Trump says to make phone call to stop Thai-Cambodia fighting

Reuters:

BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH, Dec 10 – Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia extended into a third day on Wednesday as U.S. President Donald Trump said he would make a phone call to stop the conflict, after he had brokered a ceasefire in July to end a five-day battle between the Asian neighbours.

Thailand’s foreign minister said in an interview on Tuesday that he saw no potential for negotiations in the border conflict, adding the situation was not conducive to third-party mediation, while a top adviser to Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet told Reuters his country was “ready to talk at any time”.

Speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Trump listed a number of wars that he claimed he helped stop, including between Pakistan and India, and Israel and Iran, before stopping on the renewed conflict in Southeast Asia.

“I hate to say this one, named Cambodia-Thailand and it started up today and tomorrow I am going to have to make a phone call. Who else could say I’m going to make a phone call and stop a war of two very powerful countries, Thailand and Cambodia.”

Trump has previously spoken to leaders of both countries and been central to the fragile truce between them since the July battles, which killed at least 48 people and were the heaviest clashes between the two in recent history.