Trump Urges the Thai government to Reaffirm Commitment to Cambodian Ceasefire with ‘Threat of Tariffs’
The United States has applied pressure on Thailand to recommit to a truce deal with Cambodia, indicating that trade talks could be halted as efforts are made to stop a Trump-mediated ceasefire arrangement from falling apart.
Rising Border Hostilities
Earlier this week, Thai officials declared it was putting on hold the truce agreement, accusing Cambodia of laying fresh landmines along the shared border, including one that reportedly wounded a Thai soldier on duty, who lost a foot in the blast.
Following this, a fatality occurred and several others wounded by gunfire along the border between the two nations, sparking fears 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 obtained on the previous evening.
He quoted the document as saying that trade negotiations – which are focusing on a 19 percent American duty – could resume once Thailand renewed its pledge to carrying out the joint ceasefire declaration.
“Trade talks are ongoing and distinct from frontier matters,” 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 implied that he had employed tariff warnings in calls with the ASEAN nation heads.
The US president said, “Today, I prevented a conflict using tariffs, the menace of duties,” continuing, “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 touted it as one of multiple agreements around the globe he claims should earn him the prestigious peace award.
The most severe clashes in a decade between military forces of both nations erupted in July, with exchanges of fire, shelling and aerial attacks causing numerous fatalities and hundreds of thousands forced to flee.
Historic Frontier Conflict
The two neighboring countries have a historic territorial disagreement that originates from disagreements over maps from the colonial period created by French cartographers. Ancient temples along the frontier are disputed by each nation.
International news agency provided input for this coverage.
