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The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
Border Fire, Regional Fallout: Thailand, Cambodia, and the Fragility of Peace in Southeast Asia
On 24 July 2025, the long-disputed Thailand–Cambodia border once again erupted into open violence. Cambodian rocket fire reportedly killed Thai civilians and soldiers in Surin Province. In response, Thai F‑16 fighter jets carried out airstrikes near the Ta Muen Thom temple complex, escalating what had been a tense standoff into a full-blown military clash. Within hours, diplomatic relations nosedived—Thailand expelled the Cambodian ambassador, suspended border trade through major checkpoints, and deployed additional troops to reinforce its frontier. From Phnom Penh, Prime Minister Hun Manet condemned the Thai airstrikes as 'unprovoked aggression' and urgently appealed to the United Nations Security Council. Images of bomb craters, wounded villagers, and smouldering fields flashed across Cambodian state television. In Bangkok, the military framed its response as self-defence and insisted Cambodia had violated Thai sovereignty. Yet beyond the rhetoric and the troop movements lies a more concerning truth: this is no ordinary border dispute. It is a symptom of deeper regional instability and a stark warning about the declining capacity of ASEAN to maintain peace among its members. The conflict is rooted in long-standing historical disputes over border demarcation, particularly around temple complexes such as Preah Vihear and Ta Muen Thom. Though the International Court of Justice ruled in Cambodia's favour in 1962 and again in 2013 with respect to Preah Vihear, adjacent areas remain contested. The Ta Muen Thom temple, located in the Dangrek range, is similarly caught in cartographic ambiguity. While clashes in the past were sporadic and localised, the current situation is qualitatively different. Both governments are using the incident to rally nationalist support at home, entrenching positions that make de-escalation more difficult. In Thailand, the crisis coincides with a period of domestic political uncertainty. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended just weeks earlier following the leak of a private conversation with Cambodian leaders, raising questions about civilian authority and foreign policy decision-making. The military's prompt retaliation, coupled with the ambassador's expulsion, marks a reassertion of hardline nationalism. In Cambodia, Hun Manet has used the incident to project strength and unity, positioning himself as the custodian of national sovereignty. Both sides are appealing to nationalist sentiments, reinforcing a cycle of confrontation with limited space for dialogue. What is particularly striking is the institutional vacuum into which this conflict has emerged. While ASEAN is yet to convene an emergency summit, appoint a special envoy, or offer a structured mediation process. The bloc's slow response contrasts sharply with the urgency of the situation. Cambodia's turn to the UN for redress is a clear sign of eroding confidence in ASEAN's ability to manage intra-regional disputes. While individual ASEAN members—most notably Indonesia and Singapore—have urged both parties to de-escalate, the regional body appears paralysed. The diplomatic fallout is already taking a toll. Cross-border trade, which supports thousands of livelihoods along the Thai–Cambodian frontier, has come to a halt. The tourism sector, recovering from years of pandemic-induced disruption, now faces renewed cancellations and travel advisories. At the geopolitical level, the crisis opens the door for external actors to play a greater role. China, which maintains strong bilateral ties with both governments, could step in to offer mediation. But such a role is unlikely to be viewed as neutral, particularly in Thailand, where concerns about Chinese influence have intensified in recent years. Meanwhile, Japan and the United States have both expressed concern, raising the prospect of a broader strategic entanglement if the situation worsens. For India, the clash is deeply troubling. As a key strategic partner of ASEAN and an advocate of its centrality in the Indo-Pacific, India has invested heavily in connectivity and trade across Southeast Asia. The India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway, for example, hinges on border stability and regional coordination. If ASEAN is unable to fulfil its role as a security anchor, India's own regional engagement could be affected. Moreover, the dispute underscores the importance of effective multilateral institutions. India has always emphasised diplomacy and peaceful dispute resolution—principles that are now under strain in its extended neighbourhood. There is still a narrow window for de-escalation. A ceasefire agreement, ideally brokered through ASEAN's more capable members or with international support, must be prioritised. The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation offers mechanisms such as the High Council for mediation—mechanisms that must be activated. If bilateral efforts fail, a neutral monitoring arrangement under UN or ASEAN auspices could help stabilise the situation. But long-term peace will require more than ceasefires. It will need renewed political will, institutional reform within ASEAN, and a return to diplomacy over spectacle. What is unfolding between Thailand and Cambodia today is more than a frontier skirmish. It is a test of Southeast Asia's ability to preserve peace without descending into hardened nationalism or external dependency. The bullets may have been exchanged along an ancient border, but the real battleground is the future of regional cooperation. ASEAN cannot afford to remain silent. And the region cannot afford another failure. 'This article is part of sponsored content programme.'
