Cambodia’s prime minister, Hun Manet, nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize on Thursday, citing his “crucial role” in restoring peace and stability at the border between Cambodia and Thailand.
Fighting erupted there last month in the worst conflict the two nations have had in decades.
The nomination came a week after the Trump administration agreed to a trade deal that set a 19 percent tariff on Cambodian goods, easing the concerns of the developing country that had been spooked for months by the 49 percent tariffs initially announced by Washington, one of its steepest rates for any nation.
“President Trump’s extraordinary statesmanship — marked by his commitment to resolving conflicts and preventing catastrophic wars through visionary and innovative diplomacy — was most recently demonstrated in his decisive role in brokering an immediate and unconditional cease-fire between Cambodia and Thailand,” Mr. Hun Manet wrote in the letter.
The document was posted on his Facebook page and also sent to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which awards the prize.
Mr. Trump, who has made no secret of his desire to be awarded the prize, has also been nominated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and the government of Pakistan, both citing his diplomatic efforts in their regions.
The five-day conflict between Thailand and Cambodia started on July 24 when troops exchanged gunfire along their disputed border. That set off multiple rounds of shelling, airstrikes and rocket launches, which killed at least 42 people and displaced more than 300,000 others.
Mr. Trump told the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia that he would stop trade talks unless they both agreed to a cease-fire. Two days later, officials met in Malaysia and reached a deal to pause hostilities. Even after the cease-fire was reached, both countries have continued to trade accusations and the atmosphere on the border remains tense.
Critics of Mr. Trump’s approach say his interventions do not address the underlying issues that led to conflict in a particularly intractable dispute.
“The fact that you threaten someone and they momentarily stop what they’re doing, that’s fine, but what are they going to do when your back is turned or when our attention is focused on something else?” said Charles A. Ray, who was the U.S. ambassador to Cambodia from 2003 to 2005.
“My concern is that when you’re transactional, you’re looking at very short-term gains, and it doesn’t provide long term solutions,” Mr. Ray said.
Sun Narin contributed reporting.
Sui-Lee Wee is the Southeast Asia bureau chief for The Times, overseeing coverage of 11 countries in the region.
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