Kuala Lampur, Aug. 1 -- As the smoke clears - however faintly - over the Thai-Cambodian frontier, a rare window for diplomatic resolve is upon Asean (again). The General Border Committee (GBC) meeting, scheduled for August 4, 2025, was initially set to be held in Phnom Penh. But in light of the acrimonious exchanges, errant artillery fire, and displaced families numbering in the hundreds of thousands, Thailand's formal request to move the GBC to neutral Malaysia is not just prudent - it is essential.

Malaysia, currently chairing Asean, must rise to the moment. For too long, border disputes in the region have been dismissed as low-intensity skirmishes, beneath the threshold of international alarm. But make no mistake: the violence between...