The US President Compels Thailand to Reaffirm Commitment to Cambodia Truce with ‘Threat of Tariffs’
The United States has applied pressure on Thailand to reaffirm its dedication to a truce deal 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.
Border Tensions Escalate
Earlier this week, Thailand announced it was suspending the truce agreement, accusing Cambodia of laying fresh landmines along the shared border, including one that reportedly injured a Thai soldier on patrol, who lost a foot in the blast.
Following this, one person has been killed and multiple individuals injured by gunfire along the border between the two nations, raising concerns of a fresh wave of retaliatory clashes.
US Trade Pressure
On Saturday, a Thai foreign ministry spokesperson informed reporters that a official communication from the Office of the US Trade Representative announcing the suspension of trade deal talks was received on Friday night.
The spokesperson referenced the letter as stating that trade negotiations – 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.
“Tariff negotiations will continue and remain separate from border issues,” said a different official representative.
President’s Economic Warning
Speaking to the press aboard the presidential plane as he traveled to the Sunshine State on Friday, Trump suggested that he had employed tariff warnings in calls with the ASEAN nation heads.
He stated, “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.”
Truce Deal Origins
Trump oversaw the signing of a peace deal, conducted in Malaysian territory this last autumn, and has promoted it as one of multiple agreements around the world he claims should earn him the Nobel Peace prize.
The most severe clashes in a ten years between Thai and Cambodian troops erupted in July, with exchanges of fire, shelling and aerial attacks leaving dozens of people killed and hundreds of thousands forced to flee.
Historic Frontier Conflict
Thailand and Cambodia have a longstanding border dispute that dates back to disagreements over maps from the colonial period drawn up by the French. Historic shrines along the frontier are claimed by both sides.
International news agency provided input for this coverage.
