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US President Donald Trump says that the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to renew a truce after days of deadly clashes, even as Thai and Cambodian officials suggested that there is still work to be done to get the ceasefire the US brokered in late October back on track.
Trump announced the agreement to restart the ceasefire in a post on his own social media platform, Truth Social, following phone calls with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.
“I had a very good conversation this morning with the Prime Minister of Thailand, Anutin Charnvirakul, and the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Manet, concerning the very unfortunate reawakening of their long-running War,” wrote Trump.
“They have agreed to CEASE all shooting effective this evening, and go back to the original Peace Accord made with me, and them, with the help of the Great Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim.”
The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday disputed Trump’s assertion that a ceasefire was agreed to without providing any details, and Thai defence ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said clashes were still ongoing.
Cambodia’s defence ministry reported that Thailand continued to carry out strikes early Saturday. Those strikes could not be independently verified.
Trump claimed that fighting had restarted after an unfortunate accident involving a Cambodian roadside bomb which detonated, killing several Thai soldiers stationed around the border areas, triggering a strong response from Bangkok.
“The roadside bomb that originally killed and wounded numerous Thai Soldiers was an accident, but Thailand nevertheless retaliated very strongly,” noted Trump.
Thailand however offered a contrasting view, stressing that the initial bomb which reignited the fighting this week, reviving a decades-old border dispute, was not an accident and rejecting any suggestion that it was anything but a deliberate hostile act.
“It’s definitely not a roadside accident,” Anutin said on Saturday morning on his Facebook account. “Thailand will continue to perform military actions until we feel no more harm and threats to our land and people. I want to make it clear. Our actions this morning already spoke.”
After speaking with Trump on Friday but before the US president’s social media posting, Anutin said he reiterated to Trump that Thailand’s position was to keep fighting until Cambodia no longer posed a threat to its sovereignty.
“I told him that he had better talk to our friend. Don’t just say that we have to stop fighting,” Anutin said. “You should announce to the world that Cambodia will stop firing, will withdraw their forces, will clear all land mines. Please show us the actions.”
Trump however stressed that the renewed truce is in place, signalling that both countries will respect it and suggesting that trade with the US may have been leveraged into restoring peace between the two warring nations.
“Both Countries are ready for PEACE and continued Trade with the United States of America. It is my Honor to work with Anutin and Hun in resolving what could have evolved into a major War between two otherwise wonderful and prosperous Countries!”
The US president also added that Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim played an instrumental role in facilitating the renewal of the ceasefire.
Additional sources • AP