Thailand and Cambodia still fighting after Trump announces ceasefire talks
At least 32 people have been killed and at least 200,000 displaced since Thursday, according to Thai and Cambodian officials, in clashes that have rumbled on despite calls from the United Nations, United States and China for the fighting to stop.
Both sides have accused the other of starting the latest border flare-up, and traded blame for the ongoing fighting.
Hours after Trump's announcement, Thailand's government on Sunday said it was 'not ready' to stop military operations and accused Cambodia of continuing to fire heavy artillery at civilian areas in its Surin province, on the border, and several other areas.
'Any cessation of hostilities cannot be reached' while Cambodia is 'repeatedly violating the basic principles of human rights and humanitarian law,' Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Thailand hit several locations in Cambodia with drones, tank fire, cluster and aerial bombs early Sunday morning local time, a spokesperson for Cambodia's defense ministry told reporters.
Some of the projectiles landed near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO world heritage site in Cambodia's northern province of the same name, according to Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata. The temple complex has been at the center of previous clashes between the two nations.
Cambodia slammed what it said were Thailand's 'deliberate and premeditated acts of aggression.'
Those acts 'have occurred despite ongoing efforts led by President Donald Trump to seek a ceasefire, efforts that have been publicly and clearly supported by Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia,' Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said.
'Our forces are still striking back actively and are not afraid to protect the territory,' Maly Socheata said.
The state-run National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT) reported that Cambodian forces had fired artillery into the Thai border province of Surin, west of Preah Vihear, damaging residential homes. Thai forces were responding, it reported.
Thailand on Sunday said 19 people have been killed since hostilities began, mostly civilians. There are more than 138,000 from six provinces displaced and staying in government shelters, according to the Ministry of Public Health.
Cambodia said Saturday that in Oddar Meanchey province, which borders Thailand's Surin, 13 people had been killed, including eight civilians, and 50 wounded. At least 80,000 people in Cambodia have been displaced by the fighting, according to the defense ministry.
Trump diplomacy
President Trump said Saturday that he had spoken with both Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and acting Prime Minister of Thailand Phumtham Wechayachai in his efforts to restore peace.
'They have agreed to immediately meet and quickly work out a Ceasefire and, ultimately, PEACE!' Trump wrote on Truth Social in a series of posts outlining his diplomatic efforts, but offering no details on the negotiations.
Trump said he had warned Hun Manet and Phumtham that he would not make trade deals with either country if the deadly border conflict continues.
'They are also looking to get back to the 'Trading Table' with the United States, which we think is inappropriate to do until such time as the fighting STOPS,' Trump wrote.
Earlier this month, Trump wrote letters to Thailand and Cambodia threatening a 36% tariff on most of their exports to the US, starting August 1. Cambodia and Thailand both delivered substantial offers to their US counterparts in an effort to move to the front of the line for a trade agreement, officials said at the time.
In the early hours of Sunday morning local time, Hun Manet thanked Trump and said that Cambodia agreed with 'the proposal for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire between the two armed forces.' He added that he had previously agreed to a ceasefire proposal from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
A statement from Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs was more measured, saying it wished to see 'sincere intention from the Cambodian side' – but that Phumtham had also 'requested President Trump to convey …that Thailand wants to convene a bilateral dialogue as soon as possible to bring forth measures and procedures for the ceasefire and the eventual peaceful resolution of the conflict.'
Bangkok and Phnom Penh have been fighting over territory disputed since colonial power France drew the border between them more than a century ago. The renewed deadly conflict pits longtime US ally Thailand, with decades of experience, against Cambodia's relatively young armed force, which has close ties to China.
The United Nations has condemned the violence, with Secretary General António Guterres urging in a post on X for 'both sides to immediately agree to a ceasefire and to address any issues through dialogue.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
2 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Dozens killed seeking aid in Gaza as Israel weighs further military action
Advertisement Another escalation of the nearly 22-month war could put the lives of countless Palestinians and around 20 living Israeli hostages at risk and would draw fierce opposition both internationally and within Israel. Netanyahu's far-right coalition allies have long called for the war to be expanded and for Israel to eventually take over Gaza, relocate much of its population, and rebuild Jewish settlements there. President Trump, asked by a reporter Tuesday whether he supported the reoccupation of Gaza, said he wasn't aware of the 'suggestion' but that 'it's going to be pretty much up to Israel.' Of the 38 Palestinians killed while seeking aid, at least 28 died in the Morag Corridor, an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza where UN convoys have been repeatedly overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds in recent days, and where witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire. Advertisement The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots as Palestinians advanced toward them, and that it was not aware of any casualties. Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies, said another four people were killed in the Teina area, on a route leading to a site in southern Gaza run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor. The Al-Awda Hospital said it received the bodies of six people killed near a GHF site in central Gaza. GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites and that the one in central Gaza was not open on Wednesday. It said the violence may have been related to the chaos around UN convoys. Two of the Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza City, in the north of the territory, killing 13 people there, including six children and five women, according to the Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the bodies. The Israeli military says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its militants are entrenched in heavily populated areas. Israel facilitated the establishment of four GHF sites in May after blocking the entry of all food, medicine, and other goods for 2 1/2 months. Israeli and US officials said a new system was needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off humanitarian aid. The United Nations, which has delivered aid to hundreds of distribution points across Gaza throughout the war when conditions allow, has rejected the new system, saying it forces Palestinians to travel long distances and risk their lives for food, and that it allows Israel to control who gets aid, potentially using it to advance plans for further mass displacement. Advertisement The UN human rights office said last week that some 1,400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, mostly near GHF sites but also along UN convoy routes where trucks have been overwhelmed by crowds. It says nearly all were killed by Israeli fire. This week, a group of UN special rapporteurs and independent human rights experts called for the GHF to be disbanded, saying it is 'an utterly disturbing example of how humanitarian relief can be exploited for covert military and geopolitical agendas in serious breach of international law.' The experts work with the UN but do not represent the world body. The GHF called their statement 'disgraceful' and urged the UN and other aid groups to work with it 'to maximize the amount of aid being securely delivered to the Palestinian people in Gaza.' The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots when crowds threatened its forces, and GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray and fired into the air on some occasions to prevent deadly crowding at its sites. Israel's air and ground war has destroyed nearly all of Gaza's food production capabilities, leaving its people reliant on international aid. A new report by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization and the UN satellite center found that just 8.6 percent of Gaza's cropland is still accessible following sweeping Israeli evacuation orders in recent months. Just 1.5 percent is accessible and undamaged, it said. The military offensive and a breakdown in security have made it nearly impossible for anyone to safely deliver aid, and aid groups say recent Israeli measures to facilitate more assistance are far from sufficient. Advertisement Hospitals recorded four more malnutrition-related deaths over the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 193 people, including 96 children, since the war began in October 2023, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Jordan said Israeli settlers blocked roads and hurled stones at a convoy of four trucks carrying aid bound for Gaza after they drove across the border into the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israeli far-right activists have repeatedly sought to halt aid from entering Gaza. Jordanian government spokesperson Mohammed al-Momani condemned the attack, which he said had shattered the windshields of the trucks, according to the Jordanian state-run Petra News Agency. The Israeli military said security forces went to the scene to disperse the gathering and accompanied the trucks to their destination.
