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Kuala Lumpur Accords

A Fragile Truce for Southeast Asia's Oldest Feud

Sunday, 26 October 2025 07:42

Abstract

A formal expansion of a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia was signed in Malaysia, bringing a temporary halt to a deadly border conflict that flared up earlier in the year. The agreement, brokered with the intervention of the United States President, includes the release of prisoners and the withdrawal of heavy weapons, though deep-seated territorial disputes remain unresolved.

Historical Context

Recent Findings

The Diplomatic Spectacle in Kuala Lumpur

The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia formalised an enhanced ceasefire agreement on Sunday, 26 October 2025, on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The ceremony was overseen by United States President Donald Trump, who had played a key role in brokering the initial truce months earlier. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his Cambodian counterpart, Hun Manet, signed the document, which Mr Trump hailed as the “Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords”. The US President described the agreement as a momentous achievement for Southeast Asia, claiming it had saved millions of lives. The signing marked the beginning of Mr Trump’s first trip to the Asia Pacific region since his re-election in January. The US President’s intervention in the conflict began in July 2025, when he reportedly threatened both nations with higher tariffs unless they ceased hostilities. This diplomatic pressure was linked to ongoing trade negotiations between Washington and the two Southeast Asian nations. Following the ceasefire ceremony, Mr Trump signed a reciprocal trade agreement with Cambodia and a separate deal with Thailand concerning critical minerals. The Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Manet, publicly thanked the US President for his efforts and nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. The ceremony itself was moved earlier in the day following the death of Thailand’s Queen Mother Sirikit on the preceding Friday.

Terms of De-escalation and Reconciliation

The agreement signed by the two prime ministers is an expansion of a fragile ceasefire that was first reached in July 2025. The core commitments of the joint declaration include an immediate cessation of all hostilities along the disputed border. A key component of the accord is the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers who had been detained by Thailand. This prisoner release was intended as a gesture of confidence and trust between the two long-time rivals. Furthermore, both the Thai and Cambodian militaries agreed to remove heavy weapons from the border area and return them to their regular installations. The deal also mandates the removal of explosives and landmines from the contested frontier. To monitor and verify the full implementation of the ceasefire, an ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) is to be deployed, with personnel drawn from member states of the regional bloc, including Malaysia. The two nations also committed to refraining from disseminating false information or ‘harmful rhetoric’ to foster an environment conducive to peace.

A Century of Contention

The conflict that erupted in 2025, which resulted in dozens of fatalities and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians, is the latest iteration of a territorial dispute that stretches back centuries. The most recent major clashes occurred between May and July 2025, involving severe fighting, artillery exchanges, and air strikes along multiple sections of the border. The modern dispute centres on the 800-kilometre frontier, particularly the area surrounding the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple. The temple, a key edifice of the Khmer Empire, is situated on the Dângrêk mountain range, which forms a natural land border between the two countries. The root of the modern conflict lies in the boundary settlements made between France, which controlled Cambodia, and Siam (Thailand) between 1904 and 1908. A topographical map produced by French officials in 1907 placed the temple on the Cambodian side of the border, deviating from the watershed line that was meant to define the frontier. In 1962, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague ruled that the temple itself belonged to Cambodia. The ICJ reaffirmed Cambodia’s sovereignty over the temple in 2013. However, the frontier around the site remains in dispute, with Thailand claiming a 4.6 square kilometre area around the temple. The dispute escalated significantly in 2008 when Cambodia successfully sought to register Preah Vihear as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a move Thailand objected to on the grounds that the application included land it claimed as its own.

