The United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed deep concern over the ongoing conflict between Cambodia and Thailand in recent weeks and stands ready to facilitate dialogues between the two parties to ensure peace and stability in the border region. Rubio reiterated President Trump’s hope for all parties involved in the conflict to achieve peace as soon as possible.
The US State Department indicated that Rubio, in a phone call with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on Thursday (December 25), called for the full implementation of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords signed at the ASEAN Summit, and reaffirmed US willingness to assist in facilitating relevant discussions when needed.
Tommy Pigott, the Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department, stated that the US position is to ensure long-term peace and regional stability between Cambodia and Thailand.
According to official data compiled by multiple media outlets, the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia has continued for the 18th day since the outbreak on December 8, resulting in at least 96 casualties. Thai authorities reported 23 Thai soldiers and 1 civilian casualties, with an additional 41 civilians dying from what the Thai side called “collateral effects.”
On the Cambodian side, it was reported that 31 Cambodian civilians have died in the conflict, with military casualties not disclosed.
In terms of humanitarian impact, the Cambodian Ministry of the Interior stated that approximately 610,000 Cambodian civilians have been displaced. The Thai Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that over 150,000 people are still in evacuation status within Thailand, with the military previously estimating nearly 400,000 displaced individuals. In total, the number of displaced persons on both sides of the border is nearing one million.
The day before the high-level US-Cambodia call, Thailand and Cambodia held their first military talks since the renewed conflict earlier this month.
The meeting took place on Wednesday in Chanthaburi, Thailand, lasting less than an hour according to reports. It is expected that military negotiations will continue over the weekend.
The Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords, signed by both Thailand and Cambodia during the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia in October, aimed to alleviate border tensions. However, shortly after the signing, the agreement was suspended due to severe injuries suffered by Thai soldiers from landmines in border provinces.
Previously, the two sides experienced a 5-day conflict in July and reached a preliminary ceasefire under the mediation of Malaysia and the United States.