Barely two weeks after US President Donald Trump proclaimed “peace” between Thailand and Cambodia, the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord he presided over now teeters on the edge of collapse.
On Monday, Thailand’s armed forces suspended the truce agreement, accusing Cambodia’s military of laying fresh landmines in contested border territory.
Thai defence minister Natthaphon Narkphanit confirmed on Tuesday that Thailand was halting implementation of the pact and would not be returning 18 Cambodian prisoners of war as previously agreed.
The two neighbours fought a bloody five-day border clash in late July that killed dozens on both sides. It marked the deadliest flare-up in a long-running dispute over colonial-era border demarcations imposed by the French that have long been contested by Bangkok.
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Tensions along Thailand-Cambodia border boil over as soldiers open fire
Tensions along Thailand-Cambodia border boil over as soldiers open fire
Trump’s intervention – offering discounted tariff rates in exchange for a ceasefire – helped drive through a temporary halt to hostilities.
