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Monday marked one year since the signing of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord, with the U.S. Secretary of State reaffirming Washington’s commitment to the agreement, which he described as a significant diplomatic achievement.
Although the December ceasefire has largely held, tensions have persisted, with Cambodia alleging that Thai troops continue to illegally occupy its territory and Thailand denying, leaving the border issue unresolved.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said a year ago today President Donald Trump brought the two countries together to sign the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord, as the U.S. works with both sides to support the implementation of the agreement and make the promise of lasting peace a reality for the people of both nations.
“The Accords demonstrated the power of American diplomacy to resolve the conflict and laid the foundation for peace between Cambodia and Thailand,” Rubio said in the statement.
He added that Trump played a key role in brokering the late-July ceasefire after five days of border clashes that killed dozens and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
On October 26 last year, the declaration committed both governments to military de-escalation, removing heavy weapons from border areas, confidence-building measures, humanitarian demining and ASEAN observations.
“We reaffirm our commitment to the settlement of border dispute and border demarcation through peaceful means and international law,” Prime Minister Hun Manet stated on his Facebook Monday in conjunction with the first anniversary of the peace agreement.
He thanked Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for their role and support for a peaceful resolution to the border dispute.
But border tensions have continued with Cambodia protesting, issuing 60 diplomatic notes since the Thai military attack in July 2025 against the latter’s illegal occupation of territories on Cambodia’s side.
In a latest incident, Thailand allegedly violated Cambodia’s sovereignty in Oddar Meanchey province between boundary pillar 9, 10 and 11, using heavy machinery to build roads in Tam Rum area, as well as spraying red paint on trees to mark boundary pillars for further road construction, the Foreign Affairs Ministry stated on October 24.
Government spokesperson Pen Bona said that Thailand continues to violate the agreements through activities in areas along the border that Cambodia considers its sovereign territory.
Cambodia has repeatedly lodged formal protests to demonstrate its rejection and to preserve its legal position in future border negotiations.
“This protest reflects Cambodia’s position of not agreeing to activities that it considers a violation of Cambodia’s sovereign territory,” he said.
“The protest document is very important. It is indispensable in solving future border issues under international law because if we do not protest, it means we agree to their activities,” Bona said.
He said that Cambodia will continue pursuing diplomatic and international efforts to resolve the dispute fairly, based on recognized maps, technical evidence, agreements, and international law.
Nhem Vanny, a displaced resident in Preah Vihear province, said that she is still waiting to return home, following last year’s ceasefire, as uncertainty over lasting peace and a lack of employment continue to affect her livelihood.
“I haven’t returned home yet,” she said, adding that they face difficulties as they don’t have a job.
“We haven’t achieved full peace yet. However, I thank Prime Minister Hun Manet’s efforts to seek peace in Malaysia,” she added.
Cambodian Asia-Pacific geopolitical analyst Seng Vanly said while the KL Peace Accord reduced major military clashes and restored communication between Cambodia and Thailand, mutual distrust and recurring allegations of ceasefire violations continue to threaten the fragile peace.
“Deep-seated distrust and recurring accusations of minor ceasefire violations continue to create friction, showing how fragile the peace remains without deeper diplomatic work,” he mentioned.
He said to resolve further escalation, both countries should establish impartial monitoring mechanisms by setting up independent third-party monitoring teams, use satellite imagery to verify border incidents, and strengthen direct military communication.
“This prevents minor misunderstandings or isolated standoffs from escalating into wider conflicts,” Vanly added.
Thai Defense Ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said that several incidents happened since the signing of the Peace Accord, notably the second round of confrontation in December which led to the signing of the Joint Statement on December 27, 2025.
“We have moved a long way from the Peace Accord. The actions that both sides need now to follow should be what is written in the Joint Statement as it is the most recent agreed document by both sides,” he told CamboJA News.
He said one should weigh how much action over the issues in the latest document, such as humanitarian demining and countering scammers have been taken.
Foreign Affairs spokesperson Chann Rotana could not be reached for comment.