CNN
3 minutes ago
- CNN
China seizes the moment to praise ‘beloved Brazilian coffee' as Trump's tariffs take effect
South America Asia China Donald TrumpFacebookTweetLink Follow The 50% tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump on many Brazilian products took effect Wednesday, a situation that China is already taking advantage of by opening its market to Brazilian coffee, one of the products most affected by the trade measures. China's embassy in Brasilia said that Chinese companies 'are arriving' in Brazil, sharing a video on X featuring its food delivery giant Meituan. 'And the bridge is bidirectional: Brazil is also consolidating its presence in China with its beloved Brazilian coffee,' the post said. Days earlier, the embassy announced that China had authorized 183 new Brazilian coffee companies to export to the Chinese market, with a five-year permit. In another message, it highlighted the growth of coffee consumption in the country, saying the beverage 'has been gaining a place in the daily lives of the Chinese.' A nation of coffee-drinkers, the United States is the world's largest coffee importer. Its main supplier is Brazil, which in 2024 shipped 30.7% of the 1.5 million metric tons bought by the US market. Analysts have told CNN that Trump's trade measures may prompt the Brazilian government to foster closer ties with other partners. While the United States has a trade surplus with Brazil, the White House has presented political arguments for the 40-percentage-point increase in tariffs on the South American country. An executive order that Trump signed last week with the new tariff scheme accuses the Brazilian government of committing 'serious human rights abuses' with its prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally who is on trial over an alleged coup plot against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has denied all allegations of wrongdoing. The order was signed days after Trump demanded in a letter that Brazil end the trial 'immediately,' accusing Lula of carrying out a 'witch hunt' against Bolsonaro. Lula responded by saying, 'The judiciary branch of power in Brazil is independent. The president of the Republic has no influence whatsoever,' adding that Bolsonaro 'is not being judged personally. He is being judged by the acts he tried to organize a coup d'etat.' The Brazilian government has promised to respond to Trump's trade measures, but has not yet announced what steps it will take. Lula has stated that his country must be treated as an equal in any potential trade negotiations with the United States, and emphasized that there is a 'limit to discussion' with the Trump administration. On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a press conference that cooperation between Beijing and Brasília 'has benefited both peoples,' and assured that China is willing to deepen the relationship 'in various fields and add new strategic dimensions.'
CNN
3 minutes ago
- CNN
China seizes the moment to praise ‘beloved Brazilian coffee' as Trump's tariffs take effect
The 50% tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump on many Brazilian products took effect Wednesday, a situation that China is already taking advantage of by opening its market to Brazilian coffee, one of the products most affected by the trade measures. China's embassy in Brasilia said that Chinese companies 'are arriving' in Brazil, sharing a video on X featuring its food delivery giant Meituan. 'And the bridge is bidirectional: Brazil is also consolidating its presence in China with its beloved Brazilian coffee,' the post said. Days earlier, the embassy announced that China had authorized 183 new Brazilian coffee companies to export to the Chinese market, with a five-year permit. In another message, it highlighted the growth of coffee consumption in the country, saying the beverage 'has been gaining a place in the daily lives of the Chinese.' A nation of coffee-drinkers, the United States is the world's largest coffee importer. Its main supplier is Brazil, which in 2024 shipped 30.7% of the 1.5 million metric tons bought by the US market. Analysts have told CNN that Trump's trade measures may prompt the Brazilian government to foster closer ties with other partners. While the United States has a trade surplus with Brazil, the White House has presented political arguments for the 40-percentage-point increase in tariffs on the South American country. An executive order that Trump signed last week with the new tariff scheme accuses the Brazilian government of committing 'serious human rights abuses' with its prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally who is on trial over an alleged coup plot against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has denied all allegations of wrongdoing. The order was signed days after Trump demanded in a letter that Brazil end the trial 'immediately,' accusing Lula of carrying out a 'witch hunt' against Bolsonaro. Lula responded by saying, 'The judiciary branch of power in Brazil is independent. The president of the Republic has no influence whatsoever,' adding that Bolsonaro 'is not being judged personally. He is being judged by the acts he tried to organize a coup d'etat.' The Brazilian government has promised to respond to Trump's trade measures, but has not yet announced what steps it will take. Lula has stated that his country must be treated as an equal in any potential trade negotiations with the United States, and emphasized that there is a 'limit to discussion' with the Trump administration. On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a press conference that cooperation between Beijing and Brasília 'has benefited both peoples,' and assured that China is willing to deepen the relationship 'in various fields and add new strategic dimensions.'
