The ceasefire agreement reached on December 27 at a special meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Boundary Committee does not mean Cambodia's surrender or a waiver of its right to self-defense, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said today, as quoted by the Khmer Times.
The mutually agreed ceasefire decision, he said, “does not mean that Cambodia is capitulating or willing to sacrifice its territorial integrity for the sake of peace“, nor does it mean that the country is “unable or has waived its right to self-defense“. On the contrary, this decision shows that the country has decided to follow a peaceful path and put the lives and well-being of its people as its highest and most important priority, despite pressure or difficulties, the Prime Minister stressed.
Cambodia attaches the utmost importance to “peace and development”, always supporting and participating in preserving the regional and world order based on international law, treaties, conventions and agreements to which Phnom Penh has acceded, especially the UN Charter and the ASEAN Charter, for the purpose of peaceful and positive coexistence with all countries in the region and around the world, the head of government stressed.
Cambodia and Thailand agreed to a ceasefire from 12:00 noon local time on December 27 at the third special meeting of the two countries' Common Border Committee held on Saturday. The joint statement issued after the meeting said the parties agreed to an immediate cessation of hostilities, including attacks on civilians, civilian objects and infrastructure, and military targets of both sides. They committed to avoiding unprovoked fire, advances or movements of troops towards the positions or troops of the other side.
The clashes began on the Thai-Cambodian border on 7 December. According to the Cambodian Ministry of Defense, after several days of provocative actions in the border areas aimed at igniting a new round of confrontation, Thai armed forces began attacking Cambodian positions.
The Thai army said that Cambodian forces were the first to launch artillery fire on Thai positions in the border area and that Thai forces responded by attacking Cambodian military infrastructure in an attempt to establish control over key areas and inflict damage on the enemy. The number of civilian and military casualties on both sides remains controversial.