Cambodia has asked Thailand to move planned bilateral ceasefire talks to Kuala Lumpur for security reasons, according to a letter from Defence Minister Tea Seiha. Thailand has proposed holding the meeting in Chanthaburi and says the venue is still under discussion. The border clashes have killed more than 40 people and displaced roughly 900,000 across both countries, with each side accusing the other of attacks. Malaysia, as ASEAN chair, has agreed to host if both parties accept.
Cambodia Urges Thailand To Move Truce Talks To Neutral Kuala Lumpur Amid Deadly Border Clashes
Cambodia has asked Thailand to hold bilateral talks in the neutral venue of Kuala Lumpur, with the clashing nations set to negotiate truce terms (STR)(STR/AFP/AFP)
Cambodia has formally asked Thailand to relocate planned bilateral ceasefire negotiations to the neutral venue of Kuala Lumpur, citing ongoing fighting along the border and security concerns, according to a letter from Cambodia's defence minister seen by AFP.
Bangkok's defence chief moved to reassure Cambodian officials that a meeting on Thai soil would be safe, while the Thai foreign ministry said the venue was still under discussion as both sides sought to agree terms to halt fresh clashes that have killed more than 40 people and displaced around 900,000 across both countries.
Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said he had proposed holding talks after meeting regional counterparts in Kuala Lumpur during an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathering. He told reporters the meeting was scheduled to begin Wednesday in Chanthaburi under the framework of the existing bilateral border committee.
But in a letter dated Monday to his Thai counterpart, Defence Minister Tea Seiha asked that the meeting be moved to Malaysia's capital. "For a security reason due to the ongoing fighting along the border, this meeting should be held in a safe and neutral venue," Tea wrote, adding that Malaysia — the current chair of ASEAN — had agreed to host the talks.
Thai Response
Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura said the venue was "being discussed right now" and confirmed the talks would last two days, beginning with technical working groups. Thai Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit reiterated that Thailand intended to host the meeting in Chanthaburi and sought to allay Cambodian fears: "The meeting will be held in Chanthaburi... where there's barely any fighting. It is safe," he said, noting the previous joint General Border Committee meeting was held in Cambodia's Koh Kong province.
Nattaphon also warned that Thai forces would continue operations as long as Cambodian forces did, and acknowledged that fighting along much of the border has only subsided in parts of two provinces.
Escalation And Accusations
Each side has blamed the other for restarting hostilities and for attacks that impacted civilians. Cambodian officials accused Thailand of launching air strikes and of shelling the border city of Poipet, while Cambodia's defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said combat was ongoing on Tuesday morning.
Earlier ceasefires brokered by the United States, China and Malaysia had temporarily halted violence, but those truces have repeatedly broken down. In October, then-US President Donald Trump publicly praised a joint declaration between Thailand and Cambodia following talks in Kuala Lumpur to extend their truce, though Thailand later suspended that agreement.
"Thailand Is Starting To Shape Up. You Know, They Started With Cambodia, They Started Up Again... But I Think... We Have That In Pretty Good Shape, To Have That Stopped," President Trump said at his Mar‑a‑Lago estate when referring to international disputes he had been involved with.
The request to shift the venue to Kuala Lumpur underscores the sensitivity of negotiating amid active hostilities and highlights regional efforts to provide a neutral setting for de-escalation talks while violence continues along the border.
