Thai refugees shelter from Cambodian artillery and rockets. (Photo: courtesy of Reuters) The Senate committee on military and national security has criticized any move to use economic negotiations as an inducement to end border disputes with Cambodia. The acting prime minister of Thailand and the Cambodian premier meet later today in Malaysia after Trump cited an end to military action as a prerequisite to, maybe, reducing 36 percent tariffs on Thai and Cambodian exports to US due August 1. Chaiyong Maneerungsakul, Senate committee spokesman, told Bangkok Post that taxation matters should not be entangled with armed conflict between the two neighbors. He expressed concern that Trump’s golf club remarks could be interpreted as indirect coercion and suggested extreme caution when dealing with third parties such as the American or Chinese government. Cambodia, in advance of the Malaysian meeting, has stated a ceasefire should not have military preconditions. But the Thai government has said it wants to see positive proof that Cambodia is serious about de-escalation by withdrawing her troops and artillery from contested border areas. Diplomats say that the process is complicated and unlikely to be resolved in one short meeting. Meanwhile, the clock ticks inexorably towards Trump’s time deadline. The Thai position is that the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) is the right place to seek a territorial solution. However, Cambodia chose unilaterally to refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Holland on the very day, May 29, that the JBC meeting was held. Phnom Penh is well aware that Thailand does not accept as binding all ICJ judgments, the same position held by US, Israel, Russia, China, UK and others in other controversies. Both sides deny being the first to open fire in the current spats which began in late May. But Thai military officers say that Cambodian civilians persisted with provocative acts such as singing their national anthem and hoisting Cambodian flags at controversial temple sites. Meanwhile, ex-Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen leaked details of a confidential phone call and lost revenue from scam centers and casinos when the Thai military closed the borders. In the last few weeks, there have been multiple deaths and injuries of soldiers and civilians on both sides, whilst tit-for-tat measures have been stepped up. These have included downgrading diplomatic relations and withdrawing electricity supplies and wifi connections at land borders. A spokesperson for Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said he was waiting to hear the results of the meeting between the Thai and Cambodian leaders later today. He denied that the two countries were being forced into a settlement as Trump has confirmed that both Bangkok and Phnom Penh were keen to end hostilities. Critics say Trump followed a similar bargaining strategy, which failed, in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.