitment to peace.
- Resumption of Direct Government Contacts: The prime ministers, foreign ministers, and defense ministers of both countries have agreed to resume direct communications immediately to manage further incidents and cooperate on de-escalation.
International Mediation and Reaction
The quick agreement was reached with encouragement from the United States and China—both sent ambassadors to Malaysia for the talks—and following warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump that trade negotiations with both nations would be suspended if violence continued. ASEAN foreign ministers also praised the agreement, calling it a “vital first step” towards restoring peace and normalcy on the border.
While both governments have agreed to re-open talks on outstanding border disputes and humanitarian relief for displaced families, observers note that trust remains fragile. Key checkpoints will remain closed for now, pending verification of the ceasefire, and additional meetings are scheduled over the coming days to keep tensions in check.
