The US President Pressures the Thai government to Recommit to Cambodia Ceasefire with ‘Threat of Tariffs’
The United States has applied pressure on Thailand to recommit to a truce deal with the Cambodian side, warning that trade talks could be suspended as efforts are made to prevent a Donald Trump-brokered ceasefire arrangement from collapsing.
Rising Border Hostilities
Earlier this week, Thailand declared it was putting on hold the ceasefire deal, alleging Cambodia of planting new explosives along the mutual frontier, among them an incident that allegedly wounded a Thai military personnel on duty, who suffered a foot amputation in the blast.
Since then, a fatality occurred and multiple individuals injured by gunfire along the border between the two nations, sparking fears of a fresh wave of retaliatory clashes.
American Economic Leverage
Over the weekend, a representative from Thailand's foreign office told journalists that a letter from the U.S. trade office 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 19 percent American duty – could resume once the Thai government renewed its pledge to implementing the mutual truce agreement.
“Tariff negotiations will continue and remain separate from border issues,” stated a different official representative.
Trump’s Tariff Threat
Speaking to the press on Air Force One as he flew to Florida on the end of the week, Trump suggested that he had used the “threat of tariffs” in calls with the south-east Asian leaders.
The US president said, “I stopped a war just today through the use of tariffs, the threat of tariffs,” adding, “they’re doing great. I think they’re gonna be fine.”
Truce Deal Origins
Trump oversaw the signing of a ceasefire agreement, conducted in Malaysian territory this last autumn, and has promoted it as one of multiple agreements around the globe he claims should win him the prestigious peace award.
The worst fighting in a ten years between military forces of both nations broke out in July, with gunfire, artillery and airstrikes leaving dozens of people killed and hundreds of thousands forced to flee.
Historic Frontier Conflict
Thailand and Cambodia have a longstanding border dispute that dates back to disagreements over maps from the colonial period drawn up by the French. Historic shrines along the border are claimed by both sides.
International news agency provided input for this coverage.
