United States President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand agreed to start negotiations for a ceasefire after three days of intense fighting on the border between the two Asian countries.
During his visit to Scotland, Trump revealed on social networks that he talked to Prime Minister Cambodian, Hun Manet, and the interim Thailand prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai. The Republican would have warned that the US would not sign commercial agreements with either nations as long as the conflict persisted. According to Trump, “both parties are seeking an immediate ceasefire and peace”-as reported S.Paulo Folha.
The conflict, which has left more than 30 dead and over 130,000 displaced, is the worst confrontation among Southeast Asian neighbors in the last 13 years. The fighting began after the death of a Cambodian soldier in May, and has since been climbing, with new shots registered on Saturday. “When everything is completed, and peace is within reach, I look forward to completing our trade agreements with both,” said the president, according to the S.Paulo Folha.
Historical dispute
The rivalry between Thailand and Cambodia extends for decades by poorly demarcated border areas over 817 km. The ancient Hindu temples of Ta Moan Thom and Preah Vihear, the latter recognized as a World Heritage Site in 2008, are at the center of territorial disputes.
Although the International Court of Justice has attributed the Preah Temple to Cambodia in 1962, the tension rekindled after the country tried to register the site as a heritage of humanity. The episode resulted in prolonged clashes and dozens of deaths.
