President Donald Trump claimed to have brokered peace between Thailand and Cambodia following an outbreak of renewed violence that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
The president announced on Friday afternoon that he spoke with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet “concerning the very unfortunate reawakening of their long-running War.”
“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,” Trump said.
Trump previously extinguished a hot conflict between the two countries earlier this year by leveraging threats of trade restrictions. The administration touted it as a significant win for the “peace president” and the sixth “major war” he has helped prevent.
Malaysia reportedly played an important mediating role in the negotiations.
That peace was broken on Sunday when both sides accused each other of violating the agreement. The conflict quickly snowballed into airstrikes along the border and military clashes in at least five different border regions.
Thailand reported that 380,000 people were forced to move into shelters, and Cambodian officials said over a thousand families were relocated out of the hostile area.
In his Friday statement reestablishing the peace agreement, Trump blamed the skirmish on a “roadside bomb” that “originally killed and wounded numerous Thai Soldiers was an accident.”
The president alluded to once again using trade as leverage in forcing the two nations to cooperate, saying both Thailand and Cambodia are “ready for PEACE and continued Trade with the United States of America.”
THAILAND AND CAMBODIA BLAME EACH OTHER FOR BREAKING PEACE DEAL BROKERED BY TRUMP
“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!” Trump said.
He also once again shouted out Ibrahim for his “assistance in this very important matter.”
