Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has formally nominated former US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end a deadly border war between Cambodia and Thailand. In a post on Facebook late on Thursday, Hun Manet announced he had presented an official letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee underlining Trump's "exceptional statesmanship" in easing tensions in one of Southeast Asia's hottest hotspots.
The Prime Minister attributed a July 26 phone call placed by Trump to Cambodian and Thai leaders as the turning point. That intervention brought a stop to one of the region's most ferocious skirmishes in years, ultimately resulting in a Malaysian-brokered ceasefire and de-escalation deal on July 28.
The two Southeast Asian neighbors had quickly found themselves at war. A small border skirmish had escalated into all-out military confrontation, with artillery shelling, rocket attacks, and even aerial bombardment being reported. Within five days, 43 were killed and more than 300,000 displaced from their homes.
Trump's intervention, Hun Manet wrote in his letter, averted "a potentially catastrophic conflict" and saved countless lives. The Cambodian leader called this diplomatic intervention one of Trump's "exceptional successes in reducing tensions in some of the world's most dangerous places."
Notably, the Nobel nomination comes after Trump's recent move to drastically lower US tariffs on Cambodian imports from a threatened 49% to 19%. This was broadly interpreted as a huge relief for Cambodia's garment industry, which is one of its key sectors.
Cambodia's deputy prime minister had previously indicated last week that a nomination was being prepared, thanking Trump for lower tariffs and his diplomatic overtures. Most people suspect that the two events will be connected, doubling down on Cambodia's need to acknowledge Trump's wider support.
Cambodia is not the only country demanding the erstwhile US President be awarded. Pakistan in June declared that it intended to propose Trump for his efforts at de-escalating tensions with India. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also last month disclosed that he had proposed a nomination for Trump.
As several nations are supporting Trump's nomination for the coveted peace prize, his international diplomatic works albeit being controversial most times are getting highlighted once again.
ALSO READ: Can Trump Broker Peace Between Armenia And Azerbaijan, And Snag A Nobel Too?
