Cambodian Monks Back Trump’s Nobel Bid After Border Ceasefire

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In a striking display of spiritual diplomacy, thousands of Cambodian Buddhist monks have rallied behind Prime Minister Hun Manet’s nomination of Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Their support follows Trump’s intervention in the recent Cambodia-Thailand border conflict, which ended in a ceasefire on 28 July after five days of deadly clashes.

 

According to Reuters, Trump warned both governments that trade deals with the United States would stall unless they agreed to talks. The ultimatum reportedly helped bring the fighting to a halt. Cambodian monks now credit Trump’s “extraordinary statesmanship” for preventing a wider war, citing his “visionary and innovative diplomacy” in a letter posted by Hun Manet.

 

On 10 August, more than 2,500 monks marched through Phnom Penh in support of peace and the nomination. Dr Yorn Seng Yeat, Vice Chancellor of Sihanouk Reach University, declared that “70,000 Cambodian Buddhist monks are whole-heartedly supportive” of the move. Many carried portraits of Trump, framing him as a global peacemaker.

 

This is not Trump’s first nomination. In recent months, leaders from Pakistan, Israel, Armenia, and a U.S. congressman have all endorsed him for his role in various ceasefires, including those involving India, Iran, and Azerbaijan. Yet Trump remains sceptical. “No, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do,” he posted on Truth Social in June.

 

The Nobel Committee is expected to announce this year’s winners in October. Whether Trump’s growing list of endorsements will sway the outcome remains uncertain. But in Cambodia, the spectacle of saffron-robed monks marching for his recognition has added an unexpected layer to the global conversation around peace, diplomacy, and political symbolism.

 

-2025-08-22