A fragile ceasefire aimed at halting a deadly and escalating border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia has been thrown into doubt less than 24 hours after it came into effect. On the morning of July 29, the Thai military accused Cambodian forces of violating the truce through multiple armed provocations, igniting fears of renewed clashes and casting uncertainty over a peace process that had only just begun.

The truce, brokered by Malaysia and announced in the city of Putrajaya on July 28, was hailed as a diplomatic breakthrough following nearly a week of intense fighting along disputed sections of the Thai-Cambodian border. The violence had erupted in late May but flared dramatically in the past week, leading to at least 37 confirmed deaths-including both soldiers and civilians-and the displacement of over 200,000 people in rural border communities.

In a press conference held early July 29, Thai Army spokesperson Colonel Winthai Suvaree accused Cambodia of carrying out “disturbances and weapon attacks in multiple areas” shortly after the ceasefire went into effect at midnight. Suvaree insisted that Thai troops had fully complied with the agreement and that any responsive actions were undertaken “under the legitimate right of self-defense.”

He did not specify the precise nature of the alleged violations but stated that the Thai military had documented several incidents overnight involving small arms fire and alleged attempts by Cambodian forces to reposition units into contested buffer zones. These actions, according to Thai officials, constitute clear breaches of the truce’s........

© Blitz