ASEAN foreign ministers meet to address Cambodia-Thailand border tensions, seeking ceasefire and resumed dialogue despite ongoing conflict
PETALING JAYA: While a full resolution is unlikely, today’s Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting could at least secure a ceasefire and reopen talks between the General Border Committees of Thailand and Cambodia, analysts say.
Nusantara Academy of Strategic Research senior fellow Prof Dr Azmi Hassan said the meeting being held at the foreign minister level highlights the work still required on the ground, particularly along the disputed border.
He cautioned against setting overly high expectations but said if talks proceed smoothly, there may be no need to escalate the matter to the prime ministerial level.
“The most important outcome would be for a ceasefire to be agreed upon by the foreign ministers.
Thailand agreed to attend the meeting to demonstrate the realities on the ground, while Cambodia also wants Asean’s involvement and without it, might have sought the intervention of the global community due to military pressure from Thailand.”
Azmi said the most realistic outcome would be for the General Border Committees of Thailand and Cambodia to resume dialogue, a key step in preventing further escalation.
“This step is very important as it will help prevent the situation from escalating further.”
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Centre for Development, Social and Environment, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities Prof Dr Novel Lyndon said both countries agreeing to Asean-facilitated talks shows diplomatic channels remain open despite ongoing tensions.
“This makes the meeting a feasible conflict-management intervention, even if it cannot serve as a full conflict-resolution mechanism.”
Lyndon added that Asean’s credibility lies in preventing escalation rather than imposing solutions, noting that the Cambodia–Thailand case highlights the bloc’s limits and the risk of being sidelined due to direct interstate tensions and external involvement by major powers.
Based on Asean’s track record, he said success should be defined realistically, as the bloc has never enforced binding outcomes in interstate disputes but has facilitated ceasefires, joint statements and monitoring arrangements.
“A successful outcome would include formal reaffirmation of restraint by both parties, agreement to sustain dialogue under Asean guidance and acceptance of confidence-building or observer mechanisms,” he said, stressing that these align with Asean’s historical role in de-escalation rather than adjudication.
Lyndon emphasised that Asean-led meetings are effective at containing disputes but weak as enforcement tools.
“Historical evidence shows that such meetings help keep conflicts within diplomatic channels, prevent isolation and reduce the risk of uncontrolled escalation.
However, they rarely produce decisive outcomes because Asean lacks coercive authority and relies on voluntary compliance. This pattern has been consistent across issues ranging from territorial disputes to internal political crises within member states.”
He added that from a political sociology perspective, these outcomes still matter as they maintain Asean’s relevance, signal collective concern, and stabilise regional expectations.
“We have to understand the main role of Asean is to encourage mutual respect and non-interference, which reduces conflicts in the region.”
Today, Malaysia will host the special meeting of Asean foreign ministers in Kuala Lumpur to address the Cambodia–Thailand situation, chaired by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. The session follows a decision by the prime ministers of Malaysia, Cambodia, and Thailand on Dec 11.
Border tensions flared in July, resulting in several days of armed clashes before a ceasefire was agreed on July 28. Both countries later signed the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord on Oct 26 during the 47th Asean Summit.
However, hostilities have resurfaced in recent weeks, causing fatalities and displacing thousands of residents.
