Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord: Cambodia and Thailand Take a Step Toward Calm

Kuala Lumpur, 26 October 2025 — Senior leaders from Cambodia and Thailand signed the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit, and the ceremony was witnessed by President Donald Trump and Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The accord, which Hun Manet and Anutin Charnvirakul signed, was presented as a comprehensive plan to halt hostilities, and it drew immediate attention across the region.

Under the terms agreed, both sides will withdraw heavy weapons from frontline positions, carry out coordinated demining and invite an ASEAN observer team to monitor implementation. The document also calls for specific humanitarian steps, including the prompt release of 18 Cambodian soldiers, cooperation on mine clearance and joint action against transnational criminal networks. The fighting since July had displaced more than 300,000 people, and the accord is intended to allow the gradual return of civilians and the rebuilding of border towns.

Nevertheless, implementation will require sustained verification and political will, and complications may arise if any party delays action. If observers confirm withdrawals and demining, Thailand will proceed with the released prisoners as a confidence-building measure. Malaysia, in its role as ASEAN chair, facilitated the talks and hosted the signing; consequently, ASEAN mechanisms will play a central part in oversight.

Observers are expected to report on progress in the coming weeks, and officials have scheduled follow-up meetings to keep momentum. Many in affected communities hope that, should the accord hold, daily life near the frontier will slowly return to a more peaceful routine.