Thailand, Cambodia pledge to forge lasting peace at Asean meet after border clashes

The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia agreed on Thursday to pursue trust-building measures to advance a fragile ceasefire and establish peace, after rare talks held on the sidelines of Asean meetings in Cebu, Philippines. The meeting between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai counterpart Anutin Charnvirakul marked the first high-level engagement since deadly border clashes in July and December last year. Those battles escalated into air strikes and heavy exchanges of artillery and rockets along the 817km disputed border, killing nearly 150 people and displacing at least 300,000. Each country accused the other of starting the conflict. The initial outbreak was settled in July after a five-day intervention by US President Donald Trump, who oversaw a troop withdrawal pact in October.

During the talks, Anutin, who was swept back to power in a February election on a wave of nationalism fueled by the conflict, emphasized the need for peace: "Thailand and Cambodia are two neighbouring countries. It is best that we avoid conflict, it only brings losses and suffering. Now is the time for us to look forward and walk this path together towards peace." Both sides agreed to build trust and pursue peace, with further talks planned to solidify ties. Troops remain deployed on both sides of the border, but the pledge signals a potential de-escalation of one of Southeast Asia's most volatile flashpoints.