By Dr. Sophal Chhay
PHNOM PENH: US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday witnessed Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet and his Thai counterpart Anutin Charnvirakul sign the historic the “Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord,” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to restore peace and stability along the Cambodia–Thailand border following long border disputes between the two kingdoms, especially the five-day bloody fighting on July 24-28, 2025.
On the first day of the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on 26-28 October in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur where many world leaders are gathering, President Trump met Anutin before the signing ceremony took place.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
Brunei Darussalam joined ASEAN on 7 January 1984, followed by Vietnam on 28 July 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999.
At the Kuala Lumpur summit, Timor-Leste officially becomes the 11th member of ASEAN on Sunday. Timor-Leste’s ASEAN membership has been made through the initiative, coordination and diplomacy with ground works for years of Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Cambodian former Prime Minister and current Senate President.
ASEAN is headed by a chair, a position that rotates annually among member state leaders—and is assisted by a secretariat based in Jakarta, Indonesia.
ASEAN’s population has reached approximately 680 million people, making it the third most populous region in the world, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of about US$4 trillion.