Mint
4 hours ago
- Mint
Trump to Resume Thailand, Cambodia Trade Talks After Truce
President Donald Trump said the US will resume trade negotiations with Thailand and Cambodia after they agreed to halt clashes along their disputed border, taking credit for pushing them to peace after threatening punishing tariffs. The two Southeast Asian nations reached a ceasefire Tuesday after five days of fighting, including airstrikes and artillery shelling, left at least three dozen dead and displaced more than 150,000 on both sides of their roughly 800 kilometer frontier. 'I have instructed my Trade Team to restart negotiations on Trade,' Trump said in a social media post Monday. 'I am proud to be the President of PEACE!' Both countries face 36% US tariffs. Neighboring Vietnam secured a 20% rate, while levies for Indonesia and the Philippines were set at 19% ahead of Trump's Aug. 1 deadline. Thailand's Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said Monday night Trump told him in a phone call after the peace talks that 'we will get something very good out of it. He will do his best to give us as much as he can.' The Thai baht was slightly weaker at 32.49 per dollar in early Asian trading Tuesday amid broad greenback strength. The country's stock market is set to reopen at 10 a.m. local time after being closed Monday for a holiday. Trump's remarks are the latest example of how the US leader has wielded trade as a way to resolve for geopolitical clashes, claiming credit for pressuring trading partners to end conflicts if they wish to retain continued access to US markets. Bloomberg Opinion: US Trade Deals Come With Defense Strings: Karishma Vaswani The US in June brokered a deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda aimed at ending years of conflict. And Trump has similarly claimed credit for halting a clash between nuclear powers India and Pakistan earlier this year. Phumtham and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet reached their agreement in Malaysia on Monday in talks hosted by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, acting in his role as the chair of Asean. Envoys from China and the US were also at the negotiations, and a joint statement from the three Southeast Asian nations after the talks said the meeting had been 'co-organized by the United States of America with the active participation of the People's Republic of China.' In their remarks after the meeting, both Phumtham and Hun Manet thanked Anwar and Trump, as well as China, for helping reach the ceasefire. 'The fact that the US and China are both in on it is good.,' said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor of political science at Chulalongkorn University. 'Thailand needs the tariffs to come down from the US side. And Trump will see this as a win.' After its conflict with India was paused earlier this year, Pakistan hailed Trump's intervention while New Delhi disputed his claims that securing trade deals helped clinch their ceasefire. Both countries are still engaged in trade talks. In the DRC, Trump has said the US stands to get mineral rights from the country after brokering their deal. Congo is the second-biggest copper producer and largest source of cobalt, giving it prominence in Washington's efforts to reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains for minerals needed for a wide-range of cutting-edge technologies. With assistance from Patpicha Tanakasempipat, Karl Lester M. Yap and Matthew Burgess. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
'Within less than a day ...': Trump reveals how he 'settled' Thailand-Cambodia standoff; watch
US President Donald Trump on Monday claimed credit for brokering peace between Cambodia and Thailand by leveraging trade deals. In an interview, Trump said that his administration began a series of discussions with both countries and 'settled' the conflict 'within less than a day.' "You know, they've had many conflicts and wars over the years. When I spoke to them, they said, 500 years. They said, that's a lot. But now it was raging, and raging hard. People were being killed at the border a lot. And I said to Thailand—we're doing a trading deal, and I'm not going to do a deal if you're going to be killing each other. And I spoke to Cambodia—said essentially the same thing. I dealt with the two prime ministers," Trump said. "But somebody had to implement what I did. And we started a series of discussions—back and forth, back and forth. And within less than a day, we have it settled. And I guess now, based on what you're saying, they've just said we're going to have peace. That's great. Millions of people are going to be saved. You know, those wars turn out to be a disaster. Millions of people get killed, and it's total disruption, and it takes them 40 years to recover. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 20 Unforgettable Cars from the Past Undo And we were able to stop it before it really started—although, you know, a lot of people have already been killed," he added. Earlier on Sunday, Trump declared himself the "President of Peace" and claimed personal credit for brokering the ceasefire between the two countries. The ceasefire announcement followed five days of fierce fighting along the disputed jungle border between Thailand and Cambodia, which killed at least 36 people and displaced nearly 300,000. The truce was officially declared in Kuala Lumpur after peace talks mediated by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the current chair of the ASEAN bloc. Trump had earlier warned both countries that the US would not proceed with trade negotiations if the conflict dragged on. 'We happen to be, by coincidence, currently dealing on trade with both countries, but do not want to make any deal… if they are fighting — and I have told them so!' he posted over the weekend. Trump also likened the situation to the past conflict between India and Pakistan, which he claimed to have resolved successfully. 'This very much reminds me of the conflict between Pakistan and India, which was brought to a successful halt,' he wrote. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet publicly thanked Trump for his 'decisive support,' calling the peace deal 'a foundation for future de-escalation.' The decades-long territorial dispute between the two countries flared up again last week, with both sides trading blame for triggering the latest violence. The disputed region—home to ancient temples and dense forest—has long been a flashpoint. While the ceasefire has brought temporary relief, military commanders from both sides are scheduled to meet on Tuesday to discuss next steps, followed by a cross-border committee meeting on August 4 in Cambodia.
