One year after the first round of fighting erupted along the Cambodia–Thailand border on July 24, difficult questions remain. Although the ceasefire continues to hold, analysts warn that it remains fragile.
Ambassador Pou Sothirak, former minister of Industry, Mines and Energy and distinguished advisor to the Cambodian Center for Regional Studies (CCRS), said that despite the guns falling silent, hostile rhetoric persists and the risk of renewed clashes has not disappeared.
Sothirak said both countries continue to blame each other on multiple fronts, making it difficult to determine where responsibility lies.
“In fact, it should not be about who’s right and who’s wrong. Both sides should recommit themselves to a peaceful settlement of the dispute,” he said.
According to Sothirak, Cambodia has consistently relied on ASEAN’s good offices and mediation, while also welcoming support from both the US-led and China-led mechanisms, all of which have promoted a peaceful resolution to the dispute.
By contrast, he said the Thai side, particularly the military, has maintained that preserving peace cannot come at the expense of sovereignty, arguing that Thailand cannot refrain from military action if it believes its territorial integrity is under threat.
With Cambodia pursuing compulsory conciliation under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Sothirak said the process will be closely watched. However, he cautioned that diplomatic efforts can only succeed in preventing future clashes if both countries participate in good faith and remain genuinely committed to a peaceful resolution.
“Thailand should consider this process a win-win—not just for Cambodia, but for Thailand as well, because it could provide stronger legal assurance that its sovereignty is reaffirmed under UNCLOS,” he said.