Southeast Asian foreign ministers gathered in Malaysia on Monday in an urgent bid to restore a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, following two weeks of intense fighting that has left at least 60 people dead and forced more than half a million residents from their homes.
The meeting marked the first direct talks between the two governments since hostilities flared again on December 8. Malaysia, which currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, called on the bloc to take a stronger and more decisive role in ending the conflict. The talks aimed to rescue a fragile truce earlier brokered by Malaysia alongside US President Donald Trump after a previous outbreak of violence along the disputed border.
Opening the session in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s foreign minister Mohamad Hasan said the priority was to restore calm in the affected areas and safeguard regional stability. He stressed that de-escalation alone would not be enough, urging renewed efforts to rebuild trust between the two sides and create space for sustained dialogue despite deep disagreements.
The diplomatic push comes as both China and the United States pursue parallel mediation efforts, which have so far failed to halt the fighting. Thailand and Cambodia continue to trade accusations, each blaming the other for violating earlier ceasefire commitments reached in October that included pledges to withdraw troops, remove heavy weapons and carry out demining operations.
Clashes have erupted at several points along the 817-kilometre shared border, stretching from forested regions near Laos to coastal provinces. Cambodia’s defence ministry accused Thailand of renewed armed aggression and said it would defend its territory at any cost. Thailand, in turn, said Cambodian forces had attempted rocket attacks on a border town and reported that one of its soldiers lost a leg to a landmine, alleging that new mines had been laid in breach of international agreements, a claim Cambodia has denied.
The conflict has escalated to include Thai airstrikes on Cambodian military positions and restrictions on fuel shipments through a Laotian border crossing over concerns supplies were being diverted. Thai military officials also accused Cambodia of using drones to drop explosives and firing rockets into civilian areas.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he hoped the talks would allow both sides to address their differences openly and work towards a just and lasting settlement. He underscored the need for dialogue, mutual respect and restraint to preserve peace in the region, noting that he had been in contact with both governments ahead of the meeting.
Anwar said an Asean monitoring team would brief ministers on its findings from field observations, supported by satellite data provided by the United States, as the bloc considers its next steps in attempting to end one of the region’s most serious recent conflicts.
