MGR Online — One year has passed since the United States mediated a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand, but analysts in Phnom Penh say Washington should play a greater diplomatic role in urging Thailand to return to stalled border negotiations and implement existing agreements.
Earlier this week, the US Embassy marked the anniversary by referring to the Kuala Lumpur Peace Agreement as a practical instrument for Cambodia and Thailand that has helped reduce tensions and prevent a return to conflict, and reaffirmed that the United States remains committed to building a lasting peace.
Cambodian analyst and lecturer at the University of Phnom Penh Tong Mengdavid commented on the US Embassy's statement, saying that American intervention played a critical role in halting the fighting last year and generated diplomatic momentum, but that the clashes in December 2025 had undermined those gains and underscored that long-term peace depends on sustained dialogue.
Mengdavid said Washington could encourage both sides to return to talks under bilateral mechanisms such as the General Border Committee and the Regional Border Committee, though he did not expect any direct pressure to be applied.
Another Cambodian political analyst, Kin Phea, went further, calling on the United States to leverage its diplomatic influence — including its seat on the United Nations Security Council — to pressure Thailand into fully complying with the ceasefire agreement and returning to negotiations.
"The only sustainable solution is dialogue based on existing agreements and international law," Kin Phea said, adding that Cambodia rejects any attempt to alter internationally recognized borders through military action.
Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly accused Thailand of violating the ceasefire agreement by installing barbed wire, placing containers, and maintaining military forces on Cambodian territory.
Government spokesperson Pen Bona reiterated that Cambodia will not accept any border changes brought about by the use of force, citing the Franco-Siamese Boundary Demarcation Commission, historical treaties, and officially recognized maps.
Cambodian analysts said that while Washington's mediation helped end the fighting, the absence of sustained dialogue leaves the peace process fragile.
