Academics: The mediation by the chair country to promote the ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia shows that ASEAN still has regional influence

Thailand and Cambodia reached a ceasefire on the fifth day of their border conflict. Although ASEAN’s role was not apparent in the early stages, Malaysia, the current Asean chair, actively mediated and facilitated the ceasefire, demonstrating that ASEAN still holds some regional influence. Asst Prof Teo Li-Shan, from NTU’s RSIS said that Malaysia’s willingness and activeness in facilitating negotiations show that the ASEAN chair can play a constructive role in regional security, especially among member states. Asst Prof Loh Ming Hui, from NTU's PPGA, added that the talks were made possible by both Thailand and Cambodia’s interest in de-escalation, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s active mediation, and the influence exerted by both the United States and China.

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