Rubio says US officials are in Malaysia to help in Cambodia-Thailand talks
WASHINGTON : US secretary of state Marco Rubio said state department officials were in Malaysia to assist peace efforts as Cambodia and Thailand were scheduled to begin talks there on Monday in hopes for a ceasefire.
President Donald Trump and Rubio were engaged with their counterparts for each country and were monitoring the situation very closely, Rubio said in a statement released by the state department late on Sunday in the US and early Monday in Asia.
'We want this conflict to end as soon as possible,' he said. 'State department officials are on the ground in Malaysia to assist these peace efforts.'
The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia were scheduled to attend mediation talks over their deadly border conflict in Malaysia on Monday, the Thai government said, as both sides accused each other of launching fresh artillery strikes across contested areas.
Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have intensified since the late-May killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief border skirmish.
Border troops on both sides were reinforced amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand's fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse.
Hostilities resumed on Thursday and, within just four days, escalated into the worst fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours in more than a decade.
The death toll has risen above 30, including 13 civilians in Thailand and eight in Cambodia, while authorities report that more than 200,000 people have been evacuated from border areas.
Trump said on Sunday he believed both Thailand and Cambodia wanted to settle their differences after he told the leaders of both countries that he would not conclude trade deals with them unless they ended their fighting.
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New Straits Times
5 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Business association praises Malaysia's role in Cambodia–Thailand ceasefire
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia-Cambodia Business Association (MCBA) has commended Malaysia for its role in brokering an immediate ceasefire deal between Cambodia and Thailand, a move it said was critical to restoring peace and regional stability. "We extend our highest respect to Malaysia for the leadership demonstrated in facilitating this breakthrough," MCBA founding president Datuk Seri Ricky Yaw said in a statement. Yaw commended Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for being proactive in seeking a diplomatic solution in his capacity as Asean chair. He also praised Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai for their political foresight and courage to ensure peace. The deadly clashes between Cambodia and Thailand had killed 35 people and displaced over 200,000. Yesterday, Hun Manet and Phumtham agreed to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. Anwar announced the agreement following a special meeting in Malaysia involving Hun Manet and Phumtham Wechayachai, with Anwar serving as host and Asean Chair. "As a regional business association that promotes peace, trade, and investment, we firmly believe that economic growth must be grounded in mutual respect, regional cooperation, and long-term stability," Yaw said. "We urge all Asean member states to continue supporting diplomatic efforts and trust-building mechanisms to prevent further escalation and strengthen mutual understanding. "Peace is always the foundation of prosperity," he added.
New Straits Times
5 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Trump warns of 'real starvation' in Gaza as aid deliveries pick up
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: US President Donald Trump warned Monday that the people of Gaza are facing "real starvation", as aid agencies sought to take advantage of an Israeli "tactical pause" in fighting to rush in food aid. Speaking in Scotland after meeting Britain's leader, Trump contradicted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had earlier dismissed fears of famine in Gaza as Hamas propaganda. Trump said the United States and its partners would help set up food centres to feed the more than two million Palestinians in Gaza facing what UN aid agencies warn is a deadly wave of hunger and malnutrition. "We're going to be getting some good strong food, we can save a lot of people. I mean, some of those kids -- that's real starvation stuff," he told reporters at a news conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "We have to help on a humanitarian basis before we do anything. We have to get the kids fed," Trump said. Trump's remarks came after Netanyahu, during a reception on Sunday for Trump's spiritual adviser Paula White-Cain in Jerusalem, declared: "There is no starvation in Gaza, no policy of starvation in Gaza." The United States already backs food centres under the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), but the group's high-security operations have been criticised after repeated incidents in which Israeli troops have reportedly fired on civilians near its distribution points. Trump said the UK and European Union would back the new effort, and that the new food centres would be easier to access -- "where the people can walk in, and no boundaries". "It's crazy what's going on over there," he added. The war in Gaza has dragged on for almost 22 months, creating a dire humanitarian crisis only exacerbated by an Israeli blockade on supplies imposed from March to late May. The easing of the blockade coincided with the beginning of the GHF's operations, which effectively sidelined Gaza's traditionally UN-led aid distribution system and have been criticised as grossly inadequate. In recent days, the UN and humanitarian agencies have begun delivering more truckloads of food after the Israeli military declared a daily "tactical pause" in the fighting and opened secure aid routes amid mounting international outrage over hunger in the territory. Jamil Safadi said he had been getting up before dawn for two weeks to search for food, and Monday was his first success. "For the first time, I received about five kilos of flour, which I shared with my neighbour," said the 37-year-old, who shelters with his wife, six children and a sick father in a tent in Tel al-Hawa. Other Gazans were less fortunate. Some complained aid trucks had been stolen or that guards had fired at them near US-backed distribution centres. "I saw injured and dead people. People have no choice but to try daily to get flour. What entered from Egypt was very limited," said 33-year-old Amir al-Rash. Israel's new tactical pauses apply only to certain areas, and Gaza's civil defence agency reported 54 people killed in Israeli attacks on Monday. The Israeli defence ministry's civil affairs agency COGAT said the UN and aid organisations had been able to pick up 120 truckloads of aid on Sunday and distribute it inside Gaza, with more on the way Monday. Jordan and the United Arab Emirates have begun airdropping aid packages into Gaza, while Egypt has sent trucks through its Rafah border crossing to an Israeli post just inside the territory. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, cautiously welcomed Israel's recent moves but warned Gaza needed at least 500 to 600 trucks of basic food, medicine and hygiene supplies daily. 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Malay Mail
