Kuala Lumpur (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet signed an enhanced ceasefire deal on Sunday in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump, at a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Kuala Lumpur.
The agreement was signed shortly after Trump arrived in Kuala Lumpur. The arrangement entailed Thailand releasing 18 Cambodian soldiers who were prisoners, and both sides commencing the removal of heavy weapons from the border region.
It is based on a ceasefire established three months ago when Trump contacted the then-leaders of both countries, urging them to cease hostilities or face a suspension of their trade negotiations with Washington.
What did Trump say after both nations signed the agreement?
During a summit of the ASEAN in Kuala Lumpur, Trump praised the two leaders as courageous and mentioned that the truce he brokered saved “millions of” lives lives”.
“Because of America’s strong commitment to stability and peace in this region and every region where we can do it, my administration immediately began working to prevent the conflict from escalating,”
Trump stated, describing the deal as a peace treaty.
“We just did the deal and reported the deal. Everybody was sort of amazed that we got it done so quickly,”
he expressed, mentioning that the United Nations was not involved.
What other agreements did Trump sign in Kuala Lumpur?
Trump has started a five-day tour that includes Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, marking his first visit to the region since January, when he assumed office.
Following the ceasefire ceremony, Trump also formalised an agreement with Cambodia concerning reciprocal trade and reached a deal with Thailand on critical minerals. A White House official stated that Trump would also sign a critical minerals agreement with Malaysia during his visit to Kuala Lumpur.
On the last day, he is expected to engage in important trade discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
How severe was the Thailand-Cambodia border violence?
Thailand and Cambodia have argued over undemarcated sections of their 817 km border for decades. Both sides accuse each other of initiating the five-day exchange of rockets and heavy artillery, resulting in at least 48 deaths and temporarily displacing approximately 300,000 people in their most severe fighting in recent history.
In recent months, tensions have increased between the neighbours following the death of a Cambodian soldier in a May skirmish. This has led both militaries to strengthen their border presence and to a full diplomatic crisis.
Following a second Thai soldier losing a limb last week due to a landmine that Thailand claims was planted by Cambodian troops, Bangkok recalled its ambassador to Phnom Penh and expelled Cambodia’s envoy. Cambodia denied the accusation. The conflict started shortly afterwards.
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