🔗 Share this article The US President Compels Thailand to Reaffirm Commitment to Cambodian Ceasefire with Trade Penalties The United States has applied pressure on Thailand to recommit to a truce deal with Cambodia, indicating that trade talks could be suspended as efforts are made to stop a Donald Trump-brokered ceasefire arrangement from falling apart. Rising Border Hostilities In recent days, Thailand announced it was suspending the ceasefire deal, alleging Cambodia of laying fresh landmines along the shared border, among them an incident that allegedly wounded a Thai soldier on duty, who lost a foot in the explosion. Since then, one person has been killed and multiple individuals injured by gunfire along the border between the two nations, raising concerns of a new round of tit-for-tat fighting. US Trade Pressure Over the weekend, a representative from Thailand's foreign office informed reporters that a letter from the Office of the US Trade Representative announcing the suspension of trade deal talks was obtained on the previous evening. He quoted the document as stating that trade negotiations – which are focusing on a 19 percent American duty – could resume once the Thai government renewed its pledge to implementing the mutual truce agreement. “Trade talks are ongoing and distinct from frontier matters,” said another government spokesperson. Trump’s Tariff Threat Speaking to the press aboard the presidential plane as he traveled to the Sunshine State on Friday, Trump suggested that he had employed tariff warnings in calls with the ASEAN nation heads. He stated, “I stopped a war just today through the use of tariffs, the threat of tariffs,” adding, “they are performing well. I believe they will be okay.” Truce Deal Origins Trump oversaw the signing of a peace deal, conducted in Malaysian territory this October, and has promoted it as one of multiple agreements around the globe he says should earn him the Nobel Peace prize. The most severe clashes in a ten years between Thai and Cambodian troops broke out in July, with gunfire, artillery and airstrikes leaving dozens of people killed and hundreds of thousands forced to flee. Historic Frontier Conflict Thailand and Cambodia have a longstanding border dispute that dates back to disagreements over maps from the colonial period drawn up by the French. Ancient temples along the frontier are claimed by both sides. International news agency provided input for this coverage.