President Donald Trump declared a cease-fire between Thailand and Cambodia on December 12, following direct negotiations with both nations’ leaders, as tensions along their disputed border threatened to escalate into broader conflict.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump announced on December 12 that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to halt hostilities along their contested border after he personally intervened with calls to Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. In a Truth Social post, Trump stated that both countries had agreed to “CEASE all shooting effective this evening” and return to the terms of a peace accord he previously helped broker.
“They have agreed to CEASE all shooting effective this evening, and go back to the original Peace Accord made with me, and them,” Trump wrote, acknowledging Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for his role in facilitating the earlier truce and current cease-fire efforts. Trump also emphasized that both nations were eager to restore peace and maintain trade relations with the United States.
Thailand’s Stance
At a news conference in Bangkok following his call with Trump, Prime Minister Anutin confirmed that the U.S. president had urged both sides to return to the cease-fire framework established in Malaysia earlier this year. “The talk went well,” Anutin said, noting Trump’s concern for the situation and his desire to revert to the terms of the joint declaration signed in Kuala Lumpur.
Anutin detailed Thailand’s losses in the conflict, including casualties, injuries, and property damage, and stressed that Thailand had acted in self-defense. He rejected any suggestion that Thailand had initiated the conflict, asserting that Cambodian forces had violated the cease-fire first. “These are what I have explained to President Trump; otherwise, he may think that we are the initiator, the aggressor on Cambodia,” Anutin said. “That’s not true at all. We fought back, but in fighting back, we sometimes have to make it loud enough for them to hear us and know that they can’t do this to us. We’re not a country that can be trampled on.”
Anutin also indicated that Thailand expected Cambodia to take concrete steps before fully standing down, including withdrawing troops and removing landmines. “[Trump] wants a cease-fire,” Anutin said. “I told him to tell our friends—don’t just say a cease-fire, but they must tell the world that Cambodia will cease fire, withdraw its troops, remove all landmines it has planted, they must show us first.”
Cambodia’s Response
Cambodian authorities had not immediately confirmed Trump’s cease-fire announcement. However, earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Hun Manet shared a statement from Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense, accusing Thailand of continuing military attacks and calling for an immediate halt to hostilities.
The ministry stated that Thailand must “immediately cease its indiscriminate armed attack and the use of fighter jets into Cambodian territory,” describing the actions as a “grave violation of Cambodian sovereignty, territorial integrity, and international law.” The ministry also urged Thailand to demonstrate “sincerity and goodwill” through tangible actions if it genuinely sought peace, emphasizing the need to honor the cease-fire agreement and joint declaration signed in Kuala Lumpur in October.
Background of the Conflict
The recent fighting erupted along more than a dozen points on the 508-mile border between Thailand and Cambodia, including near the contested 11th-century Preah Vihear temple complex. The clashes involved artillery, rockets, drones, and airstrikes, resulting in at least 20 deaths and over 260 injuries, according to official reports. The violence also displaced nearly 180,000 civilians on both sides of the border.
Thailand suspended the cease-fire in November after several Thai soldiers were injured by what Bangkok claimed were newly laid Cambodian landmines—an allegation Phnom Penh denied. In his post, Trump described the roadside bomb incident as an accident but acknowledged that Thailand had retaliated strongly. “The roadside bomb that originally killed and wounded numerous Thai Soldiers was an accident, but Thailand nevertheless retaliated very strongly,” Trump wrote.
Trump’s Role in Mediation
Earlier this week, Trump had pledged to intervene again, telling supporters at a rally in Pennsylvania that he would “make a phone call” to prevent the conflict from escalating into a full-scale war. His announcement on December 12 reflects his ongoing efforts to mediate the dispute and restore stability to the region.
“Both Countries are ready for PEACE and continued Trade with the United States of America,” Trump wrote. “It is my Honor to work with Anutin and Hun in resolving what could have evolved into a major War between two otherwise wonderful and prosperous Countries!”
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