Thailand snubs Trump’s mediation, tells Cambodia to remove border troops

Donald Trump has urged Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to pursue a peaceful resolution to the country’s simmering border conflict with Cambodia, as the US president looked to bolster his credentials for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Trump’s push for a Thai-Cambodian peace deal was made in a letter to the Thai prime minister on Wednesday, coming just days before his planned trip to the region to attend a summit of leaders from Asean in Malaysia later this month.

Trump’s intervention earlier this year helped end a brief but fierce border clash between the Southeast Asian neighbours, as he threatened to block US trade deals with both countries if they did not halt five days of fighting that killed dozens.

In his letter, Trump urged Thailand and Cambodia to negotiate for peace and resolve their territorial disputes, Anutin told reporters on Thursday. Anutin said he plans to reply to Trump’s letter, making clear that Thailand will not move forward unless Cambodia first meets four conditions to ensure the safety of Thai citizens.

For peace talks to progress, Cambodia must withdraw troops and heavy weapons, clear landmines along the border and relocate Cambodian communities living near the border on Thai territory, Anutin said.

A day earlier, Anutin had downplayed Trump’s efforts to play mediator in the conflict. Politico reported earlier this week that Trump wants to preside over a peace deal signing between the two countries during a regional leaders’ summit in Kuala Lumpur, citing people it did not identify. The White House declined to comment.

Thai police fire rubber bullets at Cambodian civilians

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