Thai, Cambodian Border Evacuees Split Over Trump Mediation

Stranded Thai and Cambodian evacuees were split Thursday over the expected intervention of US President Donald Trump to end a decades-long border dispute that has turned their lives upside down.

Trump said he expects to speak with the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia to demand a halt to military border clashes that this week displaced around 600,000 people and killed at least 20.

A bout of fighting earlier this year paused after Trump made similar calls, which he proudly touted as proof of his peacemaking credentials — though the truce didn’t last.

READ ALSO: What We Know About Thai-Cambodia Truce Deal

But staying under a tent in Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodian evacuee Het Soeung was optimistic about Trump’s new play for peace.

“I have a huge hope that he can help ending the clashes,” the 73-year-old told AFP, calling him “the power, the lord of the world”.

“But if he cannot achieve it, we also can’t blame him,” she added.

The United States, China and Malaysia — as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional bloc — brokered the cessation of fighting in July that killed dozens.

In October, Trump backed a follow-on joint declaration, touting new trade deals with Thailand and Cambodia after they agreed to prolong their ceasefire.

But Thailand suspended the agreement the following month after it said soldiers were wounded by freshly laid landmines at the border. Cambodia has denied laying new mines.

AFP spoke to several Cambodians who had fled their homes near the border to makeshift shelters housing thousands, and who appealed to Trump to help.

“Donald Trump is a number one person,” said 64-year-old former soldier Bay Mao, adding he was “95 percent” sure the president could seal a deal.

Others doubted Trump could actually end the longstanding conflict, which stems from a disputed colonial-era demarcation of the two nations’ 800-kilometre (500-mile) frontier.

On the other side of the border from Oddar Meanchey, Thai evacuees who spoke to AFP saw negotiations differently.

In the Thai province of Surin, farmer Mala Klumya said she had heard enough promises of peace and no longer trusted foreign powers or diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict.

“Trump or (Malaysian Prime Minister) Anwar (Ibrahim) don’t need to come and help. They don’t know how much Thailand has suffered,” she said.

“I want to tell third countries: don’t try to negotiate anymore. The time for that is over,” the 51-year-old said.

She said Thailand and Cambodia should talk directly and “end it once and for all”.

Farmer Eia Torkaew said he had to leave home with his wife for the second time in five months — and the resurgence of violence was testing people’s patience for diplomacy.

“I don’t want any more talks or negotiations,” said the 73-year-old. “I just want this to end.”

Trump said on Wednesday that he believed a call with Thailand and Cambodia was scheduled for the following day.

But Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters on Thursday there had been “no coordination” with him so far.

“If there’s a call from the US president, we definitely will answer the phone and we will explain to him,” Anutin said. “He does not have more details of the situation than me.”

Thai evacuee Mala praised what she called her prime minister’s “hard line” against further negotiations.

“When he said there will be no talks, that gets my vote 1,000 percent,” she said.

“But if he changes his mind and goes back to the table, he won’t get my vote.”