Over 100,000 flee Thailand-Cambodia border clashes as fighting escalates
The Thai government confirmed the displacement as the death toll rose to 15, with 46 wounded.
The conflict erupted on Thursday with heavy artillery, tanks, and aerial strikes, prompting the UN Security Council to schedule an emergency meeting.
Thai authorities reported that over 100,000 residents from four border provinces sought refuge in nearly 300 temporary shelters.
Cambodian forces resumed attacks early Friday, using heavy weapons and rocket systems, according to the Thai army.
Thai troops retaliated with 'appropriate supporting fire.' Witnesses in Cambodia's Samraong town reported hearing artillery fire as families evacuated.
'I live very close to the border. We are scared because they began shooting again at about 6:00 am,' said Pro Bak, 41, who fled with his family to a Buddhist temple.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, chair of ASEAN, called for a ceasefire after talks with both nations.
'I welcome the positive signals and willingness shown by both Bangkok and Phnom Penh to consider this path forward,' he said.
Despite diplomatic efforts, clashes resumed Friday morning, with Cambodia accusing Thailand of aggression.
The dispute stems from contested border areas, reignited in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed.
The UN Security Council will meet following Cambodia's request, as international powers urge de-escalation. The US, France, EU, and China expressed concern, calling for dialogue. - AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
23 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Rubio: US officials in Malaysia to help Cambodia-Thailand talks
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said State Department officials were in Malaysia to assist peace efforts as Cambodia and Thailand were scheduled to begin talks there on Monday in hopes for a ceasefire. President Donald Trump and Rubio were engaged with their counterparts for each country and were monitoring the situation very closely, Rubio said in a statement released by the State Department late on Sunday in the US and early Monday in Asia. KEY QUOTES "We want this conflict to end as soon as possible," he said. "State Department officials are on the ground in Malaysia to assist these peace efforts." WHY IT'S IMPORTANT The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia were scheduled to attend mediation talks over their deadly border conflict in Malaysia on Monday, the Thai government said, as both sides accused each other of launching fresh artillery strikes across contested areas. Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have intensified since the late-May killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief border skirmish. Border troops on both sides were reinforced amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand's fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse. Hostilities resumed on Thursday and, within just four days, escalated into the worst fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours in more than a decade. CONTEXT The death toll has risen above 30, including 13 civilians in Thailand and eight in Cambodia, while authorities report that more than 200,000 people have been evacuated from border areas. Trump said on Sunday he believed both Thailand and Cambodia wanted to settle their differences after he told the leaders of both countries that he would not conclude trade deals with them unless they ended their fighting. - Reuters
The Sun
23 minutes ago
- The Sun
Cambodia PM Hun Manet heads to Malaysia for Thailand ceasefire talks
PUTRAJAYA: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet will arrive in Malaysia on Monday for crucial ceasefire negotiations with Thailand, facilitated by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The talks aim to de-escalate recent border clashes between the two Southeast Asian nations. Hun Manet confirmed his participation in a Facebook post late Sunday. 'I will lead a Cambodian delegation to attend a special meeting in Kuala Lumpur hosted by Malaysia. I'd like to thank Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for his initiative and coordination to organise and host this special meeting,' he said. The meeting, scheduled for 3 pm in Putrajaya, will see Hun Manet engage with Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. Anwar, who also chairs ASEAN, proposed the mediation after renewed hostilities along the disputed 817-km border. Tensions flared following a May 28 skirmish near Preah Vihear, escalating into armed confrontations last week. The conflict has displaced over 80,000 civilians, with Cambodia's Ministry of National Defence reporting five soldiers and eight civilians killed. International pressure, including from the UN and US, pushed both sides toward dialogue. US President Donald Trump confirmed on Saturday that both governments agreed to discuss a ceasefire. - Bernama
Free Malaysia Today
42 minutes ago
- Free Malaysia Today
EU, US strike ‘biggest-ever' trade deal
President Donald Trump and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen seal a trade deal with a handshake at Trump Turnberry golf resort in Scotland. (AP pic) TURNBERRY : The United States and European Union on Sunday clinched what President Donald Trump described as the 'biggest-ever' deal to resolve a transatlantic tariff stand-off that threatened to explode into a full-blown trade war. Trump emerged from a high-stakes meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at his golf resort in Scotland to announce that a baseline tariff of 15% would be levied on EU exports to the US. The deal, which the leaders struck in around an hour, came as the clock ticked down on an Aug 1 deadline to avoid an across-the-board US levy of 30% on European goods. 'We've reached a deal. It's a good deal for everybody. This is probably the biggest deal ever reached in any capacity,' said Trump. Trump said the 15% tariff would apply across the board, including for Europe's crucial automobile sector, pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. As part of the deal, Trump said the 27-nation EU bloc had agreed to purchase 'US$750 billion worth of energy' from the United States, as well as make US$600 billion in additional investments. Von der Leyen said the 'significant' purchases of US liquefied natural gas, oil and nuclear fuels would come over three years, as part of the bloc's bid to diversify away from Russian sources. Negotiating on behalf of the EU's 27 countries, von der Leyen had been pushing hard to salvage a trading relationship worth an annual US$1.9 trillion in goods and services. 'It's a good deal,' the EU chief told reporters. 'It will bring stability. It will bring predictability. That's very important for our businesses on both sides of the Atlantic,' she said. She said bilateral tariff exemptions had been agreed on a number of 'strategic products,' notably aircraft, certain chemicals, some agricultural products and critical raw materials. Von der Leyen said the EU still hoped to secure further so-called 'zero-for-zero' agreements, notably for alcohol, which she hoped to be 'sorted out' in coming days. Trump also said EU countries – which recently pledged to ramp up their defence spending within Nato – would be purchasing 'hundreds of billions of dollars worth of military equipment.' 'Best we could get' The EU has been hit by multiple waves of tariffs since Trump reclaimed the White House. It is currently subject to a 25% levy on cars, 50% on steel and aluminium, and an across-the-board tariff of 10%, which Washington threatened to hike to 30% in a no-deal scenario. The bloc had been pushing hard for tariff carve-outs for critical industries from aircraft to spirits, and its auto industry, crucial for France and Germany, is already reeling from the levies imposed so far. 'Fifteen percent is not to be underestimated, but it is the best we could get,' acknowledged von der Leyen. Any deal will need to be approved by EU member states – whose ambassadors, on a visit to Greenland, were updated by the commission Sunday morning. They were set to meet again after the deal struck in Scotland. German chancellor Friedrich Merz rapidly hailed the deal, saying it avoided 'needless escalation in transatlantic trade relations'. But German exporters were less enthusiastic. The powerful BDI federation of industrial groups said the accord would have 'considerable negative repercussions' while the country's VCI chemical trade association said the accord left rates 'too high'. The EU had pushed for a compromise on steel that could allow a certain quota into the US before tariffs would apply. Trump appeared to rule that out, saying steel was 'staying the way it is', but the EU chief insisted later that 'tariffs will be cut and a quota system will be put in place' for steel. 'The big one' While 15% is much higher than pre-existing US tariffs on European goods, which average around 4.8%, it mirrors the status quo, with companies currently facing an additional flat rate of 10%. Had the talks failed, EU states had greenlit counter tariffs on US$109 billion (€93 billion) of US goods including aircraft and cars to take effect in stages from Aug 7. Trump has embarked on a campaign to reshape US trade with the world, and has vowed to hit dozens of countries with punitive tariffs if they do not reach a pact with Washington by Aug1. Asked what the next deal would be, Trump replied: 'This was the big one. This is the biggest of them all.'
