Bangkok
US President Donald Trump has written to Thailand’s prime minister urging negotiations with Cambodia to resolve simmering border tensions, Thai leader Anutin Charnvirakul said Thursday. The letter follows Trump’s involvement in brokering a ceasefire in July, after the deadliest military clashes in decades left more than 40 people dead and forced 300,000 from their homes.
President Trump has sent a letter to me expressing his wish to see both countries, Thailand and Cambodia, negotiate to find a solution to the conflict, Anutin told reporters. He said Thailand was ready to join talks if Cambodia met key demands, including the withdrawal of heavy weapons, the removal of landmines, action against online scammers, and the relocation of Cambodian citizens from villages Thailand claims as its own.
The ceasefire, partially brokered by Trump after five days of fighting, has been marred by accusations of repeated violations from both sides. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has since nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, praising his innovative diplomacy that helped end the clashes.
Anutin, however, dismissed any suggestion that the nomination would sway Bangkok. I only care about Thailand’s interests, the safety of Thai people and the nation’s sovereignty, he said. Asked about Trump’s role as a mediator, he added pointedly: While Thailand and Cambodia share a border, the mediator is on another continent. Trump’s letter comes as both nations weigh their next steps in a dispute that continues to test regional stability.
