Leaders of Thailand and Cambodia are set to hold rare face to face talks in the Philippines as tensions remain high following deadly border clashes last year.
The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Cebu and will be overseen by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Although a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia has largely held since December, there is still no formal political resolution to the conflict, and troops remain deployed along the disputed border.
Border Conflict Left Hundreds of Thousands Displaced
Fighting between the two neighbouring countries erupted twice last year along sections of their long contested 817 kilometre border.
The clashes quickly escalated into heavy artillery exchanges, rocket attacks, and air strikes, leaving nearly 150 people dead and forcing at least 300,000 civilians to flee their homes.
The first round of violence ended after intervention by Donald Trump, who helped broker a troop withdrawal agreement during an earlier ASEAN summit.
However, a second outbreak of fighting later continued for nearly three weeks before both sides eventually agreed to another ceasefire arrangement.
Thailand Signals Firm Position Ahead of Talks
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the meeting was intended to create a positive atmosphere for the ASEAN summit but stressed that Thailand would firmly defend its sovereignty and national interests.
He did not reveal specific issues to be discussed during the talks but emphasised that any agreement must benefit Thailand and protect public interests.
The comments reflect ongoing mistrust between the two countries despite the current pause in hostilities.
Cambodia Calls for Peaceful Resolution
Cambodian officials have repeatedly accused Thailand of violating the ceasefire and occupying disputed territory, claims that Bangkok strongly denies.
Kung Phoak said the three way meeting demonstrates ASEAN’s interest in helping resolve the dispute peacefully.
He stressed that both sides should reject the use of force and rely on international law and existing agreements to settle disagreements.
Cambodia has recently moved to pursue a more formal legal approach to unresolved territorial claims in the Gulf of Thailand under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Offshore Energy Dispute Adds Pressure
The talks also come amid worsening tensions over offshore energy exploration.
Thailand recently terminated a 25 year agreement with Cambodia covering joint energy exploration in disputed maritime areas, a move that angered Cambodian officials.
Cambodia responded by signalling it may seek international legal mechanisms to resolve overlapping territorial claims in the Gulf of Thailand.
The dispute adds another layer of complexity to already strained relations between the two Southeast Asian neighbours.
ASEAN Faces Another Regional Stability Test
The Thailand Cambodia conflict has become another major challenge for ASEAN as the regional bloc attempts to maintain unity and stability amid multiple geopolitical crises.
Analysts say the summit talks could help reduce immediate tensions, but lasting peace will likely require detailed negotiations on border demarcation, military deployments, and maritime resource sharing.
For now, the ceasefire remains fragile, and regional leaders are under growing pressure to prevent another escalation between the two countries.
With information from Reuters.
