KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia and the United States are expediting efforts to secure an expanded ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, and expect it to be signed at the Southeast Asia Summit later this month, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hassan said Tuesday.
Thailand and Cambodia involved 5 days battle By late July, dozens of people had died and more than 260,000 people had been evacuated. They agreed to a ceasefire only after mediation by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and pressure from the government. US President Donald Trumpthreatened to withhold trade privileges unless a cease-fire was agreed.
Tensions have remained high since the ceasefire, especially since Thai soldiers joined the fighting. Injured by a landmine in August While patrolling the buffer zone between countries. Thailand has accused Cambodia of laying new mines in violation of the cease-fire agreement, a charge strongly denied by the Phnom Penh government.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Phnom Penh must accept four conditions. These include removing heavy weapons from borders, clearing mines, helping to curb cross-border crime, and managing sensitive border areas to avoid further conflict.
Mohammad said ongoing negotiations aim to expand the scope of the ceasefire, including clearing mines and removing heavy weapons. He expressed optimism that an agreement could be signed during the October 26-28 Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, which is expected to be attended by about 20 world leaders.
Mohamad said President Trump is scheduled to attend a conference in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur on October 26 and hopes to witness the signing of the Kuala Lumpur Agreement between Thailand and Cambodia.
ASEAN includes Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore.
