The US President Urges the Thai government to Reaffirm Commitment to Cambodia Truce with ‘Threat of Tariffs’
Washington has exerted influence on Thailand to recommit to a ceasefire agreement with Cambodia, indicating that trade negotiations could be paused as attempts are made to prevent a Donald Trump-brokered peace agreement from falling apart.
Border Tensions Escalate
Earlier this week, Thai officials declared it was putting on hold the truce agreement, accusing Cambodia of laying fresh landmines along the mutual frontier, among them an incident that reportedly wounded a Thai soldier on duty, who suffered a foot amputation in the explosion.
Since then, one person has been killed and several others wounded by gunfire along the border between the two nations, raising concerns of a fresh wave of tit-for-tat fighting.
US Trade Pressure
On Saturday, a Thai foreign ministry spokesperson told journalists that a official communication from the Office of the US Trade Representative announcing the suspension of trade deal talks was received on Friday night.
He quoted the document as stating that trade negotiations – which are addressing a US tariff of 19% – could restart once Thailand reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the mutual truce agreement.
“Tariff negotiations will continue and remain separate from border issues,” said another government spokesperson.
Trump’s Tariff Threat
Addressing reporters aboard the presidential plane as he traveled to the Sunshine State on the end of the week, Trump implied that he had employed tariff warnings in discussions with the ASEAN nation heads.
The US president said, “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.”
Ceasefire Agreement Background
The President witnessed the finalization of a peace deal, conducted in Malaysian territory this October, and has touted it as one of several deals around the globe he claims should earn him the prestigious peace award.
The most severe clashes in a ten years between Thai and Cambodian troops broke out in mid-summer, with gunfire, artillery and airstrikes causing numerous fatalities and hundreds of thousands forced to flee.
Longstanding Border Dispute
Thailand and Cambodia have a historic territorial disagreement that dates back to disagreements over 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.
