Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to halt hostilities along their disputed border, according to a statement from US President Donald Trump. The agreement comes as tensions between the two countries have escalated into a five-day flare-up of cross-border fighting that has claimed at least 20 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands.
Trump announced the agreement in a social media post after consulting with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. However, neither country has officially confirmed the deal, which Trump claims was brokered through his efforts.
The original ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia was brokered by Malaysia last July, but it was suspended in November after Thai soldiers were wounded by landmines at the border. Both countries have continued to exchange blame for reigniting the conflict, with tensions exacerbated by a 1962 International Court of Justice ruling that awarded sovereignty to Cambodia.
The roots of the conflict lie in a history of competing territorial claims stemming from a 1907 map created while Cambodia was under French colonial rule, which Thailand disputes as inaccurate. Tensions have flared into violence multiple times over the years, with recent clashes sparked by an alleged attack on a Thai engineering team by Cambodian troops.
Trump's announcement has been seen as an attempt to burnish his reputation as a global "peacemaker", although experts say it may be short-lived given the history of tensions between the two countries.
Trump announced the agreement in a social media post after consulting with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. However, neither country has officially confirmed the deal, which Trump claims was brokered through his efforts.
The original ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia was brokered by Malaysia last July, but it was suspended in November after Thai soldiers were wounded by landmines at the border. Both countries have continued to exchange blame for reigniting the conflict, with tensions exacerbated by a 1962 International Court of Justice ruling that awarded sovereignty to Cambodia.
The roots of the conflict lie in a history of competing territorial claims stemming from a 1907 map created while Cambodia was under French colonial rule, which Thailand disputes as inaccurate. Tensions have flared into violence multiple times over the years, with recent clashes sparked by an alleged attack on a Thai engineering team by Cambodian troops.
Trump's announcement has been seen as an attempt to burnish his reputation as a global "peacemaker", although experts say it may be short-lived given the history of tensions between the two countries.
I'm literally shaking with relief that no more innocent lives are lost on both sides. I mean, 20 lives lost? That's just heartbreaking 
. As a huge fan of Trump, I gotta say I'm loving his peacemaking skills 
. I mean, who else can make world leaders agree on a ceasefire in like 5 minutes? 
. The history behind this conflict is crazy tho... like, 1907 and all that French colonial rule stuff... 
. But let's just focus on the positive vibes for now! 
Can't wait to see what other amazing things Trump does next 
I'm so relieved that no more lives got lost on both sides... 20 is already way too many 
hundreds of thousands displaced is crazy tho... I can only imagine how scary it must be for all those ppl 
anyway, i think its awesome that @realDonaldTrump is trying to help out here 
his rep as a "global peacemaker" might not be the strongest tho 
! Trump is all over social media about it, but I'm keeping an eye out for confirmation from both sides before we celebrate 
. History shows that these two countries have been fighting for ages over territory, so you gotta wonder how long this peace will last 
. Trump's trying to burnish his "peacemaker" rep, but we all know what they say about history repeating itself 
. Anyway, fingers crossed this time it sticks and no more bloodshed 
... Like, come on Trump? You can't just announce some kinda ceasefire agreement without both countries officially confirming it? It's not like you're some kinda superhero, bro 
... The fact that Thailand and Cambodia didn't have a official word from them until your tweet makes me think they might've been winging it the whole time 
...
...
. i mean come on, how do u just announce a ceasefire on social media? 
. and whats with the lack of confirmation from either country? it just seems fishy to me 
... and dont even get me started on the history of these 2 countries going back centuries 
. its not like trump can just wave a magic wand and solve this complex issue overnight 
. we should be supporting the thai & cambodian governments in finding a long-term solution, not some quick fix from a guy who cant even run his own country properly 
...
i mean think about it, a ceasefire after 5 days of fighting? that's already a win in my book! and it's all thanks to US President Trump bro 
he must be doing something right, even if Cambodia and Thailand haven't officially confirmed the deal yet. let's not forget, this is a global "peacemaker" we're talking about here 
i'm sure there's more to the story behind why the fighting started in the first place, but at least people are talking again 
now it's all about rebuilding trust and finding that middle ground between two strong countries. i'm feeling optimistic about this one... fingers crossed! 
... just read that Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to stop fighting along their border after at least 20 people died and hundreds of thousands were displaced... like, who cares about peacemakers when there's still so much bloodshed going on? 
And Trump thinks he can just swoop in and save the day with a tweet 
? Please. This is just a temporary fix until something else goes wrong. Those two countries have been at each other's throats for decades over this landmines thing... it's like, why bother when it's all just gonna repeat itself again? 
️ Just saw that Thailand & Cambodia agreed to stop fighting 
At least 20 people lost their lives and hundreds of thousands were displaced 
. Trump announced this on social media 
. Both countries haven't confirmed it yet, but he says he made the deal happen 
... it's been a thing for years 
, but experts think it won't last long 
. Fingers crossed this actually works and not just another temporary truce 
. Like, come on, what's next? He's gonna try to broker peace between North and South Korea too... or something 
. Newsflash, Donald: it takes more than a tweet to solve complex issues 
. Maybe we should just let the diplomats do their job instead of the "peacemakers" 
- John F. Kennedy 
. And don't even get me started on the history of this conflict. It's not like it was just a simple mistake with the map 
.
. It's been way too long since they've had a major conflict 
or displaced people 
.
, with lots of competing claims and past betrayals 
? Anyway, I hope this truce holds for a while 
... it's time for some peace and quiet in SE Asia 
!
please. and what's with the international court of justice ruling from 1962? shouldn't they be able to figure out who owns the land by now? 