Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen correspondent: An Israeli drone strike targeted the town of Al-Qlailah, Southern Lebanon.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli drone strikes town of Harouf, Nabatieh district.
Factions' statement: The attendees agreed to support and continue implementing the ceasefire agreement measures, including the withdrawal of the occupation and lifting the siege.
Factions' statement: Calling for an end to all forms of torture and violations against prisoners in occupation prisons and the necessity of obligating the occupation to do so.
Statement: The current moment is crucial, making the meeting a true turning point toward national unity in defense of our people and their right to life, dignity, and freedom.
Factions' statement: Call for an urgent meeting of all Palestinian forces and factions to agree on a national strategy.
Factions' statement: Continuing joint work to unify visions and positions to confront the challenges facing the Palestinian cause.
Statement of the factions: Emphasis on the unity of the Palestinian political system and the independent national decision.
Statement: Approval to establish an international committee to oversee the financing and implementation of the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
Statement: The committee is responsible for managing life and services in cooperation with Arab brothers and international institutions, based on transparency and accountability.

Why the US is unqualified to promote peace between Thailand and Cambodia

  • Hannan Hussain Hannan Hussain
  • Source: Al Mayadeen English
  • 2 Aug 2025 11:41
  • 2 Shares
5 Min Read

The US lacks the neutrality, record, and regional credibility to mediate the Thailand-Cambodia conflict, making ASEAN and China more viable peace brokers.

Listen
  • x
  • For a retreating US administration to tout peace against a track record of aggression and belligerence is a recipe for further unrest. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)
    For a retreating US administration to tout peace against a track record of aggression and belligerence is a recipe for further unrest. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Washington’s calls to dial-down tensions between Cambodia and Thailand have few takers.

In recent weeks, cross-border hostilities between the two Southeast Asian powers have intensified sharply, with exchange of heavy artillery, Thai airstrikes on Cambodian military targets, and rising casualties, tossing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) into a tough spot. The root of the crisis goes back over a century, and the absence of a clear floor beneath tensions underlines the gravity of a situation with the potential to flare up.

"Cambodia asked for an immediate ceasefire, unconditionally, and we also call for the peaceful solution of the dispute," stated Cambodia's ambassador to the UN, Chhea Keo, during a closed-door UN Security Council meeting this week.

But Washington’s calls for calm and restraint deserve considerable pushback, given its history of fueling geopolitical tensions and unwarranted military adventurism when expedient.

First, Washington’s alignment with Thailand – a key US partner – defeats the idea of credible neutrality. In order for the Trump administration to practice any meaningful leverage, it must first demonstrate that Washington has succeeded in coordinating expectations among diverse Southeast Asian nations to the benefit of regional peace.

Related News

How Islamophobia became a tool of Western politics

Manufacturing civil war: The Zionist doctrine to destroy resistance

This is where the posturing falls flat. Washington has spared no effort to complicate so-called “freedom of navigation” operations in the Indo-Pacific, and while it commits in rhetoric to ASEAN’s more cooperative Indo-Pacific strategy for stability, its endorsement of counterproductive groupings such as AUKUS and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) suggests a penchant for escalation. Resolving the decades-old Cambodia-Thailand border challenge demands initiative from the outset: where were loud US appeals for de-escalation when competing accounts of soldier deaths eroded cross-border trust? A demonstrated track-record of preventing simmering hostilities in the current context is notably absent, presenting a compelling case for Cambodia, Thailand, and ASEAN to downplay US intent.

Washington’s interventionist role in the Philippines-China tensions is another major proof point for deliberate escalation. Washington, which claims to promote the stability of the Indo-Pacific, has been pressing Manila to hold tight to the US-supplied Typhon missile system, conducting counterproductive drills, and acting as a legal outlier on issues of genuine stability concerning the South China Sea. For the Trump administration, to stick its neck out for Cambodia or Thailand is thus a mirage at best. ASEAN has been tasked with promoting its policy of “non-interference” to resolve any conflicts through peaceful means, and skepticism over that role from Thailand suggests that the situation is far more delicate than what empty US calls for de-escalation indicate.

Had this conflict involved US assets, or considerable stakes – be it economic or geopolitical interests geared towards China – the outcry and regional alarm from US hawks would have been striking. This has been reflected in Washington’s reported push for dangerous war-gaming with Manila and Tokyo over a so-called “Taiwan” contingency, which it sees as a way to justify US missile unit deployment. With these glaring shortcomings on regional peace, penchant for military escalation, and geopolitical signaling occupying the core of US policy priorities in the region, US calls for a ceasefire in the current crisis mean little.

Actual leverage can stem from entities beyond the US. ASEAN, under Malaysia’s chairmanship, has been quick to promote momentum towards a ceasefire proposal – and early support from Thailand and Cambodia suggests it could break ground if hostilities settle. ASEAN has what the US does not: a track record of forging consensus on peace-building, the support of major regional powers – including China – and demonstrated autonomy on matters that concern regional stability or possible escalation. These priorities were on display during early consensus-building during the crisis in Myanmar – an event that the Biden administration targeted with sanctions, only to empower parts of the military junta.

China’s considerable economic and political ties with Thailand and Cambodia also drill a hole in Washington’s confidence to see an effective solution through. One of the reasons why reliance on US conflict-resolution should remain minimal is because Washington is likely to operate from the sidelines, rather than assume a more direct role in bringing parties together. For instance, any acceptable solution would likely require the blessings of ASEAN, which is unsettled by the idea that two of its member states are on the brink of war.

On the other hand, China’s recent flurry of engagements with Southeast Asian powers – including on the topic of enduring regional stability – make it a more influential stakeholder in coordinating or managing expectations for long-term peace. Particularly when ASEAN has endorsed China’s “crucial role in promoting peace, stability, prosperity, and sustainable development in regional and international affairs” at a major trilateral summit in May.

Thus, for a retreating US administration to tout peace against a track record of aggression and belligerence is a recipe for further unrest. US platitudes, as witnessed in the past, are reminders that Washington is more of an irritant rather than a driver of peace.

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect Al Mayadeen’s editorial stance.
  • thailand
  • Cambodia
  • Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire
  • US
  • United States
Hannan Hussain

Hannan Hussain

Writer and author.

Most Read

All
Ellison and Blair are working together to open up huge data-mines for profit-making, and the British NHS is a key prize. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Who is Larry Ellison? And how does he tie digital ID, Trump, Blair and genocide in Levant?

  • Opinion
  • 13 Oct 2025
Zionists Fundamentally Misread Iran Due To Their Own Echo Chambers

Zionists fundamentally misread Iran due to their own echo chambers

  • Analysis
  • 15 Oct 2025
Manufacturing civil war: The Zionist doctrine to destroy resistance

Manufacturing civil war: The Zionist doctrine to destroy resistance

  • Opinion
  • 21 Oct 2025
For the ALBA-TCP, this dynamic confirms that the Summit of the Americas is a space “tutored by imperial interests.” (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

Exclusion of Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua from X summit of Americas: Fracture in hemispheric diplomacy

  • Opinion
  • 12 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
Gaza: An Epic of Resilience and Valor

More from this writer

All
US engagement with Mali junta exposes double standards

US engagement with Mali junta exposes double standards

Iran's opposition to the NPT is justified due to the E3’s glaring silence on actual challenges to nuclear security in the region. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

Iran and the NPT: Opposition justified

Regional peace with the occupation a recipe for disaster

Regional peace with the occupation a recipe for disaster

Countries witness to Netanyahu’s blatant Gaza takeover pledge need to put their commitments into action. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Why Netanyahu’s Gaza takeover merits substantial pushback

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS