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Cambodia and Thailand sign a peace agreement with Trump
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Cambodia and Thailand sign a peace agreement with Trump

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US President Donald Trump co-signed a ceasefire agreement in Malaysia between Thailand and Cambodia, the first stop on his Asia tour that will culminate in talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The deal was signed by Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet together with Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. a bloody border dispute this year.
Both sides blame each other before starting the five-day exchange of rockets and heavy artillery, killing at least 48 people and temporarily displacing an estimated 300,000 people in the worst fighting in recent history.

The guns have been largely silent along the border, although both sides have regularly accused each other of ceasefire violations that the comprehensive agreement aims to prevent.

Trump called it a “monumental step” during the signing and congratulated both Anutin and Hun on the step.

A final comprehensive peace treaty between the two Southeast Asian neighbors remains pending, analysts say.

What does the comprehensive ceasefire agreement say?

The two countries committed in a joint statement to the establishment of an ASEAN observer team, military de-escalation and removal of heavy weapons from their border area, with Thailand agreeing to release 18 Cambodian prisoners of war if the measures were implemented.

They also agreed to coordinate the removal of landmines, which sparked the fighting after a Thai soldier was maimed during a border patrol. Thailand has accused Cambodia, one of the countries with the most landmines in the world, of stockpiling new ammunition, which the country denies.

“This statement reflects our will to resolve differences peacefully, with full respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Charnvirakul said.
Manet said it showed that conflicts must be resolved peacefully, “however difficult or complex our dispute may be.”

East Timor formally admitted to ASEAN

Meanwhile, East Timor, Asia’s youngest country, became the eleventh member of the Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN at the summit in Malaysia.
The integration of the youngest and poorest country in the region – with just 1.4 million inhabitants – is being hailed as a symbolic step for regional inclusiveness.
After the flag of Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, was added to the other 10 on stage at a formal ceremony in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao told the other leaders that “history is being made today.”
“For the people of Timor-Leste, this is not only a dream realized, but also a powerful affirmation of our journey,” he said.

East Timor was a Portuguese colony for more than four centuries before the invasion of Indonesia in 1975.

Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao (left) was welcomed to the ASEAN Group in Malaysia. Source: AP / Vincent Thien

ASEAN membership gives Timor-Leste access to the bloc’s free trade agreements, investment opportunities and a broader regional market – essential for diversifying an economy long dependent on oil and gas.

It suffers from high unemployment and malnutrition, and 42 percent of the population lives below the national poverty line.
Nearly two-thirds of the country’s citizens are under the age of 30, making job creation for young people a high priority.
The main source of government revenue comes from the oil and gas industry, but with resources rapidly being depleted, the country is looking to diversify.
“For us, this new beginning brings tremendous opportunities in trade, investment, education and the digital economy – we are ready to learn, innovate and uphold good governance,” Gusmao said.
“This is not the end of a journey, this is the beginning of an inspiring new chapter.”

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