
Thailand says another soldier injured by landmine near Cambodia, Asia News
The soldier's left ankle was severely injured when he stepped on the mine while patrolling along a routine border route about 1km from Ta Moan Thom temple in Thailand's Surin province, the army said in a statement.
The soldier is being treated at a hospital, it said.
The incident is clear evidence that Cambodia has violated the ceasefire as well as international agreements like the Ottawa Convention against landmines, Thai army spokesman Major-General Winthai Suvaree said in the statement.
It was the fourth time in a few weeks that Thai soldiers have been injured by mines during patrols along the border. On Saturday, three soldiers were injured by a landmine in an area between Thailand's Sisaket and Cambodia's Preah Vihear provinces.
Two earlier incidents led to the downgrading of diplomatic relations and triggered the clashes.
Bangkok accused Cambodia of planting landmines on the Thai side of the disputed border that injured soldiers on July 16 and July 23.
Phnom Penh denied it had placed any new mines, saying the soldiers had veered off agreed routes and triggered old landmines left over from decades of war. It said on Saturday that it was a "proud state party" to the Ottawa Convention.
Thailand and Cambodia have bickered for decades over undemarcated points along their 817-km land border, with ownership of the ancient Hindu temples Ta Moan Thom and the 11th-century Preah Vihear central to the disputes.
The latest clashes that started on July 24 were the worst fighting between the countries in more than a decade, and involved exchanges of artillery fire and jet fighter sorties that killed at least 43 and left over 300,000 people displaced on both sides.
The fragile ceasefire has been holding since Thailand and Cambodia agreed last week to allow observers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to inspect disputed border areas, ensuring that hostilities do not resume.
[[nid:721076]]
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
16 hours ago
- Straits Times
Thai court to rule on Aug 29 whether to disqualify suspended PM Paetongtarn
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Thailand's suspended PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra was said to have blamed the Thai army for escalating tensions with Cambodia. BANGKOK – Thailand's Constitutional Court will rule on Aug 29 whether Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, previously suspended from duty, should be disqualified for allegedly violating ethical standards in her handling of a border dispute with Cambodia. The court will read out the verdict at 3pm , it said in a statement on Aug 13. The court previously suspended Ms Paetongtarn from office on July 1 until it ruled on the case. The case stems from a complaint lodged by a group of senators around comments Ms Paetongtarn made in a leaked phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen about a border stand-off. In the call, Ms Paetongtarn was heard blaming the Thai army for escalating tensions by restricting border checkpoints, which sparked protests in Thailand and calls for her to resign. She later apologised for the remarks. If found guilty, Ms Paetongtarn will be permanently removed from office, a development that is set to deepen an ongoing political crisis in Thailand. A leadership vacuum will also come at a critical time for national security as the country seeks to maintain a fragile ceasefire and resolve the border conflict with Cambodia through bilateral dialogue. The verdict on Ms Paetongtarn will come at a politically sensitive moment for the Shinawatra family, which leads the ruling Pheu Thai party. Her father, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is scheduled to face a ruling on Aug 22 in a nearly decade-old royal defamation case that could carry a prison sentence of up to 15 years. BLOOMBERG
Business Times
18 hours ago
- Business Times
Thai court to rule this month on case seeking PM's dismissal
[BANGKOK] Thailand's Constitutional Court announced on Wednesday (Aug 13) that it will rule this month on a case seeking to oust Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra over her handling of a diplomatic spat with Cambodia. The Constitutional Court said in a statement that it will deliver its verdict in the case at 3:00 pm (0800 GMT) on Aug 29. A group of conservative senators filed a case accusing Paetongtarn of unprofessional conduct and breaching ministerial ethics during a border row with Cambodia that led to the two neighbours' bloodiest military clashes in decades. Paetongtarn, daughter of controversial billionaire ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra, took office less than a year ago when her predecessor was thrown out of office by the same court. Suspended from her duties by the court last month, the 38-year-old has defended her actions, insisting she acted in the country's interests. In a leaked phone recording, Paetongtarn addressed Cambodian statesman Hun Sen as 'uncle' during a call about the tensions and referred to a Thai military commander as her 'opponent' – remarks that sparked a backlash. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up Conservative lawmakers accuse her of kowtowing to Cambodia and undermining the military, and allege she breached constitutional provisions requiring 'evident integrity' and 'ethical standards' among ministers. If the verdict goes against her, Paetongtarn would become the third Shinwatra to be ousted early as premier, after her father and aunt Yingluck – both thrown out in military coups. Thai politics has been driven for two decades by a battle between the conservative, pro-military, pro-royalist elite and the Shinawatra clan, whom they consider a threat to the kingdom's traditional social order. Thaksin is on trial for lese-majeste and is due to hear his verdict on August 22. In a July interview with local media, Thaksin said that if his daughter is removed from office, she will 'just go back and perform her duty as a mother'. AFP

Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
Assam's move to introduce an arms policy could worsen violence in the state.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The move is ostensibly aimed at helping locals deal with alleged threats that emanate from the illegal migration of Bengali Muslims from adjacent Bangladesh. - A decision by the Assam government to introduce a liberal arms policy for ' indigenous ' civilians to defend themselves against 'unlawful threats' could worsen the north-eastern Indian state's long and bloody record of ethnic and religious violence, critics say. That could have far-reaching impacts, including for India's 'Act East' policy. Assam's stability is important to bring in wider development for India's north-east, a region central to the country's vision of developing closer ties with South-east Asia. The Chief Minister of Assam and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Mr Himanta Biswa Sarma, announced on Aug 6 on X that his government is creating a dedicated portal so that 'original' inhabitants and 'indigenous' people of the state 'who perceive a threat to their lives and reside in sensitive areas' can apply for arms licences. The move, which comes ahead of state elections scheduled from March to April 2026, is ostensibly aimed at helping locals deal with alleged threats that emanate from illegal migration of Bengali Muslims from adjacent Bangladesh. Mr Sarma has blamed Bengali Muslims for committing crimes, including sexual violence against women, to force 'indigenous' people to move out of their land. There is no credible evidence to support this claim. In Hindu-majority Assam, which is also dominated by Assamese speakers, Indian Bengali Muslims have repeatedly been vilified as 'illegal immigrants' occupying the land of the 'indigenous' peoples. Assam shares a nearly 270km porous border with Muslim-majority Bangladesh, large tracts of which are riverine. Since India's independence in 1947, the state has witnessed large-scale migration from Bangladesh with Hindus and Muslims moving to Assam either in search of livelihoods or fleeing religious persecution. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NEL, Sengkang LRT resume service after hours-long power fault; Punggol LRT being restored Singapore Live: NEL services resume fully; Sengkang-Punggol LRT services still unavailable Singapore Luxury items seized in $3b money laundering case handed over to Deloitte for liquidation Singapore Plan to base Singapore's F-15 fighter jets in Guam cancelled Singapore Hyflux investigator 'took advantage' of Olivia Lum's inability to recall events: Davinder Singh Singapore Scoot to launch flights to Chiang Rai, Okinawa, Tokyo-Haneda, boost frequency to other places Singapore Off-duty SCDF officer dies after accident in Punggol; 15-year-old pillion rider taken to hospital Business Goh Cheng Liang, Nippon Paint billionaire and richest Singaporean, dies at 98 This migration has been blamed for changing the demography of certain parts of the state and also cited by the government and indigenous groups as a threat to local livelihoods and cultures, prompting a violent anti-immigrant backlash over the years that has targeted Assam's local Bengali Muslim population, which forms the vast majority of the state's estimated 12 million Muslims, as well as Hindu Bengalis. Assam, a mosaic of various ethnic, linguistic and religious groups, has a population of around 35 million. Muslims account for more than a third of the state's population – the highest percentage among Indian states . In such a volatile setting, many fear issuing arms licences to 'indigenous' civilians could further target Assam's Bengali Muslims, putting them in the crosshairs of vigilantes. When the decision to issue arms licences was cleared by the state Cabinet in May , Mr Sarma had named districts such as Dhubri, Barpeta, South Salmara-Mankachar, Morigaon and Nagaon as some of the 'vulnerable' areas. All these districts have a Bengali Muslim majority. The chief minister noted that 'indigenous people are in (the) minority' in these districts, some of which border Bangladesh, and often 'have to confront the question of their security'. 'Even interior and remote places, where government presence is minimal and where threats of infiltration persist, would qualify,' he said. There have already been many instances of violence between Bengali Muslims and other groups in the state. Kokrajhar district, which is part of the Bodoland Territorial Region in Assam, has often seen large-scale violence erupt between Bengali Muslims and Bodos, including most recently in 2014 when more than 30 Bengali Muslims were killed by Bodo rebels. Dr Suraj Gogoi, a sociologist whose research has focused on issues related to minorities and citizenship in Assam, told The Straits Times allowing civilians to bear arms is a 'preposterous and extremely dangerous idea', especially in a state where there is 'no lack of lawlessness'. 'This is yet another tactic to instil fear (in Bengali Muslims) and carry out a form of mass punishment, if you will, of these people,' he added. Bengali Muslims in Assam have been subjected to vigilante attacks and disproportionately targeted in government crackdowns in the state, currently governed by the Hindu right-wing BJP. This despite them being Indian citizens with roots often going back to British-era India, which included present-day Bangladesh. Many of their ancestors were then brought in from there to Assam by the British to cultivate crops such as jute on the region's many low-lying riverine islands. According to a July 31 report by Washington-based research group India Hate Lab, Assam has witnessed a 'sharp and deeply concerning escalation' in hate speech, targeted harassment, violence and state-led evictions against Bengali-origin Muslims since early June, under the campaign to remove 'illegal Bangladeshi immigrants'. These attacks come at a time when the BJP-led state government has also targeted Assam's Bengali Muslim community to mobilise votes from Hindus and other groups in the state. Mr Sarma, a leader known for his controversial remarks, has said that he will not let 'Miya' Muslims 'take over' Assam, adding that he is 'not in the competition' for their votes. Miya is a pejorative term for Bengali Muslims in Assam. His government has intensified a crackdown on people who have encroached on government land, targeting mostly Bengali Muslims, many of whom depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Since May 2021, when Mr Sarma became the chief minister, 50,000 people – mostly Bengali Muslims – have been evicted from around 160 sq km of land, with more such evictions planned, according to Reuters. The state has also forcibly deported Indian Bengali-Muslims to Bangladesh, labelling them as 'illegal immigrants' despite their having appeals pending in Indian courts. Such individuals have been sent back by the Bangladeshi authorities. Assam began updating its National Register of Citizens (NRC) to identify 'illegal' migrants in 2013 and bring some closure to the decades-long concerns of illegal migration from Bangladesh. This chaotic and flawed citizenship verification exercise excluded more than 1.9 million people in August 2019, including many who were born and have lived in India their entire lives. Instead of bringing about any closure, the exercise has further intensified the illegal migration narrative with criticism from both the state government and Assamese ethnonationalist groups who say it failed to include many illegal migrants in the state. After the exercise – whose outcome has yet to be declared formally – those excluded are expected to prove their citizenship through Foreigners Tribunals, quasi-judicial courts whose track record has been dubious. 'There is a frustration of not being able to punish (Bengali Muslims) enough through the NRC, which is why they are now trying these different tactics,' said Dr Gogoi. The state government has said that individuals will be given the licence to bear arms after proper scrutiny and vetting. The licences will also be non-transferable and subject to periodic review. But this has done little to prevent criticism, including from opposition parties and civil society. Mr Ashraful Hussain, a member of state assembly, told ST the move was clearly aimed at targeting Bengali Muslims and Hindus as well as other 'non-indigenous' ethnic groups. 'This will (also) lead to a rise in robbery, thefts and extortion… It is a failure of the state,' added the leader from the All India United Democratic Front, which has a strong following among Bengali Muslims. Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said the decision to arm civilians 'reflects not public concern, but electoral concerns'. 'People of Assam deserve jobs, affordable healthcare, quality education, not guns,' he added in a post on X. This is not the first time that a state has decided to allow civilians in India to carry arms on such a scale. A people's vigilante movement known as Salwa Judum was created in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh in 2005 and its members were armed to fight Naxals, a far-left armed movement. The force was criticised for its human rights violations, which include accusations of rape, murder and burning villages. It was eventually disbanded after the country's top court in 2011 ruled the movement was unconstitutional. In Assam, even certain indigenous tribal groups have opposed the government's decision to issue these arms licences. Mr Manoranjan Basumatary, the president of the United Bodo People's Organisation, told ST that the Bodo people had waged a long armed struggle for a separate homeland but paid a heavy price for it. 'It really set us back in terms of education and created hurdles for our development,' he said. He said it is the government's responsibility to provide security to the people. 'I don't believe in arms, and I oppose it.' The Nari Nagarik Manch, a women's collective, on Aug 9 also urged the government to reconsider its decision, arguing that it could lead to a 'civil war scenario, increase gender violence and cause arms proliferation'. Arming people, Dr Gogoi fears, will lead to 'a very toxic kind of social surveillance' that could enable local vigilante groups to further curtail the rights of Bengali Muslims in Assam, including by placing restrictions on where they can live and work. 'The gun is not just to shoot, but it's also used to do a lot of other things,' he said. 'I see a perennial kind of unfreedom unfolding (for Assam's Bengali Muslims) in the long run.'