Cambodia Proposes Malaysia as Venue for Border Talks with Thailand Amid Renewed Clashes
Phnom Penh requests a neutral setting for military dialogue as fierce fighting along the shared boundary continues, but Bangkok insists negotiations be held on Thai soil
Cambodia has formally sought to hold military negotiations with Thailand in Malaysia in a bid to stem renewed clashes along their long-disputed border, underscoring deepening tensions and diverging views over how to advance peace efforts.
Phnom Penh’s defence minister, General Tea Seiha, wrote to his Thai counterpart to reaffirm Cambodia’s support for a meeting of the Cambodia–Thailand General Border Committee, but urged that it be convened in Kuala Lumpur for security and neutrality amid ongoing fighting.
The request reflects concerns in Phnom Penh about holding sensitive talks near active conflict zones, where exchanges of artillery, rockets and other heavy weapons have persisted since a fragile ceasefire collapsed in December following earlier diplomatic efforts.
Thailand rejected Cambodia’s proposal for an overseas venue, with Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow announcing that the General Border Committee meeting will instead take place in Thailand’s eastern Chanthaburi province as scheduled.
Bangkok’s position emphasizes its view that bilateral mechanisms and direct negotiations on home territory are preferable for resolving detailed security and ceasefire issues, even as regional actors have pressed for neutral ground.
The two sides had agreed in principle to resume talks after a recent special meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers in Kuala Lumpur, which underscored broader regional concern over the clashes.
The fighting, linked to a protracted territorial dispute over border demarcation, has triggered international diplomatic engagement, including efforts by ASEAN, China and the United States to encourage restraint and return to ceasefire arrangements.
A peace accord signed in late October 2025 in Kuala Lumpur — the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord — outlined mechanisms for de-escalation and monitoring, but renewed hostilities in early December have tested those commitments.
Both sides have traded allegations of aggression and violations of ceasefire terms, even as diplomats urge a durable cessation of hostilities and sustained dialogue through established channels.
Phnom Penh’s defence minister, General Tea Seiha, wrote to his Thai counterpart to reaffirm Cambodia’s support for a meeting of the Cambodia–Thailand General Border Committee, but urged that it be convened in Kuala Lumpur for security and neutrality amid ongoing fighting.
The request reflects concerns in Phnom Penh about holding sensitive talks near active conflict zones, where exchanges of artillery, rockets and other heavy weapons have persisted since a fragile ceasefire collapsed in December following earlier diplomatic efforts.
Thailand rejected Cambodia’s proposal for an overseas venue, with Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow announcing that the General Border Committee meeting will instead take place in Thailand’s eastern Chanthaburi province as scheduled.
Bangkok’s position emphasizes its view that bilateral mechanisms and direct negotiations on home territory are preferable for resolving detailed security and ceasefire issues, even as regional actors have pressed for neutral ground.
The two sides had agreed in principle to resume talks after a recent special meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers in Kuala Lumpur, which underscored broader regional concern over the clashes.
The fighting, linked to a protracted territorial dispute over border demarcation, has triggered international diplomatic engagement, including efforts by ASEAN, China and the United States to encourage restraint and return to ceasefire arrangements.
A peace accord signed in late October 2025 in Kuala Lumpur — the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord — outlined mechanisms for de-escalation and monitoring, but renewed hostilities in early December have tested those commitments.
Both sides have traded allegations of aggression and violations of ceasefire terms, even as diplomats urge a durable cessation of hostilities and sustained dialogue through established channels.