The Unresolved Line of Demarcation

Despite the high-profile signing ceremony and the immediate de-escalation measures, significant scepticism remains regarding the long-term prospects for peace. The Thai government, in particular, has been cautious about the nature of the agreement. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul referred to the document as a ‘declaration’ focused on the border, rather than a final ‘peace deal’. He stressed that the agreement was merely the beginning of a peace process. The Thai side has insisted that four conditions must be met for lasting peace, including the removal of heavy weapons and landmines, the closing of illegal scam centres, and, most critically, the proper demarcation of the border. The unresolved demarcation of the border remains the fundamental point of contention that has fuelled the conflict for decades. While Cambodia has been more amenable to the US-led mediation, Thailand, a US treaty ally with a stronger military, has historically resisted outside intervention in the dispute. The diplomatic success of the Kuala Lumpur signing, therefore, represents a crucial step in managing the conflict’s immediate military dimension, but it does not resolve the underlying territorial claims that have plagued the relationship between the two neighbours for over a century.

Conclusion

The formalisation of the enhanced ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, witnessed by the US President, represents a significant diplomatic achievement that has successfully de-escalated a deadly military confrontation. The immediate terms of the agreement, including the release of prisoners and the withdrawal of heavy weaponry, provide a necessary foundation for rebuilding trust between Phnom Penh and Bangkok. However, the core issue of the disputed border demarcation, particularly around the Preah Vihear temple, remains a political and historical flashpoint that the current accord has not resolved. The long-term success of the 'Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords' will ultimately depend not on the spectacle of the signing, but on the painstaking, bilateral work required to finally draw a mutually acceptable line on the map, a challenge that has defeated generations of diplomats.

References

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    Provides historical context on the border dispute, the role of the 1904-1908 boundary settlements, the 1962 ICJ ruling, and the 4.6 square kilometre disputed area.

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    Details the 1907 French map, the 2008 UNESCO World Heritage site application, and the resulting escalation of the dispute.

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    Provides details on the severity of the May-July 2025 clashes, including air strikes, artillery, casualties, and civilian displacement, and the 2013 ICJ reaffirmation.

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    Confirms the temple's location, the 1962 and 2013 ICJ rulings, the 2008 UNESCO listing, and the 1904 Franco-Siamese treaty.

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    Details the terms of the deal (heavy weapons withdrawal, landmines, prisoner release, ASEAN observers), Trump's quote about saving lives, the date (Oct 26, 2025), and Thai scepticism/conditions for lasting peace, including demarcation.

  8. Trump hails peace deal between Thailand and Cambodia - Bangkok Post

    Confirms the signing date, location (ASEAN summit in Malaysia), participants (Anutin, Hun Manet, Trump), Trump's 'Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords' branding, the prisoner release, the trade/minerals deals, the five-day clash context, and the Thai distinction between 'peace deal' and 'declaration'.

  9. Trump witnesses Thailand, Cambodia sign peace expansion months after brokering ceasefire | Fox News

    Confirms the signing of the expanded ceasefire, the role of Trump's tariff threat in July, the casualties/displacement, the participants, and the terms (prisoner release, heavy weapons removal).

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    Confirms the expanded ceasefire, the July conflict, the role of Trump's tariff threat, the prisoner release, the heavy weapons removal, the disputed 800-kilometre frontier, and the signing of the trade and critical minerals deals.

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    Confirms the signing date, the participants, the terms (prisoner release, heavy weapons removal), the July truce, Trump's tariff leverage, and the signing of the trade/minerals deals.

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    Confirms the signing of the enhanced ceasefire on Sunday, October 26, 2025, in the presence of Donald Trump at the ASEAN summit.

  13. Regional Truce: Enhanced Ceasefire Signed by Thai and Cambodian PMs at ASEAN Summit, Trump Witnesses - Nation Thailand

    Details the core commitments (heavy weapons removal, AOT deployment, prisoner release), the commitment to refrain from harmful rhetoric, and Hun Manet's nomination of Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

  14. Thailand, Cambodia to cease all hostilities at disputed border in 'peace deal' signing witnessed by Trump - CNA

    Confirms the 'Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord' name, the agreement to cease all hostilities, the release of 18 detained soldiers, the role of ASEAN observers, and the presence of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.