Cambodia, Thailand agree to 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire': Malaysian prime minister

Cambodia and Thailand agreed to an "immediate and unconditional ceasefire," Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Monday.

Anwar led the talks as head of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional bloc and said the countries came to an understanding to begin returning to normalcy after what he said were frank discussions, The Associated Press reported.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai agreed to start the ceasefire at midnight local time Tuesday, Anwar said, reading a joint statement.

“This is a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security,” Anwar said.

Officials from both countries will meet to defuse border tensions, the Malaysian prime minister said. He added that the foreign and defense ministers of his country, Cambodia, and Thailand have been instructed to “develop a detailed mechanism” to implement and monitor the ceasefire.

Hun Manet and Phumtam shook hands at the end of the ceasefire press conference. The Cambodian prime minister said he hoped that the diplomatic relationship with Thailand could soon return to normal so that about 300,000 villagers who were evacuated on both sides could return home.

It is “time to start rebuilding trust, confidence and cooperation going forward between Thailand and Cambodia,” Hun Manet said.

Phuntam said the ceasefire reflected “Thailand’s desire for a peaceful resolution.”

The fighting between Cambodia and Thailand began Thursday after five Thai soldiers were wounded by a land mine explosion along the border. Each side blamed the other for starting the clashes, which resulted in at least 35 people killed and more than 260,000 people displaced on both sides.

Cambodia and Thailand both recalled their ambassadors, and Thailand shut down border crossings with Cambodia, besides letting migrant Cambodian workers return home.

The meeting in Malaysia came after President Trump had warned that the U.S. may not continue with trade deals with either Cambodia or Thailand if the clashes continued. The U.S. was a co-organizer of the talks, with participation from China. Both the Chinese and American ambassadors to Malaysia attended the ceasefire talks.