For lasting peace: Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (left) and Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet (center) shaking hands next to US president Trump on Oct 26, the day of the signing of a ceasefire deal between Cambodia and Thailand, on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur. — Reuters This article was published in thejakartapost.com with the title "". Click to read: https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2025/11/14/asean-border-challenges.html. Download The Jakarta Post app for easier and faster news access: Android: http://bit.ly/tjp-android iOS: http://bit.ly/tjp-ios
THAI Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced the indefinite suspension of all agreements with Cambodia on Nov 10, just around 16 days after United States President Donald Trump brokered a temporary truce accord between Thailand and Cambodia.
Anutin’s move has taught Asean a lesson not to allow outside interference in its internal matters. While US mediation failed, the resulting embarrassment presents an opportunity for regional leadership.
The discomfiture, however, could still become a blessing in disguise if outgoing Asean chair Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim steps forward to communicate with the two conflicting neighbors and other regional leaders.
Anwar succeeded in bringing the two warring parties in July to agree on a ceasefire solution. Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr, the regional grouping’s incoming chair, would likely agree to work with Anwar, not just to discuss the border dispute, but also to address rampant transnational crime along the border between Cambodia and Thailand, and between the border of Myanmar and China.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will be happy to assist if his two colleagues ask him to join. The regional leaders can expand the discussions to address at least two critical matters.
First, the adoption of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) solution mechanism. Three of the 10 members of Asean – Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore – have set a good example by settling their border disputes through the ICJ and accepting the court’s verdict as final and binding.
Second, the leaders must address the urgent threat of transnational crime along the borders of Thailand and Cambodia, and on the border of Myanmar with other countries, including China. Hundreds of Indonesians have fallen victims to cross-border human trafficking, some of them died.
Unfortunately, this maturity has not translated into success in mediating the Thailand-Cambodia military conflict.
The two countries are involved in a decades-long border dispute, particularly over the ownership of the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple. It is an extremely sensitive issue for the two predominantly Buddhist nations.
In 1962, the ICJ granted the temple to Cambodia, but Thailand refused to acknowledge the verdict. In 2013, the ICJ reaffirmed that the entire temple lies within Cambodian territory. Again, Thailand rejected the decision. With the ICJ’s reconfirmation, Cambodia now has the legal upper hand.
However, it functions only on paper due to Thailand’s refusal to recognise the court’s decision. Due to the domestic situation, Thailand is not likely to accept a middle-way solution. However, it does not mean that there is no chance of finding a win-win solution.
For instance, Thai people could have the freedom to perform their ritual rites in the holy shrine under a special arrangement between the two countries. This is likely an impossible mission, as top political elites in both countries frequently use this dispute to enhance their domestic political standing.
Indonesia and Malaysia have set good examples. They had overlapping sovereignty claims over the Sipadan and Ligitan islands on the Celebes Sea. As they faced a deadlock, the two parties agreed to submit their dispute to the ICJ in May 1997 for final settlement.
In 2002, the court granted the two islands to Malaysia. Dispute over.
In 2008, the ICJ ruled that Pedra Branca belongs to Singapore and Middle Rocks to Malaysia. The two countries also accepted the verdict.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled in favour of the Philippines regarding the South China Sea (SCS). The Court rejected China’s claim over nearly the whole South China Sea. Beijing rejected the court’s decision, but at least on paper the ruling strengthened Manila’s position.
In their summit in Kuala Lumpur last month, Asean leaders expressed deep concern over the increasing number of transnational crime cases, especially cybercrime, online scams, trafficking in persons (TIP), terrorism and other crimes with increasingly complex natures and severity.
For the sake of regional security and stability, we urge Anwar to push for settlement of the two key issues before Marcos officially takes over the Asean chairmanship in January next year. — The Jakarta Post/ANN
