Thailand, Cambodia Agree To Hold Truce Talks After Deadly Clashes

By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

BANGKOK/TURNBERRY (Worthy News) – Pressured by the United States, Thailand and Cambodia agreed to hold talks in Malaysia on Monday to negotiate an end to cross-border fighting that killed dozens and threatened to escalate into a full-blown war.

Thailand said on Sunday that after four days of fighting, a delegation led by acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai would attend, as U.S. President Donald J. Trump urged the leaders of both nations to agree on an immediate ceasefire.

The Thai government said Malaysia had informed it that Cambodian Prime Minister Hum Manet would also attend the meeting.

At least 35 people, including soldiers and civilians, have been killed, with more than 218,000 Thai and Cambodian nationals being displaced since clashes erupted on July 24, officials announced.

On Sunday, U.S. President Trump warned that he told the leaders of both countries that there would be no talks on reducing the 36 percent trade tariffs he has imposed on them unless they ended the fighting.

“I called the prime ministers of each and said, ‘we’re not going to make a trade deal unless you settle a war’,” he stressed. “I think they want to settle.”

CALLING FOR PEACE

At the start of a private visit to his Scottish golf courses, Trump wrote on his Truth Social media platform that both nations “have agreed to immediately meet and quickly work out a Ceasefire and, ultimately, PEACE!”

Both countries thanked him for his concern and efforts, though shelling continued overnight into Sunday.

Cambodia accepted his request for a ceasefire, while Thailand stressed the need for a dialogue between the two countries.

The clashes underscored long-simmering tensions between Thailand and Cambodia over the disputed area around the Preah Vihear Temple, an ancient Khmer temple located on the border.

Although the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 1962 that the temple belongs to Cambodia, Thailand has challenged the surrounding territory.

Armed skirmishes broke out near the site in 2008, 2009, and 2011, resulting in casualties and temporary displacements, but the latest skirmishes have led to concerns of a broader regional conflict.

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