Anutin says Trump has not called on Thai–Cambodian ceasefire

Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says he has not yet received any contact from US President Donald Trump about mediating a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, adding that any decision on when fighting will end remains a matter of national security between the two neighbours.

Asked about reports that Trump planned to call him to urge a halt to hostilities, Anutin replied that there had been no coordination so far.

“Normally, when leaders hold a telephone discussion there has to be a prior arrangement. There are proper channels for that,” he said.

When asked whether he would agree to talk if the US president called to ask for a ceasefire, Anutin replied:

“If the US president calls, of course we have to take the call. I am ready to explain the situation to President Trump so that he understands.”

Pressed on whether Thailand could accept an immediate end to the conflict if Trump asked for it, Anutin said the issue should not be confused.

“That is a different matter. This is an issue between the two parties (Thailand and Cambodia),” he said. “We appreciate the goodwill of other leaders who want peace, but we also have to explain what the problems are and why things are the way they are.”

He stressed that any leaders’ call could not just happen “out of the blue”:

“You can’t simply say, ‘I want to press call, so I’ll call now.’ There has to be an arrangement and agreed topics. We still need time to prepare our talking points. If such a conversation happens, I will have to invite the foreign minister, the chief of defence forces and the defence minister. Everything must be handled straightforwardly.”

Asked whether there would be a repeat of the scene in which Thailand and Cambodia signed a peace declaration and shook hands together, Anutin rejected the idea that it had been a mistake.

“That was not a lesson (in failure). It was something we wanted to do for peace in the region,” he said. “We had conditions that both sides had to follow. But it turned out that the other side did not comply, while we did everything we agreed to.”

“Therefore, when we explain the situation to anyone, it is easy – we have fulfilled every condition, not a single one was broken. At that time, we were even prepared to include the release of prisoners of war,” he added.

Asked where the endpoint of the current fighting lies, and whether the two sides would just continue battling indefinitely, Anutin replied briefly:

“That is a matter of national security. I cannot comment on that.”