Thailand, Cambodia leaders agree ‘immediate & unconditional' truce
Bangkok
The premiers of Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to implement an immediate ceasefire following days of deadly border clashes, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday after hosting talks between the two nations.
The 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire' is set to take effect at midnight (1700 GMT), Anwar said. It was agreed upon at a special meeting between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai interim Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai in the Malaysian administrative capital Putrajaya.
Representatives from the United Sates and China also participated in the talks.
In a joint statement, the ceasefire was described as 'a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security.' Military leaders from both countries are expected to meet for talks on Tuesday.
A meeting of the General Border Committee, a bilateral body for cooperation on border issues, is planned for August 4.
Both sides also expressed their willingness to resume direct communication between their governments.
Heavy fighting erupted between the two neighbouring countries on Thursday along their more than 800-kilometre border. The conflict has been simmering for decades.
Both sides have reported casualties and injuries, and more than 200,000 people have fled the region. Overnight, heavy fighting was reported again.
What exactly triggered the escalation remains unclear.
International pressure International pressure on Bangkok and Phnom Penh to end the fighting had been growing ahead of the meeting, with US President Donald Trump holding phone calls with both premiers to push for an end to the conflict.
Shortly before the talks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for an 'immediate ceasefire' on X.
Malaysia as mediator Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar had already spoken with his counterparts from Thailand and Cambodia shortly after the fighting began and offered himself as a mediator.
Malaysia holds the chair of Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year. Since the beginning of the clashes, both sides have accused each other of triggering the violence.
Civilian buildings, including a hospital and a supermarket, were also hit in the attacks. Thailand used fighter jets to target military positions, while Cambodia fired rockets across the border.
The dispute further escalated after a shootout between soldiers from both countries at the end of May, in which a Cambodian soldier was killed.
Recently, Cambodia's Ministry of Defence accused Thailand of also using chemical weapons. The Foreign Ministry in Bangkok denied this, calling them 'baseless accusations' and 'disinformation' aimed at deliberately undermining Thailand's reputation in the international community.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Qatar Tribune
21 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Thousands in Bangladesh celebrate 1st anniversary of Hasina's ouster
dpa Dhaka The Bangladeshi government and major political parties are celebrating on Tuesday the first anniversary of last year's mass uprising that toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. More than a month of student-led violent protests ousted Hasina on August 5, 2024. The United Nations estimated that nearly 1,400 people died in the clashes. Hasina had ruled the country for over 15 consecutive years and was widely seen as authoritarian. She fled to India aboard a military helicopter. Thousands join celebration Thousands of people joined the crowd at Manik Mia Avenue, in front of the parliament building, to celebrate the day. Many were seen dancing and singing to the rhythm of drums. They also shouted slogans to demand a speedy trial of Hasina for being so brutal to civilians and killing hundreds of people. They released hundreds of balloons in the sky at 2:25 pm (0825 GMT), marking the time Hasina fled the country a year ago. 'The tyrant's escape brought the final triumph after a long struggle. We are celebrating the victory today,' Shanin Alam, one participant from Dhaka's Mirpur neighbourhood, told dpa. Meanwhile, at least 10 people were wounded after toy gas balloons accidentally burst in the crowd. Seven of them were treated at state-run Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Nobel Peace Prize winner in control Three days after her ouster, an interim administration took power, headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. To commemorate the first anniversary of what it calls the 'people's victory,' the government announced a series of nationwide events. The day, being celebrated as July Uprising Day, has been declared a public holiday.
Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Qatar Tribune
Swiss luxury watchmakers slip after Trump tariff blow
Agencies Shares in Swiss luxury watchmakers, including Richemont and Swatch, were volatile in early trade on Monday, underscoring the challenge the industry faces after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a steep 39% tariff on Switzerland. The sector, which exported watches worth 26 billion Swiss francs ($32.79 billion) in 2024, is already under pressure from a stronger franc and falling global demand. Watch exports are on track to hit their lowest levels since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. 'The impact of the U.S. tariffs, if they stay at 39%, could be devastating for numerous brands in Switzerland,' said Jean-Philippe Bertschy, an analyst at Vontobel. Shares in Richemont and Swatch were both down around 1% at 09:06 a.m. GMT, paring back losses after earlier falling as much as 3.4% and 5%, respectively. Bertschy linked the move to hopes of Switzerland still getting a better deal as the tariffs are effective as of August 7. Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek, meanwhile, called on Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter to meet Trump. A separate report by Reuters said Switzerland's government would hold an extraordinary cabinet meeting on Monday to discuss its response to tariffs, which threaten to inflict heavy damage to its luxury goods industry. The duties are scheduled to go into effect on Thursday, giving Switzerland a small window to strike a better deal. Switzerland was left stunned on Friday after Trump hit the country with one of the highest tariffs in his global trade reset, with industry associations warning that tens of thousands of jobs were at risk. President Keller-Sutter told Reuters on Friday that Switzerland had given U.S. goods virtually free access to its market, and Swiss companies had made very important direct investments in the U.S. 'The president (Trump) is really focused on the trade deficit, because he thinks that this is a loss for the United States, that every year with Swiss exports, the United States loses, well, 38.5 billion (francs),' she told Reuters. 'Tariffs can change at any moment due to the unpredictability of the Trump administration,' said Georges Mari, co-owner of Zurich-based investment firm Rossier, Mari & Associates, which holds shares in Swatch, adding that it is 'impossible to make a serious forecast.' Monday was the first day of trading following the U.S. tariff announcement, as markets were closed on Friday for the Swiss National Day holiday. Stocks and the Swiss franc both tumbled in response to heavy levies. An index of Swiss blue-chip stocks hit its lowest level since mid-April on Monday, as shares in banks, luxury retailers, and pharma companies dropped. The SMI index was last down 0.6% on the day, compared with a 0.6% rise in the regional STOXX 600 index. The Swiss franc was the worst-performing major currency against the dollar, which was last up 0.7% at 0.809 francs, not far off Friday's one-month highs.
Al Jazeera
30-07-2025
- Al Jazeera
Thailand-Cambodia truce mostly holds after shaky start in wake of fighting
A ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia has been mainly holding as border tensions linger, with a truce agreement to end deadly clashes in effect, in part, due to economic pressure from United States President Donald Trump. The two neighbours agreed to an 'immediate and unconditional' ceasefire, effective from midnight, at a meeting in Malaysia on Monday after nearly a week of hostilities that saw at least 38 mostly civilian deaths and displaced nearly 300,000 more. But the ceasefire was quickly tested when Thailand's army accused Cambodia of launching attacks in multiple areas early Tuesday – claims Cambodia rejected. The ceasefire comes days before the US is expected to announce new trade tariff decisions. Cambodia and Thailand are two of the nations likely to be hit hardest as a result of Trump's punitive trade measures, with a 36% tariff on goods from both countries taking effect this coming Friday. Trump had warned that the US might not proceed with trade deals with either country if hostilities continued, giving both sides a face-saving justification for halting the clashes. Some sporadic fire had been anticipated in the hours immediately after the ceasefire took effect. A Thai government statement late Tuesday said a new clash had broken out at one of the locations where there had previously been heavy fighting. The Thai army reported exchanges of gunfire into Wednesday morning but said there was no use of heavy artillery. Jirayu Houngsub, a spokesperson for the office of Thailand's prime minister, said in a text message to journalists that the Thai military 'is currently responding and controlling the situation' at Phu Makhuea, a mountain in a disputed area next to Thailand's Sisaket province. Thailand's army had said the morning fighting stopped after military commanders along the border from both sides met. They agreed to halt troop movements, avoid escalation and establish coordination teams before a joint border committee meeting in Cambodia on August 4, army spokesman Major-General Winthai Suvaree said. Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Seiha said he spoke to his Thai counterpart about 'incidents' that occurred during the implementation of the ceasefire, but stressed that Cambodia's army abided by the truce. 'Here is not as easy to live as my home' There were signs of calm along the border, with some of the tens of thousands of people displaced by the fighting returning to their homes. But residents staying in makeshift refugee shelters on Cambodia's northwestern border were still waiting to head home. 'If they (the government) say that my village is safe to return then I would go back home and reunite with my family because here is not as easy to live as my home,' Meun Saray, a 45-year-old woman living in a tarpaulin shelter near the border town of Samraong, capital of Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province, told the Reuters news agency. The town is directly south of the O Smach border crossing, where shelling and gunfire were heard on Monday afternoon, said Meach Sovannara, head of the opposition New Generation Party, adding that some local villagers were injured after their homes were hit by stray bullets. Cambodia and Thailand have clashed in the past over their 800km (500-mile) border. The fighting began Thursday after a landmine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Tensions had been growing since May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thailand's domestic politics. Some analysts say the ceasefire remains tenuous and politically complicated. Kokthay Eng, a Cambodian researcher in history, politics and international relations, warned that the ceasefire may not last if the Thai government fails to secure lower US tariffs. 'It is risky and will require clear markers to build traction,' Southeast Asian political expert Bridget Welsh said. 'A proper border survey should begin immediately. Right now, it's on pause because the roots of the conflict have yet to be addressed.'
