Trump calls up Thailand, Cambodian leaders after fresh clashes, suggests tariff threats

WASHINGTON, DC: US President Donald Trump has held telephone calls with Thailand and Cambodia and claimed he threatened the use of tariffs against the two neighbouring countries in South East Asia to “stop the war.”

Trump spoke by phone with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and the leader of Malaysia on Friday.

“I stopped the war just today through the use of tariffs – the threat of tariffs. If we didn’t have that, other countries would use tariffs on us, and we would have no fair means of fighting,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One as he travelled to Florida for the weekend, CNN reported.

“I spoke to the prime ministers of both countries and they’re doing great. I think they’re going to be fine,” he said.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he spoke with Trump and “affirmed that both countries have withdrawn their military forces from the border, in line with the approach agreed upon under the Kuala Lumpur Peace Agreement Framework.”

“Therefore, I welcome the active role of President Trump, who has also reached out to the Prime Ministers of Cambodia and Thailand to ensure that any differences are handled in an orderly manner, to guarantee regional stability and harmony,” he said in a post on social media platform X.

One person was killed and three others were injured in a cross-border clash between Thailand and Cambodia on Wednesday, with both sides blaming each other, just days after Thailand suspended a peace pact.

The Royal Thai Army denied that Thai troops had engaged in “unprovoked shooting” and said Cambodian soldiers had “fired weapons into Thai territory.”

Thai forces “took cover and returned fire toward the source using only necessary force in accordance with rules of engagement to suppress the incident, protect national sovereignty, and ensure personnel safety,” the army said on the US social media platform Facebook.

Cambodian PM Hun Manet wrote in a social media post this morning, “On behalf of Cambodian citizens, I expressed my sincere thanks to President Trump for his initiative, which contributed to the establishment of a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand, as well as for achieving the Kuala Lumpur Joint Declaration to seek lasting peace for Cambodia and Thailand.”

Cambodian news agency AKP reported that, according to Hun Manet, Trump emphasised his clear position that he wishes to see lasting peace between Cambodia and Thailand. In this regard, the President will continue to closely monitor this matter to ensure that no armed clashes recur along the Cambodia-Thailand border, the Cambodian PM said.

President Trump and Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim hosted the Prime Ministers of Thailand and Cambodia for the signing of the ‘Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords’ on October 26 this year.

Thailand suspended the deal on November 10 after a landmine blast, and the two sides traded accusations of new clashes on November 12, in which Phnom Penh said a civilian was killed. Thailand has delayed the release of 18 captured Cambodian soldiers, a key condition of the joint peace treaty.

“President Trump held calls with Thailand and Cambodia, in an effort to mediate the most recent conflict,” the White House said in a statement on Friday

“He engaged with Malaysia as well to help end the violence,” the statement as reported by Thai public broadcaster said.

Thailand and Cambodia have a long-standing dispute centred on a disagreement over their borders mapped during France’s colonial rule in the region. In July this year, the region witnessed combat along the border waged with fighter jets, missile strikes and ground troops. (ANI)