Top defense officials from Cambodia and Thailand convened in Malaysia on Thursday to finalize a permanent ceasefire, marking an official end to hostilities following a violent five-day border conflict that ended with an unconditional truce in late July.
The two Southeast Asian neighbors witnessed their most intense clashes in over a decade last month, involving artillery exchanges and airstrikes that killed at least 43 people and displaced over 300,000 civilians on both sides of the border.
Despite urgent diplomatic efforts from China and Malaysia, the fighting persisted for several days before the temporary ceasefire was brokered.
The current talks in Malaysia are expected to produce a formal agreement to prevent further escalation and stabilize the border region.
