Border Tensions Ease, but Challenges Remain

A shaky peace has taken hold between Thailand and Cambodia. The two nations have managed to keep a ceasefire going for three days. This is a small win after weeks of fighting. The conflict has caused a lot of damage. Over 100 people have died. More than half a million have been forced to leave their homes. The fighting started again this month. It came after a previous peace deal fell apart. That deal was helped by U. S. President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The current ceasefire was agreed upon by both countries' defense ministers. It started last Saturday. Under the deal, Thailand was supposed to release 18 Cambodian soldiers. These soldiers have been held since July. But as of Tuesday afternoon, there's no news on their release. Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow spoke about the situation. He said the ceasefire is still fragile. Both sides need to work to keep it going. He warned against any actions that could cause more problems.There have been some issues already. The Thai army said Cambodia broke the ceasefire. They claimed Cambodia flew over 250 drones into Thailand. This happened on Sunday night. Thailand threatened to not release the detained soldiers because of this. Cambodia denied the accusations. They even banned the use of drones in their country. There's another problem too. A Thai soldier lost a limb in a landmine blast. This happened on Monday. The Thai Foreign Ministry protested to Cambodia about it. Landmines have been a big part of the conflict. China got involved as well. Their Foreign Minister met with both Thailand and Cambodia. They agreed to work on rebuilding trust. They also agreed to make the ceasefire stronger.