In a significant development on regional stability, the military commanders of Thailand and Cambodia reached an agreement on Thursday to withdraw troops and seek a diplomatic resolution to the recent skirmish in a contested border area. Officials from Thailand stated that the confrontation had led to the death of a Cambodian soldier.
According to a statement from Cambodian authorities, their soldiers were on a standard patrol near the border when Thai forces opened fire. Contrarily, the Thai military claimed that Cambodian troops entered a disputed region and began shooting when Thai soldiers approached for discussion.
The encounter lasted approximately 10 minutes before higher forces engaged in dialogue, resulting in a ceasefire, as per the Thai army’s report. Thai army chief Gen. Pana Claewplodtook subsequently met with Cambodian military leader Gen. Mao Sophan at a border control point, where he offered condolences for the loss of the Cambodian soldier, conveyed Thai army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree.
Both sides agreed upon a mutual withdrawal and committed to pursue peaceful resolutions through specially formed joint committees that focus on border situations. Winthai explained that the forces on either side had already retreated to their standard positions away from the scene of the conflict.
Following this, a Cambodian military statement emphasized cooperative efforts between the two nations to resolve matters amicably, but it also stressed a continued defensive posture, indicating that Cambodia would not “retreat or stand unarmed at the point of conflict,” though it wasn’t specified from which exact location.
Ahead of the discussions, Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed confidence in a positive trajectory for managing the border issue, acknowledging that neither side desired escalation. Similarly, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, in a Facebook update, underscored bilateral intentions to prevent new incidents and restore normalcy, notwithstanding Cambodian troop reinforcements to the contested zone.
“I do not want to see any fighting between armies that does not bring any benefits to our two countries and peoples, especially those who are fighting directly on the front lines,” remarked Prime Minister Hun Manet, emphasizing the importance of peace.
The two nations have a long-standing history of territorial disputes, with one of the most notable disagreements involving the Preah Vihear promontory, a region surrounding a millennium-old temple recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008. The U.N.’s International Court of Justice awarded sovereignty over this area to Cambodia in 2013.
Recent incidents at the border have added tension, such as one in February when Cambodian soldiers and their family members advanced into a historical temple area along the border, singing their national anthem until confronted by Thai forces. This event contributed to ongoing jurisdictional arguments between the two countries.