Cambodia Nominates Trump For Nobel Peace Prize Over Thailand Ceasefire.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Cambodia has announced its intention to nominate US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his pivotal role in brokering a ceasefire with Thailand that ended a deadly border conflict. The announcement, made by Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol on Friday, follows a week of intense clashes that claimed at least 43 lives and displaced over 300,000 people along the shared border.
The conflict, centred around a century-old border dispute near the Ta Moan Thom temple, escalated into the deadliest fighting between the two nations in over a decade. Both Cambodia and Thailand accused each other of initiating hostilities, with landmines and nationalist tensions fuelling the violence. Initial attempts at mediation by Malaysia and China failed to yield results, as both countries rejected third-party involvement.
Trump’s intervention, however, proved decisive. According to Cambodian officials, a phone call from the US President last week broke the deadlock, leveraging the threat of steep trade tariffs to bring both nations to the negotiating table. On Monday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, alongside Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, announced a ceasefire agreement in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The agreement, effective from midnight on Monday, marked the first such truce in a decade.
“We acknowledge President Trump’s great efforts for peace,” said Sun Chanthol, who also serves as Cambodia’s top trade negotiator. He expressed gratitude for Trump’s role in de-escalating the conflict and noted Cambodia’s appreciation for a reduced tariff rate of 19 per cent on its exports to the US, down from a previously proposed 49 per cent. Chanthol suggested that the nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize was not only for Trump’s work in Cambodia but also for his broader efforts in conflict resolution.
The ceasefire has brought cautious optimism to the region, with military commanders from both sides set to begin talks to reduce tensions further. Cambodia has also pledged zero tariffs on American imports as a gesture of goodwill. However, skepticism remains about the longevity of the truce, given the deep-rooted nature of the border dispute. “We do not let go of our sovereignty or territorial integrity,” said Lim Menghour, Director General of Cambodia’s National Assembly, underscoring the delicate balance of peace and national pride.
Cambodia’s nomination makes it the third country to propose Trump for the prestigious award. Pakistan previously recommended him in June for his role in resolving a conflict with India, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nominated him last month. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed the sentiment, stating, “President Trump made this happen. He deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.”
As the region takes tentative steps towards stability, the international community watches closely to see if the ceasefire will hold and whether Trump’s unconventional approach to diplomacy will secure further recognition on the global stage.
