Trump Pressures the Thai government to Reaffirm Commitment to Cambodian Truce with Trade Penalties
Washington has exerted influence on the Thai administration to recommit to a truce deal with the Cambodian side, stating that trade talks could be paused as efforts are made to stop a Trump-mediated peace agreement from falling apart.
Rising Border Hostilities
Earlier this week, Thailand declared it was putting on hold the ceasefire deal, alleging Cambodian forces of laying fresh landmines along the mutual frontier, among them an incident that reportedly injured a Thai military personnel on patrol, who lost a foot in the blast.
Following this, a fatality occurred and several others wounded by exchanges of fire along the border between the two nations, raising concerns of a new round of tit-for-tat fighting.
American Economic Leverage
Over the weekend, a Thai foreign ministry spokesperson informed reporters that a letter from the U.S. trade office announcing the suspension of trade deal talks was obtained on Friday night.
The spokesperson referenced the document as saying that discussions on trade – which are focusing on a 19 percent American duty – could resume once the Thai government renewed its pledge to carrying out the joint ceasefire declaration.
“Trade talks are ongoing and distinct from frontier matters,” said another government spokesperson.
President’s Economic Warning
Speaking to the press aboard the presidential plane as he flew to Florida on the end of the week, Trump suggested that he had employed tariff warnings in calls with the ASEAN nation heads.
The US president said, “I stopped a war just today through the use of tariffs, the threat of tariffs,” continuing, “they are performing well. I believe they will be okay.”
Ceasefire Agreement Background
Trump oversaw the signing of a ceasefire agreement, held in Malaysia this October, and has promoted it as one of multiple agreements around the globe he says should win him the Nobel Peace prize.
The most severe clashes in a ten years between Thai and Cambodian troops erupted in July, with gunfire, artillery and airstrikes leaving dozens of people killed and hundreds of thousands forced to flee.
Historic Frontier Conflict
The two neighboring countries have a longstanding border dispute that originates from disagreements over maps from the colonial period drawn up by the French. Historic shrines along the border are disputed by each nation.
International news agency contributed to this report.