5 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
A delicate and decisive step towards a ceasefire on the Thai and Cambodian frontline — Phar Kim Beng
JULY 29 — The corridor of diplomacy is never short of symbolic breakthroughs. But occasionally, it offers more than gestures—it opens the door to real possibilities for peace. Such was the case on July 28, 2025, in Putrajaya, where Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hosted a high-stakes special meeting between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand's Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. The world watched with bated breath but it has also found much succor that some forms of military de-escalation are possible. This, what emerged from that encounter in Putrajaya, the administrative capital of Malaysia, may not be a final resolution writ large—granted this is a historical feud—but it is undoubtedly a delicate and decisive step forward. In a region where border flare-ups are often left to fester or quietly extinguished by backroom diplomacy, this was a moment of strategic transparency and calibrated cooperation. The meeting, co-organized with the participation of the United States and the People's Republic of China, where the latter was a keen Observer and responsible stakeholder, produced something seldom achieved so quickly in the midst of rising hostilities: a mutual pledge to immediately halt all military activity. The ceasefire agreement—set to take effect by the end of that day—reflects the seriousness with which both Cambodia and Thailand have decided to de-escalate. What makes this moment especially promising is not merely the ceasefire itself, but the careful architecture built around it to ensure accountability and communication. How ? There is now a clearly defined system of coordination in place. On the military front, regional commanders from both sides—those operating closest to the flashpoints—will hold face-to-face discussions to ensure the ceasefire holds at the operational level. These formal and informal meetings signal a shift from confrontation to collaboration, allowing military actors to communicate directly rather than through politicized or delayed national channels. Commanders can talk to commanders to halt the violence while the capitals and the world will back them. Simultaneously, the foreign and defense ministers of all three countries—Malaysia, Cambodia, and Thailand—have been instructed to formulate a detailed mechanism for the implementation and verification of the ceasefire. This will likely involve daily reporting, neutral observation, and clearly outlined rules of engagement. Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (centre) mediates a ceasefire deal between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet (left) and Thailand's Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai (right) in Putrajaya on July 28, 2025 to ease escalating tensions following an armed confrontation between the two South-east Asian countries. — Bernama pic The political and military chain of command are therefore engaged in parallel with the Cambodian and Thai military, reinforcing the ceasefire from both the top and bottom of the security architecture. As President Donald Trump of the United States has further warned. If the guns do not go silent, come August 1, Thailand and Cambodia will not get a "trade deal" to reduce the high tariffs with which the US is about to impose on them. For the sake of their national interest, the military and political elites of Cambodia and Thailand should take heed. Malaysia has yet to reach a deal with the US yet. But Anwar has taken his vital time off his packed schedule, too, to help both sides make peace. Perhaps most importantly, both Phnom Penh and Bangkok have agreed to resume direct communication between their respective Prime Ministers, Foreign Ministers, and Defense Ministers. This step not only restores trust but also institutionalizes it. Direct lines of communication reduce the risk of miscalculation and create space for longer-term dialogue to stabilize the 817 KM border that separates them. On the multilateral side, a crucial meeting of the General Border Committee is scheduled to take place in the coming days. Cambodia will host this meeting, which should serve as the first formal platform to stabilize the ceasefire and propose future cooperation on unresolved border demarcation issues. Malaysia, as Chair of Asean, has offered to coordinate a neutral observer team to monitor implementation on the ground. This is no small offer, given the Chair's centrality in Asean's consensus-based diplomacy and the credibility it carries within the region. Notably, both the United States and China have endorsed and participated in this process. President Donald Trump has indeed reportedly communicated directly with both leaders, urging them toward peace. It is unique that the US has offered itself to ameliorate the tensions between Cambodia and Thailand without being intimidated by how complex the situation on the ground is. China, meanwhile, has remained in constant contact with all key actors and supports the broader effort to reestablish normalcy. That these two great powers—often at odds in Southeast Asia—can find common ground with the Chair of Asean, therein Anwar, on this issue reinforces how high the stakes are for regional peace and stability. Yet despite this rare alignment of interests, the situation remains fragile. Ceasefires are only as strong as the discipline of those tasked with enforcing them. Border skirmishes can reignite from a single misfire, especially when nationalism, historical grievances, or digital misinformation stoke the flames. That is why the establishment of a joint mechanism for verification, supported by Asean observers, is essential. Without it, peace could prove elusive. Kuala Lumpur has therefore not only offered a space for resolution—it has provided a blueprint for how peace might take root. The architecture is sound: military-to-military dialogue, ministerial coordination, resumed political communication, regional oversight, and great power buy-in. But these are only frameworks. The true test will come in how each actor chooses to honour the commitments made in Malaysia's capital. In the weeks ahead, the spotlight will remain fixed on Cambodia and Thailand, but also on Malaysia as the steward of Asean's moral and strategic leadership. This is a chance not only to prevent further loss of life but also to reaffirm the region's commitment to peaceful coexistence, diplomacy, and responsible statecraft. If the momentum gained in Kuala Lumpur can be maintained, this ceasefire may become something more than just a pause—it may become the first page in a new chapter of regional stability. * Phar Kim Beng is professor of Asean Studies at IIUM and director of the Institute of Internationalization and Asean Studies ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
