Thailand Strikes Defiant Tone as ASEAN Convenes to End Cambodia Border War

Thailand's government says it will not be pressured by foreign powers as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) convenes a special meeting in Kuala Lumpur today to address a two-week border war with Cambodia. The meeting is the bloc's first significant attempt to end fighting that has raged along the two nations’ 817-kilometer border since December 7, killing at least 40 people and displacing more than 750,000 on both sides.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul struck a defiant tone. "Thailand no longer believes this person or that person. Thailand believes in itself, and we will act in the way we deem appropriate," he said. "We cannot allow our fellow soldiers – our people – to be bullied like this."

Ahead of the talks, Thailand laid out three preconditions for a ceasefire. According to Foreign Ministry deputy spokesperson Maratee Nalita Andamo, Cambodia must first declare the ceasefire, guarantee it is “real and continuous,” and cooperate in removing landmines from the border region.

Cambodia, the militarily weaker party, has been more receptive to international mediation. In a statement yesterday, its government said it would “reaffirm its firm position of resolving differences and disputes through all peaceful means.” It denies laying new mines, attributing recent explosions to remnants from previous conflicts, and accuses Thailand of waging an aggressive war to appease domestic ultra-nationalists.

International Pressure Mounts

The ASEAN meeting follows a flurry of diplomatic activity aimed at de-escalating the crisis, with China, Malaysia, and the United States all urging a return to dialogue.Timeline of Diplomatic Efforts • Dec. 19: China’s special envoy for Asian affairs, Deng Xijun, met with Cambodian PM Hun Manet in Phnom Penh to urge an immediate ceasefire. • Dec. 21: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim held separate calls with both Hun Manet and Anutin to “discuss the best way forward to ease the tensions.” • Dec. 19: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington is pushing both nations to honor their October 26 commitments, stating he was “cautiously optimistic” for a return to the peace accord “by Monday or Tuesday of next week.”