PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., sounded the alarm over the ongoing conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, two fellow member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), calling for a peaceful resolution grounded in international law.
“The Philippines expresses deep concern over the ongoing conflict between two of our fellow ASEAN Member States,” Mr. Marcos wrote in a Facebook post late Saturday. “[We] urge them to resolve the dispute in accordance with international law and the peaceful settlement of disputes.”
He added Manila “stands ready to assist in any way to restore peace.”
The dispute comes as the Philippines gears up to chair the regional bloc next year.
Under the ASEAN Charter, member states are committed to promoting peace, stability, and the rule of law in the region, including the non-use of force in settling disputes.
In a separate statement issued on July 25, the Department of Foreign Affairs likewise called on both countries to de-escalate the conflict.
In recent days, fighting along the Thailand — Cambodia border has reached its most intense level in over a decade. Reuters reported on July 27 that clashes began around July 24, sparked by a landmine explosion injuring several Thai soldiers, leading to armed exchanges and artillery fire across multiple provinces, including Trat (Thailand) and Pursat (Cambodia).
More than 30 people have been killed and over 130,000 displaced amid the surge in hostilities, prompting mass evacuations on both sides, Reuters added.
US President Donald J. Trump reportedly talked with both Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, announcing that both sides agreed to hold immediate ceasefire talks and warning that trade agreements would be put on hold while fighting continues.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the current ASEAN country chair, proposed a regional ceasefire plan. Phnom Penh backed the proposal unconditionally, while Bangkok initially agreed in principle before retracting, saying that conditions on the ground must be appropriate.
Josue Raphael J. Cortez, an ASEAN Studies lecturer at De La Salle-College of St. Benilde, said the Philippines is taking a proactive stance amid regional tensions by urging peaceful resolution of conflicts in line with international law and ASEAN norms.
Alongside Kuala Lumpur, the current ASEAN chair, Manila’s efforts are seen as significant, given the bloc’s limited capacity for enforcement, he added.
“The fact that the Philippines expressed its willingness to support in any way the resolution of the conflict through peaceful means is our country’s openness to serve as a broker for peace between the warring factions, as escalation of the conflict may trigger actions that can debilitate Southeast Asian order and stability,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
