Thailand and Cambodia agree to 'immediate and unconditional' ceasefire: Malaysia

Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an ldquoimmediate and unconditionalrdquo ceasefire from midnight to resolve deadly border clashes Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said MondayAnwar who chaired the talks as head of the ASEAN regional bloc said both sides have reached a common understanding to take steps to return to normalcyCambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai have agreed to ldquoan immediate and unconditional ceasefire with effect from midnight of 28 Julyrdquo Anwar said as he read out a joint statementHun Manet and Phuntam hailed the outcome of the meeting and shook hands at the conclusion of the brief press conferenceCeasefire talks have started between Thai and Cambodian leaders in Malaysia in an urgent effort to resolve deadly border clashes that entered a fifth day despite mounting international calls for peaceCambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai gathered Monday for the meeting at the official residence of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim who is hosting the negotiations as chair of the regional bloc Association of Southeast Asian NationsThe fighting flared last Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes that have killed at least 35 people and displaced more than 260000 people on both sides Both countries recalled their ambassadors and Thailand shut all border crossings with Cambodia with an exception for migrant Cambodian workers returning homeTroops from both sides reported ongoing fighting Monday along border areas Gunfire could be heard as dawn broke in Samrong in Cambodias Oddar Meanchey province Associated Press reporters covering the conflict saidMaly Socheata a Cambodian defense ministry spokesperson said the Thai assault was ldquoongoing and strongrdquo on MondayAnwar said late Sunday that both sides would present their conditions for peace but ldquowhat is important is immediate ceasefirerdquoldquoI hope this can workrdquo Anwar was quoted as saying by Malaysian national news agency Bernama ldquoAlthough itrsquos not as bad as many other countries we have to put a stop to the violencerdquoThe meeting followed direct pressure from US President Donald Trump who has warned that the United States may not proceed with trade deals with either country if hostilities continueBefore departing for Kuala Lumpur Phumtham told reporters in Bangkok that representatives from China and the US will also attend as observers He said the key focus would be on an immediate ceasefire but noted trust could be an issue as Cambodia has not stopped its strikesldquoWe have informed that we donrsquot have trust in Cambodia All they have done reflect that they are not sincere in solving this problem So they have to show the detail how they will do to prove their sincerityrdquo he saidOfficials later said that the Chinese and American ambassadors to Malaysia are attending the meetingThe violence marks a rare instance of open military confrontation between ASEAN member states a 10nation regional bloc that has prided itself on nonaggression peaceful dialogue and economic cooperationIn a statement Monday ASEAN foreign ministers reiterated concern over the rising death toll destruction of public properties and displacement of a large number of people along the disputed border areas They urged the two countries to resolve their disputes through negotiations and expressed support for efforts to find a middle ground during Mondayrsquos talksThe conflict also drew the attention of Pope Leo XIV At the Vatican on Sunday the pontiff said he was praying for all those affected by war in the world including ldquofor those affected by the clashes on the border between Thailand and Cambodia especially the children and displaced familiesrdquoAt an evacuation shelter in Cambodias Siem Reap province far away from the border Ron Mao 56 prays for a ceasefire deal during the leaders meeting Monday She and her family fled their home a kilometer 06 mile away from the front line when fighting broke out Thursday They took refuge in a shelter but moved again to another camp further away after hearing artillery shellingldquoI donrsquot want to see this war happen Itrsquos very difficult and I donrsquot want to run around like thisrdquo she said ldquoWhen I heard our Prime Minister go to negotiate for peace I would be very happy if they reached the deal as soon as possible so that I and my children can return home as soon as possibleThai evacuees shared the sentimentldquoI beg the government I want it to end quickly said farmer Nakorn Jomkamsing at an evacuation camp in Surin hosting more than 6000 people I want to live peacefully I miss my home my pets my pigs dogs and chickenrdquo the 63yearold woman saidThe 800kilometer 500mile frontier between Thailand and Cambodia has been disputed for decades but past confrontations have been limited and brief The latest tensions erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thailandrsquos domestic politicsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever