Thailand’s government says that it will not be pressured by foreign powers during today’s Special Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which has been called to address its ongoing border conflict with Cambodia.

Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow yesterday evening arrived in Kuala Lumpur for the discussions, the Southeast Asian bloc’s first major attempt at ending the fighting that has raged for the past two weeks along the two nations’ 817-kilometer shared border. The fighting has killed at least 40 people and displaced more than 750,000 on both sides of the border since December 7.

On Saturday, Foreign Ministry deputy spokesperson Maratee Nalita Andamo said that Cambodia must meet three conditions before Thailand will agree to a ceasefire: it must declare the ceasefire first, guarantee it is real and continuous, and cooperate in removing landmines from along the border.

“Thailand’s stance remains clear: the country seeks peace and does not pose a threat or encroach upon the sovereignty of other nations. Thailand has consistently expressed its desire for lasting peace, and Cambodia must demonstrate sincerity in this matter,” she said, according to The Nation’s paraphrase. According to the Foreign Ministry, during today’s meeting Sihasak “will reaffirm Thailand’s strong commitment to achieving peace that is genuine, sustainable, and grounded in concrete actions.”

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul struck a similarly defiant tone about the upcoming meeting and the growing desire of important outside powers for peace. “Thailand no longer believes this person or that person. Thailand believes in itself, and we will act in........

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