Thailand has suspended its peace process with Cambodia following a landmine explosion that injured several Thai soldiers near the border on Monday. The agreement, signed last month in Malaysia under the mediation of U.S. President Donald Trump, is now on hold amid renewed tensions.
The two countries fought a five-day border conflict in July that left dozens dead and forced about 200,000 people to flee their homes. A ceasefire brokered by Trump on July 28 led to a peace declaration in late October, signed in the presence of Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
On Monday, Thailand’s supreme armed forces commander, Gen. Ukris Boontanondha, announced that “all agreements” would be frozen until Cambodia “clearly and sincerely demonstrates that it will not be hostile,” according to a military statement posted online.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul echoed the decision, saying at Royal Thai Police headquarters, “Everything must stop. What we have been implementing must be considered halted until there is clarity.”
The shift came after four Thai soldiers were wounded in Sisaket province, northeastern Thailand. One soldier lost a leg in the explosion, and another suffered shrapnel injuries during what the army said was a routine patrol.
Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree, army spokesperson, accused Cambodia of planting new landmines after the recent removal of a barbed-wire fence.
“The discovery violates the signed joint declaration and will inevitably impact Thailand’s stance and various agreements,” Winthai said.
Cambodia’s government has “categorically denied” the accusation, stating it has not and “will never” deploy new landmines. Phnom Penh expressed “grave concern” over Thailand’s decision to suspend the accord, saying it remains committed to implementing the peace plan.
According to Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, many minefields from the country’s civil wars remain uncleared because of rugged terrain and undemarcated borders.
The Defense Ministry said Tuesday the situation along the frontier “remains calm” after communications between the two militaries.
Thailand’s suspension also jeopardizes the planned handover of 18 Cambodian prisoners of war, which had been scheduled under the peace declaration.
The U.S. president had hailed the October signing in Malaysia as a major diplomatic success. The declaration called for removing heavy weapons, de-mining efforts, and easing tensions along the frontier.
Analysts, however, warned at the time that lasting peace would require sustained cooperation.
Anutin described the agreement as a “concrete step toward peace” dependent on full implementation, while Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet pledged to “faithfully” uphold the deal.
Border disputes between the two nations have flared repeatedly in recent decades. The 800-kilometer frontier, largely drawn during French colonial rule, remains contested in several areas.
The latest blast occurred near Cambodia’s Preah Vihear Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site that has been the focus of previous clashes.
Despite the October declaration, the territorial dispute remains unresolved, leaving the fragile peace between Thailand and Cambodia in question once again.
