Crystal Dike
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Monday he supported the decision by the country’s defence chiefs to suspend the Thailand – Cambodia Peace Deal, citing that the “security threat… has not actually decreased.” He also said he planned to visit soldiers injured in a recent landmine explosion on Tuesday.
The suspension comes just two weeks after US President Donald Trump presided over the signing of the Thailand – Cambodia Peace Deal. The blast near the Cambodian border in Sisaket province injured several Thai soldiers, including one who lost a foot, according to a government spokesman.
Cambodia has maintained its commitment to the Thailand – Cambodia Peace Deal, which was intended to bring lasting peace following border clashes in July that left more than 40 dead.
The deal, officially called the “Joint Declaration by the Prime Ministers of Thailand and Cambodia on the Outcomes of Their Meeting in Kuala Lumpur,” was signed in October during a ceremony with President Trump in Malaysia. Thailand has refused to formally label it a peace deal.
The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia dates back more than a century, to the post-French colonial era. Clashes over the border have erupted repeatedly over the years, with the most recent July violence forcing around 300,000 people to flee the area.
Under the October agreement, both countries had agreed to withdraw heavy weapons from the disputed region and to establish an interim observer team to monitor the situation. The next steps were to include the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers currently held in Thailand. The suspension now casts doubt over the future of the Thailand – Cambodia Peace Deal.