US President Donald Trump on Saturday said the ongoing war between Cambodia and Thailand reminds him of the recent India-Pakistan conflict, as he urged both sides to cease all hostilities.
“Just spoke to the Prime Minister of Cambodia relative to stopping the War with Thailand. I am calling the Acting Prime Minister of Thailand, right now, to likewise request a Ceasefire, and END to the War, which is currently raging,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“We happen to be, by coincidence, currently dealing on Trade with both Countries, but do not want to make any Deal, with either Country, if they are fighting — And I have told them so! The call with Thailand is being made momentarily,” he added. “Many people are being killed in this War, but it very much reminds me of the Conflict between Pakistan and India, which was brought to a successful halt.”
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The US President has frequently claimed that he was instrumental in halting the India-Pakistan conflict , which took place earlier this year, a claim India has denied.
The May conflict between the South Asian neighbours broke out after India launched Operation Sindoor in response to a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
On Friday, foreign policy expert Brahma Chellaney had pointed out how Trump’s comparison doesn’t hold.
“In sharp contrast to the India-Pakistan conflict, which revolves around cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, the Thai-Cambodian border conflict centers largely on the ownership and control of ancient Khmer Hindu temples, with the 11th–12th century Preah Vihear temple as the most prominent historical flashpoint. Another site of significant dispute is the Prasat Ta Muen Thom temple complex," he said.
"While these ancient temples often trigger flare-ups due to their historical and cultural significance, the deeper roots of the conflict lie in the broader ambiguity surrounding border demarcation between Thailand and Cambodia,” Chellaney wrote on X.
The ongoing fighting between Cambodia and Thailand, now in its third day, has already killed at least 33 people and displaced more than 168,000.
Cambodia’s information minister Neth Pheaktra said that 37,635 people from three border provinces have been moved to safer locations. Thai officials said more than 131,000 have fled their homes.
On Saturday, heavy shelling and artillery fire were reported in new areas near the coastal border, widening the clashes that began on July 24 after a landmine explosion injured five Thai soldiers. Locals fleeing the region described their escape as “like escaping a war zone.”
Cambodia’s UN ambassador Chhea Keo said at an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Friday that his country was ready for an “immediate ceasefire – unconditionally – and we also call for the peaceful solution of the dispute.”
The flashpoint in the latest border tension is the Prasat Ta Muen Thom temple complex, which sits between Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province and Thailand’s Surin province.
Both sides claim ownership.
Cambodia ties it to the historic Khmer Empire, while Thailand asserts territorial control.