Thailand accuses Cambodia of breaking newly signed ceasefire deal

Thailand’s army has accused Cambodia of breaching a newly signed ceasefire deal reached after weeks of deadly clashes that forced nearly one million people from their homes.

In a statement, the Thai army said more than 250 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were detected flying from the Cambodian side on Sunday night.

The ceasefire took effect at noon local time (05:00 GMT) on Saturday. Both sides agreed to freeze the front lines where they are now, ban reinforcements and allow civilians living in border areas to return as soon as possible.

It had been seen as a breakthrough, which came after days of talks between both countries, with diplomatic encouragement from China and the US.

In a statement on Monday, the Royal Thai Army said Cambodia’s actions “constitute provocation and a violation of measures aimed at reducing tensions”, adding that they were “inconsistent” with the terms of the ceasefire.

It also said it “may need to reconsider” the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers held in Thailand since July.

Thailand would be “obliged to act in accordance… [if] violations of agreements and national sovereignty continue”, it added.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn described the incident as “a small issue related to flying drones seen by both sides along the border line,” according to AFP news agency.

It comes just hours after China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi praised the “hard-won” ceasefire, and US President Donald Trump praised the “rapid and fair conclusion”.

The dispute between Thailand and Cambodia is not new, dating back more than a century.

The latest tensions ramped up earlier this year, after a group of Cambodian women sang patriotic songs in a disputed temple.

A Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash in May. This plunged relations between the countries to their lowest point in more than a decade.

There were five days of intense fighting along the border, which left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead. Thousands more civilians were displaced.

A fragile ceasefire deal was agreed in July and signed in October. It then collapsed earlier this month, when fresh clashes erupted.

Both sides blamed each other for the breakdown of the truce.