September 1, 2025
BANGKOK – The United States will not play a direct role but will support ASEAN’s internal mechanisms to bring about peace in the ongoing Thai-Cambodian row, described by some as “the worst” problem the bloc has ever confronted, according to Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM).
Paparo said US President Donald Trump had taken an immediate interest in the conflict from the start and recognised Thailand’s commitment to peace and Cambodia’s effort to achieve a ceasefire.
He was speaking to selected media on Wednesday during the 27th Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defence Conference (CHODs), co-hosted by USINDOPACOM and the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters in Hua Hin district of Prachuap Khiri Khan province from Tuesday to Thursday.
“The US recognises the leadership of ASEAN, Malaysia’s role, and anything the US will do will be in the form of enabling capability and some sharing of capabilities, but no direct role within the ceasefire,” he said.
All US support, he added, would be focused on mutual respect for the parties involved and for ASEAN’s role in regional security.
Washington took a striking step on July 26, when Trump, whose declared ambition is to be a “peacemaker”, warned the US would not negotiate a tariff trade deal with either side until the fighting stopped. That prompted Thailand and Cambodia to agree to an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire on July 28 after talks in Malaysia, the ASEAN chair this year.
Both Thailand and Cambodia’s US tariffs were cut from 36 to 19 per cent on August 2.
The ceasefire agreement, witnessed by US and Chinese representatives, halted days of deadly clashes that killed dozens, injured hundreds and displaced over 100,000 people. However, sporadic incidents such as landmine explosions have continued along the border.
The United States is committed to regional security as it is crucial in many aspects, Paparo said, calling the region an “engine of commerce” since, he noted, US$8 trillion worth of trade passes through the South China Sea daily.
Thailand’s Chief of Defence Forces Gen Songwit Noonpakdee said Thailand supported the US standpoint while praising Washington’s professionalism in managing the ceasefire.
“He [Paparo] knows exactly what step to take. So now we are in a ceasefire. ‘ASEAN centrality’ is leading this,” Songwit said.
The army chief added the US had provided technological assistance to monitor the ceasefire, helping stabilise the region.
However, Cambodia did not attend the 2025 CHODs, with Songwit citing “appropriateness” for its absence.
ASEAN has also taken steps, with envoys such as the Interim Observer Team (IOT) visiting border areas to witness the aftermath first-hand and hear explanations from both sides.
Once terms of reference are completed, an ASEAN Observer Team will be deployed as the next step for the ceasefire, following a series of micro-meetings such as the Regional Border Committee and General Committee, according to Songwit.
ASEAN’s ‘worst’ problem
Thitinan Pongsudhirak, senior fellow at the Institute of Security and International Studies, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, said during the 2025 CHODs that the Thai-Cambodian territorial dispute is the “worst” crisis ASEAN has faced in almost six decades.
The border conflict, which flared up with the May 28 skirmish in the Thai Chong Bok area of Ubon Ratchathani province, has further destabilised the bloc, he noted.
Since its founding in 1967, ASEAN has weathered many crises, including Cold War interventions, the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the 2004 tsunami and the ongoing civil war in Myanmar.
“For nearly six decades after its creation, ASEAN finds itself wayward, divided, off-balance, and susceptible to influence by major powers in its neighbourhood,” Thitinan said, explaining why the bloc has become less effective in resolving conflicts.
When major powers are not in balance or at peace, ASEAN gets divided, he added.
He said the ASEAN-led ceasefire is “fragile” as nationalist sentiment is running high on both sides due to deep-rooted cultural and ideological rivalries.
Thitinan urged the deployment of “ASEAN peacekeepers”, not just IOT observers, stressing that oversight must come from “insiders, not outsiders” to ensure the guns remain silent.
On July 28, ASEAN issued its “Foreign Ministers’ Statement on the Thailand-Cambodia Border Dispute”, calling on both sides to exercise restraint, cease hostilities, and resolve disputes peacefully in line with United Nations and ASEAN principles.