Why Cambodia nominated Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize
Cambodia ‘needed a hero’ to intervene in its border dispute with Thailand, analysts say – and Trump’s ego made him the perfect candidate
The award, widely regarded as the world’s most prestigious peace accolade, is typically bestowed upon individuals or organisations judged to have “advanced fellowship between nations”.
But Sophal Ear, associate professor at Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management, told This Week in Asia that Cambodia’s nomination was less a reflection of Trump’s peacemaking credentials than of Phnom Penh’s “strategic positioning”.
“The gesture is largely symbolic, a low-cost, high-profile way to curry favour with a US president who remains unpredictable and transactional,” the Cambodian-American political scientist said.