ASEAN to seek resolution to Thailand-Cambodia conflict with Malaysia meeting

KUALA LUMPUR — Southeast Asian foreign ministers will meet in Malaysia on Monday to seek an end to border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia that have killed at least 40 people and displaced more than half a million this month.

Ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are expected to push for the revival of a short-lived ceasefire brokered by Malaysia, this year’s ASEAN chair, with support from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Thailand and Cambodia, both ASEAN members, are scheduled to attend the meeting in Kuala Lumpur, marking the first face-to-face talks between the two governments since fighting resumed on December 8.

Bangkok and Phnom Penh have each accused the other of actions that led to the collapse of a July ceasefire and a broader peace agreement reached in October. Heavy exchanges of fire have since erupted in several long-disputed areas along their 817-kilometer (508-mile) land border, stretching from forested regions near Laos to coastal provinces.

Malaysia PM “Cautiously Optimistic”

Beyond ASEAN’s regional efforts, both the United States and China have pursued separate diplomatic initiatives to end the conflict, though no breakthroughs have been reported so far.

The ASEAN meeting, chaired by Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan, will examine steps the bloc can take to help de-escalate tensions and bring an end to the fighting, Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed hope that the talks would allow Thailand and Cambodia to negotiate openly, resolve their differences, and reach a fair and lasting solution.

“I emphasized the importance for Cambodia and Thailand to uphold the spirit of dialogue, wisdom, and mutual respect in order to end the tensions and maintain peace and stability in this region,” Anwar said in a post on X on Sunday, adding that he had spoken separately with both prime ministers.

Anwar told reporters last week that he was “cautiously optimistic” about the outcome of the meeting, noting that Thai caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet were both keen to achieve an amicable resolution as soon as possible.

An ASEAN team is expected to present its findings to the foreign ministers, based on field observations and satellite-monitoring data provided by the United States, Anwar said.

Meanwhile, Thailand has conducted airstrikes on Cambodian military positions and halted fuel shipments through a border checkpoint in Laos amid concerns that supplies were being diverted to Cambodia.

The Thai army has accused Cambodian forces of using drones to drop explosives on Thai bases and firing rockets into civilian areas. -Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Additional reporting by Ashley Tang; Editing by David Stanway and William Mallard/Reuters