Thailand announced on Monday that it is suspending the implementation of a recently signed peace agreement with Cambodia following a landmine explosion that injured two Thai soldiers near the border.
The blast occurred in Thailand’s Sisaket province, leaving one soldier with a severe leg injury and another suffering chest pains, according to a statement from the Royal Thai Army.
Government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat said Bangkok would halt “the follow-up to the joint declaration” referring to the peace accord signed in Kuala Lumpur in late October.
Peace Agreement
The deal, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, was intended to solidify a ceasefire reached in July after border clashes that killed at least 43 people and displaced more than 300,000 civilians on both sides.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters, “We thought that the security threat had eased, but it has not actually decreased.”
Under the agreement, Thailand was expected to release 18 Cambodian soldiers detained during the July conflict. Future steps also included mine-clearing operations, the withdrawal of heavy weapons, and monitoring by ASEAN-appointed ceasefire teams.
The Cambodian Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to the latest incident but reaffirmed its “unwavering commitment to peace” in a separate statement. Cambodia has previously denied Thai allegations of planting new landmines along the border.
The century-old border dispute between the two Southeast Asian neighbours reignited in July when Thailand accused Cambodia of deploying landmines that injured its troops. Although a truce has largely held since July 29, both sides have exchanged accusations of ceasefire violations.
