ASEAN Foreign Ministers Gather in Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim Wants to Find a Peaceful Way to the Thailand-Cambodia Conflict

JAKARTA - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed hope that a special meeting of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) held in Malaysia could end the armed conflict between Thailand and Cambodia.

Anwar, who serves as the rotating chairman of ASEAN, hopes that the meeting can be a constructive forum for the two countries to engage in open dialogue.

He emphasized the importance of resolving conflicts peacefully for the stability of the Southeast Asian region.

"This meeting is expected to be a proper and constructive platform for both countries to engage in open negotiations, resolve differences peacefully, and reach a just and sustainable solution," Anwar said in his statement, quoted via Antara, Monday, December 22.

ASEAN foreign ministers are scheduled to meet in Malaysia on Monday, December 22 to discuss the renewed conflict on the Thai-Cambodian border, which has reportedly killed at least 40 people.

Thailand and Cambodia attended the meeting after Anwar revealed that he had direct communication with partners from both countries, namely the Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand Anutin Charnvirakul and the Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Manet.

Tensions have escalated again after Bangkok suspended a peace agreement signed by Phnom Penh in October. The agreement was previously mediated by Anwar with US President Donald Trump, following a landmine incident that injured a number of Thai soldiers and was accused of being planted by Cambodia.

The border conflict between the two countries has been ongoing in recent months. In May, a Cambodian soldier was reportedly killed by Thai forces. The subsequent clashes in July again killed dozens of people.

At the end of July, the two countries agreed to a ceasefire and signed a peace agreement which was later extended in October. However, the escalation of tensions along the border continued and caused hundreds of thousands of people to be forced to flee the conflict area.