Cambodia Nominates Donald Trump for Nobel Peace Prize over Thailand-Cambodia Border Conflict Resolution

Cambodia’s Prime Minister announced on Thursday that he has submitted a nomination for US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, commending his “extraordinary diplomatic skills” in resolving a border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand.

In a Facebook post late on Thursday, the Prime Minister shared a letter addressed to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, praising Trump’s intervention as an example of his “remarkable accomplishments in de-escalating tensions in some of the world’s most unstable regions.”

The letter stated, “This timely intervention, which prevented a catastrophic conflict, saved countless lives and paved the way for peace restoration.”

Reports by Reuters revealed that it was a phone call initiated by Trump on July 26 to the leaders of both Thailand and Cambodia that ended the stalemate in efforts to end the heaviest fighting between the two neighbors in recent history. The ceasefire negotiations held in Malaysia on July 28 led to an agreement between the countries to ensure no renewal of hostilities and the deployment of Southeast Asian observers.

The five-day conflict, which began with small arms fire and quickly escalated into heavy artillery and rocket fire, followed by Thailand’s deployment of an F-16 fighter jet for airstrikes, resulted in the deaths of 43 people and displacement of over 300,000.

The nomination was anticipated following Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister’s announcement last week, expressing gratitude towards Trump for imposing a tariff of 19% on Cambodian imports by the United States, significantly lower than the previously threatened 49% that he stated would have severely impacted Cambodia’s garment manufacturing sector.

Previously in June, Pakistan announced its intention to recommend Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in resolving a conflict with India. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also declared last month that he had submitted a nomination for Trump for the award.