Thai and Cambodian evacuees are split on US mediation as border clashes displace 600,000, with some hopeful and others rejecting foreign talks
ODDAR MEANCHEY: Evacuated civilians on both sides of the Thailand-Cambodia border hold opposing views on US President Donald Trump’s expected intervention to halt deadly military clashes.
The renewed fighting this week has displaced approximately 600,000 people and killed at least 20, reviving a decades-long dispute over colonial-era frontier demarcation.
Trump stated he expects to speak with the leaders of both nations to demand an end to the violence, having previously brokered a temporary ceasefire that collapsed.
In Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province, 73-year-old evacuee Het Soeung expressed strong hope in the US president’s influence.
“I have a huge hope that he can help ending the clashes,” she said, calling Trump “the power, the lord of the world”.
Other Cambodian evacuees in makeshift shelters shared this optimism, with former soldier Bay Mao stating he was “95 percent” sure Trump could secure a deal.
However, the United States, China, and ASEAN chair Malaysia failed to achieve a lasting peace after brokering a cessation in July that killed dozens.
Thailand later suspended a follow-on agreement, accusing Cambodia of laying new landmines, a claim Phnom Penh denies.
On the Thai side of the border in Surin province, evacuees voiced deep scepticism and frustration with international mediation efforts.
Farmer Mala Klumya, 51, said she had heard enough promises and no longer trusted foreign powers to resolve the conflict.
“Trump or (Malaysian Prime Minister) Anwar (Ibrahim) don’t need to come and help. They don’t know how much Thailand has suffered,” she stated.
She called for direct bilateral talks between Thailand and Cambodia to end the dispute permanently.
Another Thai evacuee, 73-year-old farmer Eia Torkaew, who fled his home for the second time in five months, echoed the sentiment against further diplomacy.
“I don’t want any more talks or negotiations,” he said. “I just want this to end.”
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said there had been “no coordination” for a call with Trump as of Thursday.
He added that he would explain the situation if contacted, stating Trump does “not have more details of the situation than me”.
Evacuee Mala praised Anutin’s reported resistance to further negotiations, linking her political support directly to his stance.
“When he said there will be no talks, that gets my vote 1,000 percent,” she said. “But if he changes his mind and goes back to the table, he won’t get my vote.” – AFP
