'Thanks, but no need for third-party help': This country denies mediation offer from China and US amid ongoing border conflict
A fight between Thailand and Cambodia over a border dispute has turned very serious in the last two days. So far, 14 people have died, and most of them were reportedly civilians. Soldiers from both countries opened fire on each other at the border. They used small guns, fired artillery shells, and even launched rockets. As the situation got worse, the United States, China, and Malaysia offered to help solve the problem peacefully. But Thailand, being a small country, gave a strong and clear reply to both China and the US, saying it doesn't need any third-party help.
However, later, Thailand agreed to Malaysia's offer to help mediate and find a peaceful solution.
Thailand's Foreign Ministry said on Friday that it has rejected offers from other countries to mediate in its conflict with Cambodia. The ministry made it clear that it wants Cambodia to stop the attacks and that the issue should be solved only through direct talks between the two countries.
Thailand's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Nikorndej Balankura, told Reuters that the United States, China, and Malaysia (which is currently the chair of the ASEAN regional group) had offered to help with talks. However, Thailand wants to handle the situation on its own and prefers a bilateral solution instead of involving outside countries.
Thailand's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Nikorndej Balankura, told Reuters, 'I don't think we need any third-party mediation right now.'
He added, 'We firmly believe that solving the issue directly between the two countries is the best way forward. This is a conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, and it should be handled by both sides alone.'
He also said that Cambodia should first stop the violence at the border. 'Our doors are still open for talks,' he added.
However, after rejecting earlier offers, the Thai government is now willing to consider Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's proposal to support a ceasefire.
Thailand's Foreign Ministry posted on X (formerly Twitter), saying, 'Any ceasefire must be based on fair and practical conditions on the ground. Thailand puts the safety of its citizens first. Right now, Cambodia's actions show a lack of goodwill and are putting innocent lives in danger. It is the duty of the Royal Thai Government to fully protect its sovereignty and its people.'
Meanwhile, as clashes continued for a second day, Thai authorities imposed martial law in eight districts along the border with Cambodia.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'Will discuss with BRICS members': Brazil President Lula threatens WTO action over Trump tariffs - The Economic Times Video
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is stepping up as a global voice for multilateralism, vowing to confront Donald Trump's aggressive tariff moves head-on. In an exclusive interview with Reuters, Lula revealed plans to rally BRICS leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, for a united response to Trump's escalating trade war.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Will Trump's tariffs result in China-India-Russia joining hands?
US President Donald Trump seems to be picking fights on all fronts. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit China soon, while Russian President Vladimir Putin is slated to come to India. This comes in the backdrop of Trump imposing a 50 per cent tariff on India for its relationship with Russia. There is also talk of reviving the Russia-India-China (RIC) grouping that was founded in the 1990s. But what do we know? read more Advertisement Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Reuters Will India China and Russia join hands as a result of Trump's tariffs? The US president seems to be picking fights on all fronts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit China soon, while Russian President Vladimir Putin is slated to come to India. This comes in the backdrop of Trump imposing a 50 per cent tariff on India for its relationship with Russia. There is also talk of reviving the Russia-India-China (RIC) grouping that was founded in the 1990s. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Let's take a closer look Modi in China The three countries already seem to be making moves against America. Modi will travel to Tianjin for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in late August. This is his first trip to China since 2018. The summit is related to be held from August 31 to September 1. Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to undertake a trip to India ahead of Modi's visit. Wang, who is a member of powerful Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), will meet National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on 18 August. Wang and Doval are set to discuss the border issue between the two countries. China and India have slowly mended relations since the 2020 stand-off. The two countries share a 3,800-kilometre border in the Himalayas. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in June visited China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's meeting of defence ministers. The SCO is a 10-nation Eurasian security and political grouping whose members include China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and Iran. Rajnath met his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun on the sidelines of the summit – the highest-level dialogue between the countries in months. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Tianjin for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in late August. AP Rajnath was also the first Indian defence minister to visit China since 2013. He shared a four-pronged approach with Dong for better ties. He also said both nations should seek a 'permanent solution' to the border dispute. He also announced the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra – which had been suspended since COVID-19 pandemic and then the Galwan Valley clash. India and China previously met at a high-level to work on the disengagement process at Demchok and Depsang Plains in October 2024. That development came after intense negotiations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting President Xi Jinping meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan in October 2024. Putin in India Meanwhile, Putin is slated to visit India later this year. His visit comes in the backdrop of Trump and other high-ranking US officials accusing India of funding Russia's war in Ukraine by continuing to purchase crude oil and trade with Russia. India has hit back at the US-led West and pointed out that both Washington and the European Union continue to trade with Russia. India has also defended its purchase of crude oil from Russia, pointing out that Russian oil has not been sanctioned and that India is not violating any international laws. New Delhi has also about to put its national interest above all else. