Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to halt their most serious border fighting in years, ending nearly three weeks of clashes that left at least 101 people dead and forced more than half a million to flee their homes.
Under the ceasefire, which took effect at midday on 27 December, both sides will freeze troop positions and avoid any reinforcements, warning that further military movement would only deepen tensions.
The agreement follows 20 days of combat marked by artillery exchanges, rocket fire and fighter jet sorties along disputed sections of the frontier between Thailand and Cambodia. Monitoring will be carried out by observers from Association of Southeast Asian Nations, alongside direct military and political communication channels.
The violence flared again after a fragile truce, previously helped by Donald Trump and Malaysian leader Anwar Ibrahim, collapsed earlier this month. While the ceasefire allows displaced civilians to return home and includes the planned release of detained soldiers, it leaves long-running border demarcation disputes unresolved.
We can only hope that the CIA got the memo and stops stirring the pot.