Cambodia welcomes ceasefire proposal as Malaysia, U.S. mediate

Cambodia has welcomed a ceasefire proposal put forward by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as Malaysia and the United States step up diplomatic efforts to ease renewed border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Saturday in a social media post that Cambodia supports Anwar's proposal for a ceasefire to take effect later that evening, to be monitored by an ASEAN observer team with U.S. participation.

Earlier in the day, Anwar said he had spoken separately with the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia to convey Malaysia's serious concern over the escalating situation. He urged both sides to exercise maximum restraint, immediately halt hostilities and refrain from any further military action from 10 p.m. on December 13.

Anwar added that Malaysia, as the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), will convene a Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the near future to assess the situation and support de-escalation efforts.

The Malaysian prime minister also disclosed that he had received a phone call from U.S. President Donald Trump, during which they discussed the border conflict, bilateral relations and broader global issues. Anwar said he outlined Malaysia's role in encouraging both countries to return to dialogue through bilateral channels and ASEAN mechanisms.

Malaysia stands ready to support efforts to de-escalate tensions, protect civilians and help restore regional stability in line with ASEAN's principle of good neighborliness, he said.

Despite the diplomatic push, the security situation on the ground has continued to worsen. Thai media reported on Saturday that the Royal Thai Air Force deployed two F-16 fighter jets to carry out strikes near the Cambodian border.

Cambodian Minister of Information Neth Pheaktra said the airstrikes hit a hotel and two bridges near the Thmor Da checkpoint in Veal Veng District, Pursat Province. He accused Thai forces of expanding attacks to include civilian targets, residential villages and critical civilian infrastructure.

According to Pheaktra, Thai military operations have resulted in 11 civilian deaths and 59 injuries as of Friday. Across five provinces, nearly 89,700 families – more than 303,000 people – have been displaced. 

He called on Thailand to immediately cease military actions against Cambodia and its civilian infrastructure, stressing that Cambodia remains committed to peace, dialogue and international law.

Hun Manet and Thailand's caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul both held separate phone calls with Trump on Friday. Trump later said the two leaders had agreed to a ceasefire effective Friday evening, a claim that was subsequently denied by the Thai side.

In a social media post on Saturday, Anutin said Thailand would continue military operations until its territory and people are no longer under threat.

Clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border have intensified since December 7, with heavy shelling reported in multiple areas. Both sides have accused each other of firing first. The latest fighting follows earlier confrontations in July, when border clashes left hundreds of people injured and forced more than 100,000 residents to flee their homes.

Efforts to stabilize the situation had previously shown progress. On August 7, Thailand and Cambodia reached a ceasefire agreement during a special meeting of their Joint Boundary Commission in Kuala Lumpur, agreeing to maintain existing troop deployments and refrain from reinforcing border forces. On October 26, the two countries signed a joint statement on peace on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit.