US committed to supporting enduring border peace, JBC mechanism

Michael George DeSombre (left), US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, met with foreign minister Prak Sokhonn in November 2025. Foreign ministry

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A senior US official has stated that the US is ready to provide support to Cambodia and Thailand, if needed, on demarcation through the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), a bilateral mechanism. He expected that the Thai government that is formed after the February elections will implement the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord and other agreements.

“We obviously stand by to provide support as required, but our understanding is that this will be resolved bilaterally between the two countries. And we’re optimistic that under the current KL accords and the underlying documents that this will be done,” Michael George DeSombre, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said, in a January 9 online press briefing, in reference to the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord that was brokered by US President Trump.

“It obviously is a challenging process, but it looks like it they’re moving in the right direction,” he added.

Last week, Cambodia requested that Thailand agree to a JBC meeting in Siem Reap province this week. Following Thailand’s refusal, it has asked for a meeting in the third week of January.

DeSombre said that the most important thing is to prevent further conflict, noting that the US has spent a lot of time and effort on this.

“We are optimistic that the fighting has now ceased and will no longer affect civilian populations. What’s important now is that the ceasefire has been achieved and peace will be maintained and so that’s what we’re focusing on at the moment,” he explained.

Thailand will hold an election in February and DeSombre expected that the KL accord and other agreement with Cambodia will be respected by the new Thai government.

He also viewed the role of the ASEAN Observer Teams (AOT) as significant in maintaining peace between Thailand and Cambodia.

“We’re optimistic that ASEAN will be able to play a larger role and the use of the innovative AOTs as part of maintaining this peace. Hopefully it will be a precedent that can be adopted in… in future situations as well,” he said.

When asked how the US can play a role in ensuring Thailand’s withdrawal from Cambodian territory and resume Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) talks to start demarcation, DeSombre said the solution would start with both countries keeping peace.

“We are optimistic that both Thailand and Cambodia now desire to keep the peace and to ultimately resolve their border disputes. This will entail significant effort by both Thailand and Cambodia, and will probably take a significant amount of time, but we are optimistic that they’re now desirous to do that and will follow through with that,” he said.

Although Thailand is a strategic ally of the US, DeSombre said the respect of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord enable the US to resume sort of its relationship at the appropriate levels with both Thailand and Cambodia.

Regarding an explosion at Bom Bei area on January 6, which Cambodia described as an accident, DeSombre said it was apparently an accidental ordinance and that both militaries had communicated over the issue.

“The way that the two countries dealt with it really indicates the strength and the more likely retention of this ceasefire. It was resolved between the military commanders on the site, talking to each other and deciding that everything was okay,” he said.

-The Phnom Penh Post-