The announcement of a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia on Monday was greeted with relief by the people of both countries, after days of having to seek refuge due to escalating cross-border fighting.
But hopes of seeing lasting peace were dashed when Thailand accused Cambodia of "deliberately" violating the ceasefire just hours after it came into effect.
The peace agreement, signed in Malaysia, was supposed to take effect at midnight on Monday, after both countries came under diplomatic and economic pressure from US President Donald Trump.
The fighting, which has erupted since Thursday, has claimed at least 41 lives and forced more than 260,000 people to flee their homes.
According to the Thai military, several attacks were allegedly launched by Cambodia as early as Tuesday morning, but the Cambodian Defense Ministry denied the accusations, insisting that its side was fully complying with the terms of the ceasefire.
Following the incident, the military leaders of both countries held an emergency meeting at the border and agreed to stop the movement of personnel, curb any provocations and establish a coordination team ahead of the Joint Border Committee meeting in Cambodia on August 4.
The situation in the border area is now reported to be calming down, with some residents starting to return to their homes. However, the atmosphere is still clouded by concern because residents are not yet completely convinced that tensions will not recur.
The question now is, how committed are both sides to this peace agreement?
Or was the agreement actually made to be violated?
