US president Donald Trump has hailed a “historic” ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand after both nations on Sunday signed an expansion of the peace deal to end their border conflict.
Mr Trump, who is in Malaysia, had used the threat of higher tariffs against both countries to force them to agree to end the fighting that resulted in dozens of deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands.
The US president announced that both sides have agreed to cease all hostilities and that the “peace deal” will save millions of lives.
At least 18 Cambodian prisoners of war would be released following the ceasefire extension, he added. The agreement mandates both sides to begin removing heavy weapons from the border area.
The deal was signed shortly after Mr Trump landed in Malaysia – his first stop on his whirlwind five-day Asia tour. He watched as Cambodian prime minister Hun Manet and Thai prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed the expanded ceasefire at the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), of which both nations are members.
“We did something that a lot of people said couldn’t be done,” Mr Trump said. The Cambodian leader called it a “historic day”, while Thai prime minister Charnvirakul said the agreement created “the building blocks for a lasting peace”
Before the signing of the deal, the Cambodian leader thanked Mr Trump for his “decisive lead” and “tireless efforts” in July to end the conflict. “No matter how difficult and complex a dispute may be, they must be resolved by peaceful means,” he said.
Both Southeast Asian neighbours in July fought their worst border clashes in a decade that killed nearly 40 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. The clashes saw both sides trade artillery fire and airstrikes along contested stretches of their 817km border. The two countries have competing territorial claims, and violence periodically flares along their border.
The violence began at a flashpoint near the ancient Ta Moan Thom temple in Thailand’s Surin province, and quickly spread to other disputed areas. Cambodian officials accused Thailand of launching airstrikes and dropping bombs on roads inside its territory.
A truce, brokered by Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, was reached on 28 July after Mr Trump said he had spoken to the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia.
Mr Trump had threatened to withhold trade agreements unless the fighting stopped in a display of economic leverage credited with spurring negotiations. A shaky truce has persisted since then.
Earlier this month, Cambodia accused Thailand of broadcasting high-pitched “ghost sounds” along the disputed border after the country’s human rights commission urged the UN to investigate what it described as psychological warfare.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump also signed separate economic deals with Cambodia and Thailand on Sunday. A White House official said Mr Trump would also sign a critical minerals agreement with Malaysia during the Asean summit.
