US presses Thailand and Cambodia to halt border fighting

The United States has issued a direct appeal for an end to fighting between Thailand and Cambodia, calling for full implementation of a peace agreement that has stalled amid renewed border clashes. In a statement released Sunday, the U.S. State Department urged both Southeast Asian nations to halt hostilities, pull back heavy weapons, stop laying landmines, and activate the mechanisms of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords.

An Agreement in Peril and Mounting Casualties

The Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords were signed with fanfare in October at an ASEAN summit in Malaysia, witnessed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. However, the agreement was effectively suspended weeks later following a landmine incident that seriously injured Thai soldiers. Since then, hostilities have resumed. Thai authorities report that 21 of its soldiers and one civilian have been killed, while Cambodia's Interior Ministry states 18 Cambodian civilians have died and 78 were injured. Thailand has also cited an additional 33 civilian fatalities as "collateral effects" of the conflict.

ASEAN's Role in the Search for Peace

Washington's statement expressly welcomed a scheduled Monday meeting of foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The U.S. sees the regional bloc's diplomatic intervention as crucial to supporting "Cambodia and Thailand fully honoring their commitments to end this conflict." This high-level ASEAN engagement underscores the regional concern over a bilateral dispute that threatens stability and has resulted in significant humanitarian costs.

A Broader Context of Regional Diplomacy

The appeal from Washington highlights the ongoing challenge of enforcing peace agreements in long-standing territorial disputes. The situation tests ASEAN's capacity to mediate conflicts between its own member states. The outcome of the ASEAN-led talks will be closely watched as an indicator of the bloc's unity and effectiveness in managing regional security crises, with major powers like the United States encouraging—and relying on—such regional diplomatic solutions.