With the fascinating title, “Where Faith and Diversity Unite: Southeast Asia’s Lesson for the World,” the JUST International newsletter, run by Chandra Muzzafar’s Just International, based in Malaysia, praised the intervention by Anwar Ibrahim, as the Prime Minister of Malaysia, a Muslim nation, to bring about a peace between Thailand and Cambodia, two Buddhist nations, as a symbol of ecumenical cooperation. This was accomplished on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, whose theme was “Resilient Together, Prosper Together.”
The article was written by K V Soon (Vidyananda), the Secretary of the Buddhist Muslim Forum based in Malaysia. Interestingly, the article does not mention U.S. President Donald Trump, to neither back his claim as being the person who brought about the settlement of the Thai-Cambodia conflict, nor to refute his claim.
Rather, Soon writes: “The key was not shared religion, but shared values. The mediation was effective because it was free from historical or doctrinal entanglement, speaking instead from a place of shared human understanding. It was not religion that divided the borderlands; it was pride and politics. Yet it was faith diversity that helped heal the wound. Islamic, Buddhist, and Hindu philosophies all anchor in the sanctity of life and the moral obligation to choose peace over ego.”
He concludes: “ASEAN’s success offers lessons for a world fractured by identity. The image of a Muslim leader mediating between Buddhist nations is a symbol of principled pluralism. It shows that neutrality need not mean detachment; it can mean compassion in action. This collaboration also underlines that peace is not built by governments alone but cultivated by faith communities and citizens who believe in mutual respect. July’s crisis reminded us of the fragility of peace. But what followed reaffirmed it can be rebuilt. The message from Kuala Lumpur resonates where faith and diversity unite, humanity prevails. In a fractured world, ASEAN’s blend of diversity—rooted in compassion and respect—offers a different path. This is the peace we have built, and it is a peace we must protect.”
