December 20, 2025 | 09:39 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono is scheduled to attend the ASEAN Ministerial Special Meeting to be held in Malaysia on Monday, December 22, 2025. The meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers is specifically designed to discuss the developments and escalation of tension between Thailand and Cambodia in the border areas of both countries.
Spokesperson I of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yvonne Mewengkang, confirmed that the meeting agenda will focus on these issues. According to Yvonne, all foreign ministers of ASEAN member states will be present.
"So, the Minister will go there, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers, and discuss the situation and escalation between our neighboring countries, Thailand and Cambodia," she said at a press conference in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Friday, December 19, 2025.
Indonesia's Commitment
Yvonne expressed Indonesia's concern over the repeated escalation of conflict between Cambodia and Thailand. During Malaysia's chairmanship of ASEAN, Indonesia reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing a peaceful resolution.
"These are our brothers; we will try our best to continue to seek a peaceful solution to this conflict escalation," said Yvonne.
She emphasized Indonesia's consistent position as a bridge builder in the region. "Indonesia's position has always been as a bridge builder on every occasion. We are not only bridging various interests, but also trying to offer solutions," she said.
Myanmar Election Observer
In addition to the Thailand-Cambodia issue, next week's ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting will also address the plan to send observers to monitor the Myanmar election. The Myanmar junta plans to hold elections at the end of December and in January. They have invited ASEAN countries to send observers.
"Regarding the election observer, this will be discussed at the ministerial meeting, as there was no specific agreement at the previous summit," said Yvonne.
Thailand-Cambodia Tensions Rise
In the latest report, as cited by Al Jazeera, the Cambodian Ministry of Defense accused the Thai military of bombing the Poipet area, the casino hub and main border crossing of the two countries.
In a statement on Thursday, December 18, the ministry mentioned that the Thai forces dropped two bombs in Poipet, Banteay Meanchey Province, around 11:00 local time. At the time of the report, Thailand had not confirmed the attack.
The Cambodian Ministry of Interior stated that at least four casinos in the country were damaged due to Thailand's attack. The recent clashes this month reportedly resulted in at least 21 deaths in Thailand and 17 in Cambodia, and caused approximately 800,000 people to be displaced.
Thailand also mentioned that 5,000 to 6,000 of its citizens were trapped in Poipet after Cambodia closed the land border crossing.
The conflict between the two countries stems from territorial boundary disputes dating back to the colonial era, spanning approximately 800 kilometers, including the locations of ancient temples in the border areas. Several international mediation efforts have been made, but the battles have resurfaced in recent months.
Read: Cambodians Protest to Demand Ceasefire in Thai Border Conflict
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