Trump jointly signs Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire agreement at ASEAN summit

In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, United States President Donald Trump is in Kuala Lumpur, signing an expanded ceasefire agreement, continuing a deal that ended deadly border fighting in July.

Soon after Trump arrived, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed the deal on Sunday on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur.

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As he made his first trip to Asia since returning to the White House, Trump co-signed the agreement with summit host Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who also attended the summit.

The Cambodian premier Hun referred to the agreement as “historic day,” while Thailand’s Anutin said it “lays the foundation for a lasting peace.”

Tariffs used as a threat

The two countries’ agreement builds on a truce that was reached three months ago, when Trump threatened to impose higher tariffs on both to put an end to five days of fighting that left hundreds of thousands of people dead.

Thailand’s release of 18 Cambodian soldiers and the elimination of heavy weapons from the border region are the first steps in the agreement, with Malaysian troops being dispatched to prevent resumption of fighting.

For decades, disputes have existed along the 800-kilometer (500-mile) border between Thailand and Cambodia.

Trump signed two separate economic agreements with Cambodia and Thailand following the signing of the ceasefire agreement on Sunday, including one that included a deal with Bangkok regarding crucial minerals and one regarding reciprocal trade.

In his opening remarks at the summit, Malaysia’s Anwar, who was also present at the signing, praised the agreement, saying that it “reminds us that reconciliation is not a concession, but an act of courage.”

Thais cautious

Tony Cheng, a journalist from Sa Kaeo, Thailand, claimed that the Sunday agreement essentially reinforced “agreements that have already been made.”

According to him, Malaysian troops were supposed to be stationed under the initial peace agreement that was signed in July, but they had not yet arrived.

He claimed that Thais were applauding the agreement as “the beginning of the end” rather than as a means of settling the conflict itself.

He claimed that “the details of this agreement” will reveal the truth.

He claimed that while some villages had recently constructed new bomb shelters, the Thai military had been attempting to clear some disputed border areas.