By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – UN head António Guterres on Monday has welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Cambodia and Thailand after days of deadly violence over their mutual border dispute.
Mr. Guterres noted that the deal was announced by Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, current chair of the ASEAN and was due to take effect at midnight local time.
UN aid partners said that the clashes began on 24 July which displaced over 130,000 people in Thailand and over 4,000 in Cambodia
Over 40 people were killed and some 200 injured, media reported which cited Thai and Cambodian sources
Security Council met behind closed doors to discuss the crisis, which goes back decades.
UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement issued in New York that Mr. Guterres hailed the ceasefire “as a positive step towards ending current hostilities and easing tensions”.
He urged both countries “to respect the agreement fully and to create an environment conducive to addressing long-standing issues and achieving lasting peace.
Guterres commended Malaysia, the current ASEAN Chair, as well as the United States and China, for their dedicated efforts towards the peaceful resolution of the situation.
Media reported that Prime Minister Ibrahim of Malaysia mediated talks between the sides at his official residence near the country’s capital, Kuala Lumpur.
The statement underlined that the UN stands ready to support efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region.
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