Cambodia has accused Thailand of continuing to occupy civilian areas inside Cambodian territory despite a December ceasefire that ended weeks of deadly border fighting between the two neighbours. Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said Thai troops had erected barbed wire and shipping containers in disputed frontier zones, preventing thousands of displaced civilians from returning home.
The accusations come just weeks after a truce halted intense clashes involving fighter jets, rocket fire and artillery barrages. While the ceasefire has largely held, Phnom Penh says unresolved troop deployments threaten to undermine the fragile calm along a border long plagued by competing territorial claims.
What Cambodia Is Alleging
Prak Sokhonn told Reuters that Thai forces remain stationed “well inside Cambodia” at multiple locations along the frontier. He said as many as 4,000 Cambodian families remain unable to return to their homes due to what he described as continued Thai military incursions into civilian areas.
Although the situation on the ground has stabilised, Sokhonn warned that risks remain if Thailand does not fully implement the ceasefire terms. He stressed that the return of displaced civilians was a central part of the December agreement and that continued military presence in villages directly violates its spirit.
Thailand’s Response
Thai military and government officials rejected Cambodia’s accusations, referring to a January 12 statement by Thailand’s foreign ministry that dismissed the claims as “baseless.” Bangkok said the maintenance of existing troop positions following the ceasefire was consistent with agreed de-escalation measures and did not constitute an occupation of Cambodian territory.
Thailand also said it remains committed to resolving the dispute through bilateral mechanisms, including boundary talks, and argued that its actions should not be misinterpreted as a breach of the truce.
Human and Political Toll
The December clashes killed at least 101 people and displaced more than half a million civilians on both sides of the border, according to Cambodian officials. The fighting followed an earlier flare-up in July and marked one of the most serious escalations in a century-old dispute that periodically erupts into violence.
Prak Sokhonn said the conflict caused widespread damage to civilian infrastructure, including bridges, schools, pagodas and roads, complicating efforts to stabilise border communities even after the guns fell silent.
Boundary Talks in Limbo
Cambodia has requested a meeting of the Joint Boundary Commission, a bilateral body tasked with demarcating the disputed border, but Thailand has yet to confirm its participation. Sokhonn said resolving the issue of occupied villages would be a priority for Phnom Penh in any talks, as it directly affects the return of displaced civilians.
Thailand said it was finalising internal procedures for the talks, which it indicated would take place after a new government is formed following elections scheduled for February 8. Bangkok reiterated its intention to resume Joint Boundary Commission activities at the earliest opportunity.
International Mediation Efforts
The ceasefire was achieved through a combination of diplomatic pressure and mediation by multiple international actors. U.S. President Donald Trump played a role in halting the July clashes and later oversaw the signing of a broader ceasefire agreement in October, though his efforts failed to immediately stop the December fighting.
China also emerged as a key diplomatic player. According to Sokhonn, Beijing dispatched a special envoy to both capitals in late December, followed by a trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of China, Thailand and Cambodia in China’s Yunnan province aimed at rebuilding trust and stabilising the border.
Analysis
The dispute highlights how fragile ceasefires can be when underlying territorial disagreements remain unresolved. While large-scale fighting has stopped, competing interpretations of troop positions and ceasefire obligations risk creating flashpoints that could quickly spiral out of control.
From a neorealist perspective, the episode underscores the limits of external mediation when local security dilemmas persist. Thailand and Cambodia may publicly commit to de-escalation, but without concrete progress on border demarcation and civilian returns, mistrust will continue to shape military behaviour on the ground. The longer displaced civilians remain unable to return home, the greater the political pressure on leaders in Phnom Penh to adopt a firmer stance raising the risk that a frozen conflict could once again turn hot.
With information from Reuters.
