People’s Party urges Anutin to pursue proactive diplomacy to win global backing

The People’s Party issued a statement on Wednesday calling on the government led by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to adopt proactive diplomacy to secure Thailand’s advantage and halt actions that threaten peace with Cambodia.

According to the statement, on November 10, 2025, Thai soldiers were injured after stepping on a mine at Huai Ta Maria in Kantharalak district, Si Sa Ket, one of whom suffered an amputation of the right ankle.

In response, Prime Minister Anutin announced his intention to suspend the peace agreement signed between Thailand and Cambodia on October 26, which was witnessed by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in his capacity as ASEAN chair, and US President Donald Trump.

The People’s Party set out four urgent diplomatic measures it says would strengthen Thailand’s position:

• Prime Minister Anutin should immediately telephone the US president and the Malaysian prime minister — both witnesses to the peace agreement — to affirm Thailand’s position. The call should stress that Thailand wishes to preserve the agreement as a framework for peace and has abided by its terms, but that Cambodia has breached the accord. Thailand should demand accountability for the violation and reserve the right to defend itself should hostile acts continue.
   
• Thailand must act swiftly before Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet can brief leaders in Washington or Kuala Lumpur and shape the narrative to Cambodia’s advantage. Bangkok should emphasise that Thailand has upheld the agreement while Cambodia has not, thereby legitimising Thailand’s stance and any future escalation of measures deemed necessary to protect national security.

• The government should formally request that the United States suspend military cooperation with Cambodia until Phnom Penh demonstrably recommits to the peace agreement. The statement argued that continuing military cooperation would risk legitimising the use of landmines in violation of international agreements and undermine the United States’ peacebuilding objectives.
   
• Thailand should pursue the financial and criminal networks that sustain Cambodia’s political elites. The most effective way to deter future hostile acts, the People’s Party said, is to cut off the flow of illicit funds that prop up those in power — including grey-market financiers and money-laundering operations linked to Thailand. The party urged Bangkok to establish a special operations unit and appoint a special envoy to coordinate with international partners on tracing and freezing assets, focusing on the major sources and facilitators rather than low-level actors.

“People’s Party firmly believes that the fullest deployment of proactive diplomacy will secure Thailand’s advantage on the international stage, halt Cambodia’s threats to peace and provide Thailand with sufficient legitimacy to explain to the international community any future escalation of military measures that may be necessary to defend itself,” the statement concluded.