🕊️ Thailand‑Cambodia Peace Talks to Begin After Trump’s Trade Threats! 🌏
- MediaFx
- Jul 28
- 2 min read
TL;DR: Thailand and Cambodia, locked in deadly border clashes for days, are finally sitting down for peace talks in Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 on Monday, July 28, 2025 at 3 PM local time. The meeting was triggered by former US President Donald Trump's strong warning: no trade deals unless fighting stops. Both leaders—acting Thai PM Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodia’s PM Hun Manet—have confirmed participation in the talks hosted by Malaysia’s PM Anwar Ibrahim under ASEAN mediation. Violence has killed over 30 people, displaced more than 200,000, and triggered international pleas for peace. The hope: immediate and unconditional ceasefire and a return to dialogue.
🔥 Conflict Escalates, Civilians Suffer
Since July 24, border clashes near Preah Vihear temple flared into full-blown violence.💥 At least 30 civilian lives lost, thousands wounded, and over 200,000 + displaced from homes in Thailand and Cambodia. Schools and hospitals shelled; residents forced into evacuation camps.
✋ Trump Steps In, Trade Deals on the Line
On July 26, Trump took to social network Truth Social saying he’d warned both PMs: ceasefire or no trade— threatening a 36% tariff starting August 1. He claims both sides agreed to “quickly work out a ceasefire” and “ultimately, PEACE.”
🗣 ASEAN & Malaysia Take Lead
Officers from the US and China are joining Malaysia in hosting the talks, with ASEAN chair Anwar Ibrahim steering the mediation effort. Both Thai Acting PM Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodian PM Hun Manet confirmed attendance late on Sunday, July 27.
🤔 Fighting Continues Despite Ceasefire Talk
Despite diplomatic signals, shelling and rocket attacks continued right through Sunday, with both sides trading blame. Thailand says Cambodia bombed civilians and heritage sites; Cambodia denies and says Thailand keeps attacking. Human Rights Watch raised alarms over reported use of cluster munitions.
🧾 What’s at Stake
Issue | Why It Matters |
Immediate ceasefire | Stop more civilian deaths, undo displacement, restore peace |
Respect for borders & heritage | Conflict reignites over old map lines and sacred sites like Preah Vihear Temple |
Impact on trade | Trump linking peace to trade agreements could squeeze export‑dependent communities |
ASEAN solidarity | Malaysia’s leadership reflects regional citizens' desire for own conflict resolution, not foreign dominance |
🌍 MediaFx Perspective
From the point of working people’s view, we say peace isn’t imposed by billionaire threats—it must come from the shared needs of ordinary people, farmers and laborers being caught in shelling. Trade deals should serve the working communities, not as leverage for geopolitics. Real peace means protecting homes, schools and children, and resolving longstanding border issues through fair, direct dialogue—not as bargaining chips.
Let the voices of refugees, displaced families and border villagers be central. ASEAN must let people, not just elites, decide stability and justice.
💬 Over to You
What do you think? Will these talks actually stop the war, or is it just talk? Do YOU trust Trump’s trade threats to bring peace? Comment below with your thoughts from a people’s viewpoint!
— MediaFx News, reporting from the side of peace and working class lives.
