Cambodia’s Defense Ministry has announced that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to return their forces to previous border positions following a conflict in which a Cambodian soldier was killed, prompting both to increase their military presence.
The Cambodian statement, which stated that both sides wanted to calm tensions following the incident in an unmarked region on May 28, came after Thai Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai stated that both nations were in talks to defuse the issue and would return to positions agreed upon in 2024.
For days, the two countries exchanged statements expressing their commitment to finding a peaceful solution.
Neither provided information about where or how much their military units had been bolstered over the weekend.
Thailand operates 17 official border crossings with Cambodia, spanning seven provinces along their shared 817 km (508 miles) frontier, Thai government data shows.
Both countries have for more than a century contested sovereignty at un-demarcated points along their shared border, which was mapped by France in 1907 when Cambodia was its colony.
Thailand’s Phumtham said both sides hoped the border issue could be fully resolved through bilateral talks, including a meeting of the Joint Boundary Committee on June 14.
Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry reiterated a request to bring the border disputes to the International Court of Justice in a letter to Thai officials on June 6.
The Thai government has said it does not recognise the court’s jurisdiction and proposed that all boundary-related issues be resolved through bilateral negotiations.
Tensions between the countries escalated in 2008 over an 11th-century Hindu temple, leading to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths, including during a week-long exchange of artillery in 2011.
In the latest flare up, Thailand cut operating hours at 10 border crossings with Cambodia, citing security concerns.
Checkpoints, including the busiest in Thailand’s eastern province of Sa Kaeo, halved operating hours on Sunday to 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., previously, Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura told reporters.
The governments of Thailand and Cambodia previously enjoyed warmer ties, owing to a friendship between former leaders, Thaksin Shinawatra from Thailand and Cambodia’s Hun Sen.
