Trump Urges Thailand to Reaffirm Commitment to Cambodian Ceasefire with Tariff Warnings
Washington has exerted influence on Thailand to recommit to a ceasefire agreement with the Cambodian side, indicating that trade talks could be suspended as attempts are made to prevent a Donald Trump-brokered peace agreement from collapsing.
Rising Border Hostilities
Earlier this week, Thailand declared it was suspending the ceasefire deal, alleging Cambodian forces of laying fresh landmines along the shared border, among them an incident that reportedly injured a Thai soldier on duty, who lost a foot in the blast.
Since then, a fatality occurred and several others wounded by exchanges of fire along the border between the two nations, sparking fears of a new round of retaliatory clashes.
US Trade Pressure
On Saturday, a Thai foreign ministry spokesperson informed reporters that a letter from the U.S. trade office announcing the pause in trade negotiations was received on the previous evening.
The spokesperson referenced the document as stating that trade negotiations – which are focusing on a 19 percent American duty – could restart once the Thai government reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the joint ceasefire declaration.
“Tariff negotiations will continue and remain separate from border issues,” said another government spokesperson.
Trump’s Tariff Threat
Speaking to the press aboard the presidential plane as he traveled to the Sunshine State on Friday, Trump implied that he had employed tariff warnings in calls with the south-east Asian leaders.
He stated, “I stopped a war just today through the use of tariffs, the threat of tariffs,” adding, “they are performing well. I believe they will be okay.”
Truce Deal Origins
The President witnessed the finalization of a ceasefire agreement, held in Malaysia this last autumn, and has promoted it as one of multiple agreements around the globe he claims should win him the Nobel Peace prize.
The worst fighting in a decade between military forces of both nations broke out 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 conflicts regarding maps from the colonial period created by French cartographers. Historic shrines along the frontier are disputed by each nation.
International news agency contributed to this report.
