ASEAN foreign ministers will convene a special meeting on December 22 to discuss Thai–Cambodian tensions, according to the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Wisma Putra).
The special meeting was called by the ASEAN chair, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. It will be held in Kuala Lumpur during the final week of his chairmanship. The next ASEAN chair will be the Philippines.
The gathering was initially scheduled for Dec 16, but it was postponed by a week at Thailand’s request.
Last week, US President Donald Trump made phone calls to both Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakun and Prime Minister Hun Manet, urging them to stop the fighting.
During the call with Anutin, Trump described the landmine incident on Dec 7, which injured Thai soldiers, as a roadside accident.
The remark immediately drew angry reactions online. Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangkhetkaew expressed disappointment over the comments.
He reiterated that the remarks had affected the sentiments of the Thai people and Thailand.
“As the US’s longest-standing treaty ally in Asia and a major non-NATO ally, Thailand and the US have stood side by side through many challenges, and to this day our relations are grounded in shared security interests,” he reminded the president.
Sihasak pointed out that referring to the incident as a roadside accident is not consistent with the facts.
He added that the evidence clearly shows that the laying of landmines—an incident that has occurred on seven occasions—cannot be accidental.
He also said that the landmines were newly laid by Cambodia, as confirmed by the ASEAN Observers Team.
