Thai military prepared for ‘high-level operation' if Cambodia border row escalates
Deadly clashes between Cambodia and Thailand last erupted in 2011 over the Preah Vihear, a 900-year-old temple at the heart of a decades-long row. PHOTO: REUTERS
BANGKOK - Thailand's military said it is ready to launch a "high-level operation" to counter any violation of its sovereignty, in the strongest words yet in a simmering border dispute with Cambodia that re-erupted with a deadly clash last week.
The army said in a statement late on June 5 that its intelligence gathering indicated Cambodia had stepped up its military readiness at their border while diplomatic efforts were ongoing, describing that as "worrisome".
The statement was in sharp contrast with one from the government just hours earlier, when it urged Cambodia to positively engage in dialogue via an existing mechanism between them.
"The army is now ready for a high-level military operation in case it is necessary to retaliate against the violation of sovereignty," it said, ahead of a meeting of its armed forces top brass scheduled for June 6.
"Operations of units at the border have been conducted carefully, calmly and based on an understanding of the situation to prevent losses on all sides, but at the same time, are ready to defend the country's sovereignty to the fullest extent if the situation is called for."
Cambodia's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Thai military statement on June 6.
The governments of the two countries had for days exchanged carefully worded statements committing to dialogue after a brief skirmish in an undemarcated border area on May 28 in which a Cambodian soldier was killed.
Although the two countries have a historic rivalry, their governments enjoy friendly ties, partly due to the close relationship between their influential former leaders, Thailand's Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodia's Hun Sen, whose daughter and son respectively are now the prime ministers in their countries.
The issue comes at a tricky time for the Pheu Thai Party-led administration in Thailand as it battles to revive a flagging economy that could be hit by steep US tariffs, while facing a challenge to its popularity having paused a signature cash handout to tens of millions of people.
The party of the billionaire Shinawatra family has a troubled history with the Thai military, which twice toppled its governments in 2006 and 2014 coups.
Deadly clashes between Cambodia and Thailand last erupted in 2011 over the Preah Vihear, a 900-year-old temple at the heart of a decades-long row that has stirred nationalist sentiment on both sides.
The International Court of Justice in 2013 ruled in favour of Cambodia in clarifying a 1962 decision to award it jurisdiction over the temple, saying part of the land around it was Cambodia's and Thai troops must withdraw from the area.
Cambodia said this week it is committed to peace and plans to resolve the issue by referring disputes over four parts of their border to the ICJ and has asked Thailand to cooperate. Thailand says it does not recognise the court's jurisdiction. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Trump says US justice department, not him, made decision to bring back Abrego Garcia
Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a 29-year-old Salvadoran whose wife, Ms Jennifer Vasquez Sura (above), and young child are US citizens. PHOTO: REUTERS Trump says US justice department, not him, made decision to bring back Abrego Garcia WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said on June 7 it was the Department of Justice, not him, that made the decision to bring back to the US a man mistakenly deported from Maryland to El Salvador. Kilmar Abrego Garcia was flown back to face criminal charges of transporting illegal immigrants within the US, Attorney-General Pam Bondi said on June 6. His return marked an inflection point in a case seized on by critics of Mr Trump's immigration crackdown as a sign that his administration was disregarding civil liberties in its push to step up deportations of migrants. 'Well, that wasn't my decision. The Department of Justice decided to do it that way, and that's fine,' Mr Trump told NBC News in an interview, when asked about Abrego Garcia's return. Mr Trump added that he had not spoken to El Salvador President Nayib Bukele about the move. Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran whose wife and young child in Maryland are US citizens, appeared in federal court in Nashville on the evening of June 6. His arraignment was set for June 13, when he will enter a plea, according to local media reports. Until then, he will remain in federal custody. If convicted, he would be deported to El Salvador after serving his sentence, Ms Bondi said. The Trump administration has said Abrego Garcia was a member of the MS-13 gang, an accusation that his lawyers deny. Abrego Garcia was deported on March 15, more than two months before the charges were filed. He was briefly held in a mega-prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Centre in El Salvador, despite a US immigration judge's 2019 order barring him from being sent to the Central American nation because he would likely be persecuted by gangs. Mr Trump said he thought it would be 'a very easy case' against Abrego Garcia, who he accused of having a 'horrible record of abuse' of women. Abrego Garcia's lawyer, Mr Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, has called the criminal charges "fantastical." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
White House aide calls Los Angeles anti-ICE protests an ‘insurrection'
