Thailand has suspended a recently signed peace agreement with Cambodia that U.S. President Donald Trump helped to broker, following a landmine explosion that injured four Thai soldiers near the disputed border.
The Thai government announced the suspension on Monday after the soldiers were wounded during a patrol in Sisaket province, with one losing a foot. Defense Minister Nattapon Narkphanit alleged the mine had been freshly planted, calling it a violation of the October 26 peace declaration signed in Malaysia.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the incident demonstrated “hostility towards Thailand and a continued security threat,” adding that implementation of the peace deal would be frozen “until clarity is restored.” Bangkok has since lodged a formal protest with Phnom Penh and delayed plans to repatriate 18 captured Cambodian soldiers, which had been scheduled for later in the week.
The peace agreement was signed less than three weeks ago to end a flare-up in the long-running border dispute between the two Southeast Asian neighbours.
Strange that Trump made no mention of the ongoing insurgency between Thai military forces and Malay Muslim separatists when he was boasting about being a peacemaker. Over the last 20 years there have been 7.000 people killed in the three Thai southern provinces bordering Malaysia.
I don’t hold out much hope for peace between Thailand and Cambodia until the proposed border wall is built. The latest land mine planted by Cambodian forces exploded well inside the Thai side of the border.