US President Donald Trump on Saturday said he spoke with top leaders of Thailand and Cambodia and pressed them to reach an immediate ceasefire, ending the border clash that has been going on for the past four days.
“I just had a very good call with the Prime Minister of Cambodia, and informed him of my discussions with Thailand, and its Acting Prime Minister. Both Parties are looking for an immediate Ceasefire and Peace. They are also looking to get back to the ‘Trading Table’ with the United States, which we think is inappropriate to do until such time as the fighting STOPS,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“They have agreed to immediately meet and quickly work out a Ceasefire and, ultimately, PEACE! It was an Honor to deal with both Countries. They have a long and storied History and Culture. They will hopefully get along for many years to come. When all is done, and Peace is at hand, I look forward to concluding our Trading Agreements with both!” he said.
Both countries thanked him for his concern and efforts. Cambodia has accepted his request for a ceasefire, while Thailand stressed the need for a dialogue between the two countries, reported BBC.
The death toll in the ongoing border clashes between the two nations has touched 34.
Nearly 200,000 people have been displaced since the conflict began on Thursday, with both countries blaming each other for firing the first shots.
Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General has urged “utmost restraint” amid intensifying border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia as the Security Council met behind closed doors on Friday to address the most serious escalation between the two Southeast Asian neighbours in more than a decade.
The clashes, which began on 24 July, reportedly involved exchanges of gunfire, artillery shelling and rocket fire, with Thailand having conducted airstrikes inside Cambodian territory.
UN humanitarian officials confirmed civilian casualties, including children.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also appealed for “maximum restraint”.
June Kunugi, Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific – based in Bangkok – urged both countries to protect children and the critical services they depend on, in line with their obligations under international law, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
“Children must be protected at all times and their safety and wellbeing must be prioritised, while schools must remain safe spaces for learning,” she said.
Security Council private meeting
At UN Headquarters in New York, ambassadors convened for an emergency private meeting of the Security Council to discuss the situation.
Representatives of Thailand and Cambodia were said to be in attendance, with Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Asia and the Pacific at the UN Department of Political Affairs (DPPA), briefing.
Private meetings of the Security Council are closed to the public, but considered a formal meeting.
A longstanding dispute
The last major flare-up between the two countries occurred in 2011, when days of border fighting near the historic Preah Vihear temple – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – left multiple casualties on both sides.
Then-Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had called for an immediate, verifiable ceasefire and urged both countries to resolve their dispute through dialogue, not military means.
That escalation followed a 2008 troop build-up around the 11th-century Hindu temple, which sits on the Cambodian side of the border.
