Anwar Reassures Thailand, Offers to Mediate Renewed Border Dispute with Cambodia
Kuala Lumpur isโฃ offering to hostโ fresh peace talks betweenโข Thailand and Cambodia as tensions resurface along their contested โborder, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirmed this weekend.The offer โcomes after both nations requested Malaysia’s assistance in de-escalating the long-running dispute.
the 817km land border between Thailand and Cambodia remains largely undemarcated,โ aโ legacy of a 1907 map drawn during French colonial rule. This ambiguity has fueledโ over a century โฃofโ sovereignty claims and, recently, violent clashes. Fighting in July resultedโ in at least 48 deaths and displaced an estimated 300,000 โpeople. โขLandmines in the disputed areas โhave โalso โcontributed to the instability, injuring at least seven Thai soldiers since July 16th.
While an initial truce was brokeredโ in late July through โฃthe intervention ofโ diplomatic efforts led by โฃAnwar,alongside former โขUS President Donald Trump and Chinese diplomats,a formal peace agreement – the “KL Peace โฃAccord” – was signed in โOctober on the sidelines of โฃthe 47th ASEAN Summit. Both Anwar and Trump were present as witnesses to the accord.
Though, tensions have as flared again, prompting Malaysia to step forward with an offer to facilitate renewedโ dialog. Malaysian Foreign โMinisterโข Mohamad Hasan stated on โขNovember 14thโ that bothโค Thailand and Cambodia had directly requested Kuala Lumpur as โa venue for talks.
Addressingโ concerns about potentialโ interference, โAnwar emphasized Malaysia’sโ neutral position. โค”I don’t know about the internal politics or domestic โpolitics ther to โsuggest โขthat we interfered,” he โsaid during a press conference. โ”Our friendsโข in Thailand โฃmust not misunderstand โthis. โOur interest is just โto help them achieve peace.โค On the contrary, we mustโค remain committed to our initial position on what is โhappening there.”
Anwar anticipates โฃthe border disputeโค willโข be discussed during an upcoming visitโ by Thai Prime Ministerโข Anutin Charnvirakul on November 26th.