Kuala Lampur, July 30 -- The Thai-Cambodian border conflict of July 2025, which escalated into a full-scale military confrontation and displaced more than 300,000 people, may have been halted temporarily by a midnight ceasefire agreement.

Yet, beneath the apparent calm lies an asymmetrical truth: Thailand, with overwhelming military superiority, can afford to wage a war of attrition. Cambodia cannot. Thus, for Phnom Penh, peace is not merely a diplomatic choice - it is a geopolitical necessity.

The ceasefire, brokered at a moment of intense regional and global scrutiny, was welcomed across Asean. Its immediate enforcement on July 28 was a diplomatic feat, especially given the speed at which it was organised. The top brass of both nation...