BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH/HANOI - Regional army commanders of Thailand and Cambodia met Tuesday morning in border areas, discussing the implementation of the ceasefire reached a day earlier, both sides confirmed.
Thai army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree said on Tuesday that regional army commanders of Thailand and Cambodia held meetings earlier in the day and agreed to a ceasefire and a freeze on troop movements ahead of the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting scheduled for Aug 4.
The spokesperson added that a ceasefire had already been in effect along the Thai-Cambodian border before the meetings.
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Meanwhile, Cambodian Ministry of National Defense's Spokesperson, Lieutenant General Maly Socheata, said in a press briefing Tuesday that the commanders of Cambodian military region 5 and the Thai military region 1 held a meeting for more than 10 minutes.
"Both sides agreed to respect the ceasefire and stop increasing the number of troops in order to avoid confrontation and tension," she said. "They also agreed to reconnect communication and provide information to each other."
The exchange of gunfire between Cambodian and Thai soldiers over disputed border areas began on July 24, and a ceasefire was reached on July 28.
Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said earlier on Tuesday that the Thai-Cambodian border is now calm following small clashes after the ceasefire came into effect as agreed by the two governments.
In response to reports of continued exchange of fire at the borders after the ceasefire, Phumtham said it could be caused by undisciplined Cambodian soldiers and that the Thai side has responded proportionately, and the situation "is calm now."
On the same day, Socheata said armed clashes over disputed border areas had ended and denied reports that Cambodian troops had violated the truce.
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"On behalf of the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense, I would like to reject the statement of the Thai army spokesperson that claimed that fighting occurred, violating the ceasefire agreement," she said.
Socheata said the Cambodian armed forces have strictly implemented the ceasefire agreement that took effect since midnight on Monday.
The situation of the Cambodia-Thailand border has eased after a ceasefire took effect from midnight on Monday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Tuesday morning.
In a post on his official social media platforms, Hun Manet said, "The frontline has eased after a ceasefire took effect from Monday midnight in accordance with the spirit of the agreement between Cambodia and Thailand at a special meeting in Malaysia."
Thai and Cambodian leaders have agreed to implement a ceasefire starting midnight on Monday, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said following a meeting on Monday hosted by him in Malaysia.
Vietnam welcomes ceasefire deal
In Hanoi, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son on Monday welcomed the ceasefire agreement.
Speaking at a reception here to mark the 30th anniversary of Vietnam's membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Son praised the consensus reached in Malaysia just hours earlier, particularly the decision to implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
He said this is an extremely important first step toward easing tensions and restoring peace and security, adding that in today's increasingly complex global environment, it is more critical than ever for ASEAN to enhance cooperation with its partners to promote dialogue, diplomacy, international law, and multilateralism.