Protesters gathering around the Los Angeles Federal Building following multiple detentions by ICE immigration agents, in downtown Los Angeles, California, on June 6. PHOTO: REUTERS WASHINGTON - Senior White House aide Stephen Miller on June 7 condemned protests in downtown Los Angeles against federal immigration raids as an "insurrection" against the United States. Helmeted police in riot gear engaged in a tense confrontation with protesters on the night of June 6 after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted enforcement operations in the city and arrested at least 44 people on immigration violations. 'An insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States,' Mr Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, wrote on X. Mr Miller, an immigration hardliner, was responding to video footage on X showing a large number of people protesting in downtown Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said it had not made any arrests related to the demonstration. FBI deputy director Dan Bongino posted on X that they were reviewing evidence from the protests. 'We are working with the US Attorney's Office to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice,' Mr Bongino said. 'The Right to assemble and protest does not include a licence to attack law enforcement officers, or to impede and obstruct our lawful immigration operations.' President Donald Trump has pledged to deport record numbers of people in the country illegally and lock down the US-Mexico border, with the White House setting a goal for ICE to arrest at least 3,000 migrants a day. But the sweeping immigration crackdown has also included people legally residing in the country, including some with permanent residence, and has led to legal challenges. Television news footage earlier on June 6 showed caravans of unmarked military-style vehicles and vans loaded with uniformed federal agents streaming through Los Angeles streets as part of the immigration enforcement operation. "Forty-four people (were arrested) on immigration charges," Ms Yasmeen Pitts O'Keefe, a spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations told Reuters on June 7. The LAPD did not take part in the immigration enforcement. It was deployed to quell civil unrest after crowds protesting the deportation raids spray-painted anti-ICE slogans on the walls of a federal court building and gathered outside a nearby jail where some of the detainees were reportedly being held. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in a statement condemned the immigration raids. 'I am deeply angered by what has taken place,' Ms Bass said. 'These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. We will not stand for this.' REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
White House aide calls Los Angeles anti-ICE protests an 'insurrection'
FILE PHOTO: A protester holds a placard as they gather around the Los Angeles Federal Building following multiple detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 6, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo WASHINGTON - Senior White House aide Stephen Miller on Saturday condemned protests in downtown Los Angeles against federal immigration raids as an "insurrection" against the United States. Helmeted police in riot gear engaged in a tense confrontation with protesters on Friday night after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted enforcement operations in the city and arrested at least 44 people on immigration violations. "An insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States," Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, wrote on X. Miller, an immigration hardliner, was responding to video footage on X showing a large number of people protesting in downtown Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said it had not made any arrests related to the demonstration. FBI deputy director Dan Bongino posted on X that they were reviewing evidence from the protests. "We are working with the U.S. Attorney's Office to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice," Bongino said. "The Right to assemble and protest does not include a license to attack law enforcement officers, or to impede and obstruct our lawful immigration operations." President Donald Trump has pledged to deport record numbers of people in the country illegally and lock down the U.S.-Mexico border, with the White House setting a goal for ICE to arrest at least 3,000 migrants per day. But the sweeping immigration crackdown has also included people legally residing in the country, including some with permanent residence, and has led to legal challenges. Television news footage earlier on Friday showed caravans of unmarked military-style vehicles and vans loaded with uniformed federal agents streaming through Los Angeles streets as part of the immigration enforcement operation. "Forty-four people (were arrested) on immigration charges," Yasmeen Pitts O'Keefe, a spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations told Reuters on Saturday. The LAPD did not take part in the immigration enforcement. It was deployed to quell civil unrest after crowds protesting the deportation raids spray-painted anti-ICE slogans on the walls of a federal court building and gathered outside a nearby jail where some of the detainees were reportedly being held. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in a statement condemned the immigration raids. "I am deeply angered by what has taken place," Bass said. "These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. We will not stand for this." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