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Interestingly, NSA Doval is currently in Moscow. The Indian NSA is will discuss Trump's tariffs as well as lay the groundwork for Putin's trip. External Affairs Minister S Jaishanka will also visit Russia later on this month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin. , Putin, who has limited his travel since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, is slated to visit India later this year. PTI The Russian president has is yet to visit India since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022. He has also limited his trips around the world Send the International Criminal Court in 2023 issued a warrant against him for 'war crimes'. While this affects his travel to states that are signatories to the Rome Statute, it would not interfere with him traveling to India. Putin met Modi at the 22nd Annual Summit in July 2024 in Moscow and the 16th Brics Summit in Kazan in 2023. The two men previously met in December 2021 at the 21st India–Russia Annual Summit. Modi previously called for peace in Ukraine and famously told Putin 'this is not the era of war'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD New Delhi continues to view Russia as a 'longstanding and time-tested partner'. The two countries signed the 'Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership' in October 2000 during Putin's visit. In 2010, the two countries elevated ties from a strategic partnership to a 'Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership'. Total bilateral trade between the two countries touched $65.7 billion in the 2023-2024 financial year. India exported goods worth $4.26 billion to Russia and imported items worth $61.44 billion. This was an around 33 per cent increase from the 2022–23 financial year, where total trade was valued at $49.36 billion. Mineral fuels, oils, and petroleum products particularly crude oil comprise the bulk (76 per cent) of India's imports from Russia. Pharmaceuticals, organic chemicals, electrical machinery, mechanical appliances, iron and steel are India's main imports. Both countries have announced they want to increase trade to $100 billion by 2030. The two countries also have vibrant defence ties including the supply of S-400, licensed production of T-90 tanks and Su-30 MKI, supply of MiG-29 and Kamov helicopters, INS Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov), production of Ak-203 rifles in India and BrahMos missiles. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD RIC grouping to be revived? It is also possible that the Russia, India and China (RIC) grouping could be revived. The grouping was established at the behest of Russian politico Yevgeny Primakov. It was viewed as a 'a counterbalance to the Western alliance.' India, Russia and China could be a powerful troika. Together, they account for 19 per cent of the world's landmass. They also comprise more than 33 per cent of the world's GDP. Russia's foreign minister earlier this year mused about reviving the dormant group. The last meeting of the RIC was held in 2020 before the stand-off between India and China. What do experts say? Experts say they see an opportunity especially when it comes to the RIC. 'Restarting the RIC mechanism now holds particular importance. All three nations are key advocates for a genuinely multipolar international order. As major powers facing unilateral pressure from the US, they share both the incentive and the imperative to strengthen solidarity and cooperation to bolster global economic stability,' Xie Chao, an associate professor, Institute of International Studies, Fudan University, wrote in Global Times. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Xie said the revival of the RIC will come down to whether India and China can build sufficient trust to expand their relationship. Timofei Bordachev, program director of the Valdai Discussion Club, added, 'The trilateral dialogue between China, India and Russia does not constrain the foreign policy autonomy of its participants. Instead, it can make a significant contribution to the global balance and to the fulfillment of their own interests, while also creating additional confidence among other countries in Asia and Eurasia'. Bordachev said reaching a shared understanding in the fast-changing international environment will be the key to the RIC. 'The most likely task for the RIC at the present stage is to jointly articulate what is equally important to all three countries - regardless of short-term political disagreements which are always present in international relations. It is hard to imagine who, besides these three states, could do this better right now', Bordachev wrote. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A piece in SCMP said that the RIC being revived could benefit the Global South as a whole. 'With many nations watching the G7 and Brics from the sidelines, RIC offers a pragmatic, issue-specific alternative that emphasises dialogue over confrontation. Its resurrection would send a signal that Asia's major powers are willing to engage even if they disagree amid a model of strategic realism over ideological alignment. Even in a limited form, it can foster regional stability and predictability amid global uncertainty'. The piece noted that while Russia, China and India might never get on the same page for all issues, that is far from a necessity. 'The new realism that defines their interactions is sufficient for this moment in Asian geopolitics', the piece concluded. However, others remain cautious. Indrani Bagchi, writing in Economic Times, noted, 'India has spent the last decade moving closer to the West, both strategically and economically. That has not gone unnoticed in Beijing, Moscow or, for that matter, in all of Asia.' She warned that China has the same position on India's 'strategic autonomy' as the US. 'It has been many years since China became convinced that India has 'pivoted' to the Western camp, and is determined to make it difficult for India,' Bagchi noted. She called for India to get its own house in order. With inputs from agencies
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
2 hours ago
- First Post
Will the wait for US green cards reduce with a $20,000 fee?
The Dignity Act of 2025, introduced in the US House of Representatives, aims to introduce immigration reforms. The bipartisan legislation proposes to reduce immigration visa backlogs and increase the per-country cap on green cards. Those with employment or family-based immigration visas waiting for more than a decade can pay a $20,000 fee for expedited processing read more The US immigration backlog reached 11.3 million (1.13 crore) cases by the second quarter of FY2025. Representational Image/Reuters The United States lawmakers are mulling a bill to bring relief for individuals waiting for green cards for years. A bipartisan proposal aims to raise the number of green cards and introduce other immigration reforms. The Dignity Act of 2025 will increase eligibility for permanent residency and lower visa backlogs. This comes as the US immigration backlog reached 11.3 million (1.13 crore) cases by the second quarter of FY2025. Let's take a closer look. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What does the bill propose? A bipartisan bill to overhaul immigration was introduced by Representatives Maria Elvira Salazar, a Republican from Florida, and Veronica Escobar, a Democrat from Texas, in the US House of Representatives on July 15. A key provision of the Dignity Act is to reduce immigration visa backlogs by capping wait times to 10 years. People with employment or family-based immigration visas waiting for more than a decade can pay a $20,000 (Rs 17.5 lakh) fee for accelerated processing. The bill proposed to enhance the current per-country cap for green cards from 7 per cent to 15 per cent of the yearly total for both employment and family-based categories. The proposed legislation is a revised version of the Dignity Act of 2023. It suggests setting up a new Immigration Agency Coordinator office to streamline operations across the Departments of Homeland Security, State, and Labor. It also allocates $3.6 billion to support this coordination and reduce visa processing backlogs. What's in it for Dreamers? The changes proposed in the bipartisan bill would benefit several groups, including undocumented immigrants who came to the US as minors, known as Dreamers. It will also bring respite for those stuck in visa backlogs and skilled workers witnessing lengthy waits due to per-country limits, as per Newsweek. Individuals with a criminal background will not be eligible. The bill comes as the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is dealing with a significant surge in applications from migrants. Immigrant attorneys blame the Trump administration for 'massive backlogs' as the US government amplifies efforts to find fraudulent cases. 'The Dignity Act is a revolutionary bill that offers the solution to our immigration crisis: secure the border, stop illegal immigration, and provide an earned opportunity for long-term immigrants to stay here and work. No amnesty. No handouts. No citizenship. Just accountability and a path to stability for our economy and our future,' Florida GOP Representative Maria Elvira Salazar said in a statement. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The bill also proposes several border security measures and immigration reforms, with many of the provisions aimed at expanding access to green cards. In 2023, the US issued green cards to 1.17 million people, a 15.2 per cent spike from the previous year, reflecting a change in immigration policy post-pandemic. The majority of green cards (64.6 per cent) are family-sponsored, followed by employment-based at 16.7 per cent. 'This is a work visa reform program that's very, very specifically tailored so that only those people who have been here for a long time, who have been trying to do it right, who have been trying to work hard, not causing problems, not taking any sort of handouts, it gives them a path. And it closes all the other doors for people to exploit the system,' Colorado Republican Congressman Gabe Evans told CPR. ALSO READ: US is making it tougher to obtain green card for married couples. Here's why STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What changes for employment, student visa holders? The Dignity Act recommends updates to employment-based immigration rules. The bill would prevent children and spouses from being counted against annual visa totals. With this, only the principal applicant would be part of the total visa numbers. This is likely to increase the annual number of high-skilled visas without raising visa caps. F-1 visas for international students will become dual-intent, allowing foreign students to pursue future employment in the US without proving intent to return home after completing their studies. Those working under Optional Practical Training (OPT) would be required to pay Social Security and Medicare. A new rule creates a presumption of eligibility for O visas, meant for those with extraordinary ability, for international students with doctorates in STEM or medical fields, to retain high-skilled talent. With inputs from agencies
