BANGKOK: Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet announced Thursday that he has formally nominated U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, praising his “extraordinary statesmanship” in defusing a recent border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand.
In a Facebook post late Thursday, Hun Manet shared a letter he said had been sent to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, commending Trump’s role as a model of “exceptional achievements in de-escalating tensions in some of the world’s most volatile regions.”
“This timely intervention, which averted a potentially devastating conflict, was vital in preventing a great loss of lives and paved the way toward the restoration of peace,” the letter read.
According to Reuters, it was a July 26 phone call from Trump to the leaders of both Thailand and Cambodia that broke the deadlock in ending some of the fiercest clashes between the two neighbors in recent years. The talks led to a ceasefire negotiated in Malaysia on July 28.
On Thursday, Cambodia and Thailand pledged to prevent any renewed hostilities and to allow Southeast Asian observers into the disputed border area.
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The five-day conflict, which began with small arms fire, quickly escalated into heavy artillery and rocket attacks, followed by Thailand deploying an F-16 fighter jet for air strikes. In total, 43 people were killed and more than 300,000 displaced.
Hun Manet’s nomination came as no surprise — Cambodia’s deputy prime minister had announced the plan last week, also thanking Trump for reducing tariffs on Cambodian imports to the United States from a threatened 49 percent to 19 percent, a move he said saved the country’s crucial garment sector.
This is not the first such recognition for Trump in recent months. In June, Pakistan said it would recommend him for the Nobel Peace Prize for helping to resolve a conflict with India, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his own nomination of Trump last month.