Trump oversees a 'historic' Thai-Cambodian ceasefire

Donald Trump has hailed a “historic” ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand after both nations signed an expansion of a peace deal designed to end their border conflict.

- ALISHA RAHAMAN SARKAR

The US president, who was in Malaysia yesterday, had used the threat of higher tariffs against both countries to force them to agree to end a century-old dispute that has killed dozens and displaced hundreds of thousands.

President Trump announced that both sides had agreed to cease all hostilities and that the “peace deal” would save millions of lives. At least 18 Cambodian prisoners of war would be released following the ceasefire extension. The agreement mandates both sides to begin removing heavy weapons from the border.

The deal was signed shortly after Mr Trump landed in Malaysia, his first stop on a five-day tour of Asia. He watched as Cambodian prime minister Hun Manet and his Thai counterpart, Anutin Charnvirakul, signed the agreement at the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

“We did something that a lot of people said couldn’t be done,” Mr Trump said. Mr Manet called it a “historic day”, and Mr Charnvirakul said the agreement created “the building blocks for a lasting peace”.