A Break in the Border Battle: Thailand and Cambodia Call a Truce

A temporary halt to the violence between Thailand and Cambodia has been agreed upon. Both nations have put their guns down, at least for now. The deal kicked in at noon on Saturday, with both sides promising to:

Stop moving troops around
Keep their planes out of each other's airspace

Recent Escalations

Thailand has been conducting most of the bombing, with strikes happening as recently as Saturday morning. The agreement also states that if things stay quiet for 72 hours, Thailand will send back 18 Cambodian soldiers it has been holding since July.

New Accusations

Even as the ink was drying on the agreement, Thailand made new accusations, claiming that one of their soldiers was injured by a land mine, which they blame on Cambodia.

Signing the Agreement

The deal was signed by the defense ministers of both countries at a border checkpoint. It is a follow-up to an earlier truce that was supposed to end fighting back in July. That truce was brokered by Malaysia and pushed through by pressure from the U.S. However, despite that deal, both sides continued fighting and arguing.

Impact on Civilians

The fighting has been tough on regular people. Thailand reports:

26 soldiers and 1 civilian killed since December 7th
44 civilian deaths

Cambodia has not given official numbers for its military losses but reports:

30 civilians killed
90 injured

Hundreds of thousands of people have had to leave their homes because of the fighting.

Land Mine Issues

The agreement also addresses land mines, which have been a major problem. Thailand claims its soldiers have been hurt by mines they believe were planted by Cambodia. Cambodia argues the mines are leftovers from their civil war. The deal includes plans for both sides to work together to clear the mines.

Combating Misinformation

Both sides agreed to:

Stop spreading false information
Work together to combat online scams, which are a big problem in the region

Malaysia's Role

Malaysia's leader, who helped with the original truce, stated that this new agreement shows both sides recognize the need to restrain themselves, especially for the sake of civilians.

Doubts About the Agreement

There are doubts about the strength of this new agreement. Thailand's Defense Ministry said the safe return of civilians to their homes would show that the situation is stable enough to send back the captured Cambodian soldiers.