File - In this photo released by the Government Spokesman Office, Military attaches from various countries visit a convenience store at a gas station damaged after Cambodia fired artillery shells in Sisaket province, Thailand, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. (The Government Spokesman Office via AP, File)
File - In this photo released by the Government Spokesman Office, Military attaches from various countries visit a hospital that was damaged after Cambodia fired artillery shells in Sisaket province, Thailand, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. (The Government Spokesman Office via AP, File)
In this picture release by Malaysia Armed Forces on Aug 4, 2025, show Cambodian Maj Gen Sin Sokha, forth from left, Malaysian Chief of Defence Forces General Mohamad Nizam Jaffar, center, Thailand Lt. Gen Nuttapong Praokaew, fourth from right, poses for a picture at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. (Malaysia Armed Forces via AP)
File - In this photo released by the Government Spokesman Office, Military attaches from various countries visit a convenience store at a gas station damaged after Cambodia fired artillery shells in Sisaket province, Thailand, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. (The Government Spokesman Office via AP, File)
File - In this photo released by the Government Spokesman Office, Military attaches from various countries visit a hospital that was damaged after Cambodia fired artillery shells in Sisaket province, Thailand, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. (The Government Spokesman Office via AP, File)
In this picture release by Malaysia Armed Forces on Aug 4, 2025, show Cambodian Maj Gen Sin Sokha, forth from left, Malaysian Chief of Defence Forces General Mohamad Nizam Jaffar, center, Thailand Lt. Gen Nuttapong Praokaew, fourth from right, poses for a picture at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. (Malaysia Armed Forces via AP)
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Thai and Cambodian officials met in Malaysia on Monday for the first round of cross-border committee talks since a tense ceasefire was brokered last week after five days of deadly armed border clashes that killed dozens and displaced over 260,000 people.
The four-day General Border Committee meetings were initially due to be hosted by Cambodia, but both sides later agreed to a neutral venue in Malaysia, the annual chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which has mediated the halt in last month.
followed economic pressure from U.S. President , who had warned the two warring nations that the U.S. would not conclude trade deals with them if the fighting persisted. Washington lowered tariffs on goods from the two countries from 36% to 19% on Aug. 1 following the truce.
Monday's focused on ironing out details to avoid further clashes. Discussions of the decades-long competing territorial claims over the pockets of land near the shared border are not on the agenda.
Thailand and Cambodia have been for centuries, since both were mighty empires. In modern times, a 1962 ruling by the International Court of Justice awarding Cambodia the land on which the ancient Preah Vihear temple stands marked a new low point in relations, and other border territory remained claimed by both countries.
Fighting erupted in 2011 at Preah Vihaer, after which the International Court of Justice in 2013 reaffirmed its earlier ruling, rankling Thailand. Relations deteriorated again sharply in May this year, when a Cambodian soldier was shot dead in a brief fracas in one of the disputed border zones, setting off diplomatic and trade sanctions, one against the other.
Soon after two incidents last month in which Thai soldiers were wounded by land mines in disputed territory, for which Thailand blamed Cambodia, the two sides downgraded diplomatic relations and fighting broke out, each side blaming the other for starting the armed clashes.
The talks this week will include finalizing details and scope of reference for an ASEAN monitoring team, Malaysian Chief of Defense Forces Gen. Mohamad Nizam Jaffar said Monday.
Despite some reports of attacks after the ceasefire came into effect, Nizam said such incidents were typical spillover violence and both sides showed strong committment during Monday's talks to uphold the ceasefire.
The main session of the General Border Committee on Thursday will be led by Thai Deputy Defense Minister Gen. Natthaphon Nakpanit and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister cum Defense Minister Tea Seih and include observers from Malaysia, the United States and China, officials said.
Despite the truce, tensions have persisted as both countries of the former battle areas for foreign diplomats and other observers to highlight damage allegedly caused by the other side. The two countries also continue to accuse each other of having violated international humanitarian laws with attacks on civilians and the use of illegal weapons.
