Trump Urges the Thai government to Recommit to Cambodian Truce with ‘Threat of Tariffs’
Washington has exerted influence on the Thai administration to recommit to a ceasefire agreement with the Cambodian side, warning that trade talks could be suspended as attempts are made to prevent a Donald Trump-brokered ceasefire arrangement from collapsing.
Rising Border Hostilities
In recent days, Thailand announced it was suspending the ceasefire deal, accusing Cambodian forces of planting new explosives along the shared border, including one that reportedly wounded a Thai soldier on duty, who suffered a foot amputation in the blast.
Following this, a fatality occurred and several others wounded by exchanges of fire along the border between the two nations, sparking fears of a fresh wave of tit-for-tat fighting.
US Trade Pressure
Over the weekend, a representative from Thailand's foreign office told journalists that a official communication from the U.S. trade office declaring the suspension of trade deal talks was received on the previous evening.
He quoted the letter as saying that discussions on trade – which are addressing a US tariff of 19% – could restart once Thailand reaffirmed its commitment to carrying out the joint ceasefire declaration.
“Tariff negotiations will continue and remain separate from border issues,” stated a different official representative.
Trump’s Tariff Threat
Speaking to the press aboard the presidential plane as he traveled to the Sunshine State on the end of the week, Trump suggested that he had used the “threat of tariffs” in calls with the south-east Asian leaders.
The US president said, “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.”
Ceasefire Agreement Background
The President witnessed the finalization of a peace deal, 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 most severe clashes in a decade between Thai and Cambodian troops broke out in July, with exchanges of fire, shelling and aerial attacks causing numerous fatalities and hundreds of thousands forced to flee.
Historic Frontier Conflict
Thailand and Cambodia have a longstanding border dispute that originates from conflicts regarding maps from the colonial period created by French cartographers. Historic shrines along the border are disputed by each nation.
Reuters provided input for this coverage.
