Thai PM faces growing calls to step down
The prime minister had been speaking last weekend with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who is currently senate president. The conversation delved into a border dispute between their countries, and Paetongtarn referred to a regional commander of the Thai army as the "opposite side."
She later apologized and described her comments as a negotiation tactic.
Paetongtarn on Friday met with the commander in an apparent show that the two sides have patched things up. He has said there is no issue as the prime minister had already explained what she meant in the talks with Hun Sen.
But the audio clip has already triggered Bhumjaithai, the then-second largest party of her ruling coalition, to quit the alliance.
Executives of the next largest United Thai Nation party, or UTN, say Paetongtarn should resign, while some of the party members oppose this. The coalition would lose majority in the lower house if UTN withdraws.
The largest opposition, People's Party, demanded the prime minister take political responsibility for the leak and urged the dissolution of parliament.
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Japan Times
9 hours ago
- Japan Times
China urges Thailand and Cambodia reconciliation in three-way talks
China expressed support for Thailand and Cambodia in resolving their border dispute on Thursday and offered to provide assistance based on the wishes of both nations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. Wang said China supports the Southeast Asian countries in strengthening dialogue and eliminating misunderstandings, adding he hoped they would rebuild mutual trust and restore friendship, according to statements from his ministry. He met his Thai and Cambodian counterparts separately during the day but also convened a three-way conversation on the sidelines of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting in China's southwestern Yunnan province, readouts of the three meetings showed. In their "friendly and candid communication", Wang said China hoped that the two countries could reopen border crossings as soon as possible, a Chinese foreign ministry statement said. China also promised support and assistance for land mine clearance in the border areas of Cambodia and Thailand, and the three ministers agreed to continue communication in a "flexible manner", the Chinese statement added. Thailand and Cambodia have wrangled for decades over border territory and a border conflict erupted last month after the killing of a Cambodian soldier in a skirmish late in May. It was the worst fighting in more than a decade and only eased after a ceasefire was struck in late July. In a bilateral meeting with Thailand's Maris, Wang spoke about China's readiness to accelerate a China-Thailand railway construction project, encourage more investments from Chinese enterprises in Thailand and ensure the stability of the regional production and supply chain. It is hoped that Thailand will provide more policy support and facilitation for Chinese enterprises, he told his Thai counterpart. While meeting with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Wang sounded support for Cambodia maintaining political stability, and said China is appreciative of the country's crackdown on online gambling and wire fraud. He also expressed hopes that Cambodia will continue strong measures for joint efforts in the region against cross-border criminal activities.
The Diplomat
19 hours ago
- The Diplomat
The Hidden Impact of the Thailand-Cambodia Border Conflict
Amidst the elite family intrigue and international implications of the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict, the real story risks being lost. That story concerns neither Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Hun Sen, nor colonial border demarcation, nor international court rulings; instead, it is about the innocent lives lost and the indigent rural communities on both sides of the border who have been driven further into debt and desperation. On a recent trip to Surin and Sisaket provinces in Thailand, I witnessed and documented the impact of the conflict. At a convenience store in Sisaket that had been hit by a Cambodian rocket, for example, survivors told me it took two nights before they could recover all the bodies, fearing the presence of unexploded ordnance. Even though I had seen photographs and videos of war beforehand, nothing could truly prepare me for the heartbreak of standing in that space. A place that should have been bustling with shoppers was now completely silent. Outside the convenience store, shattered glass lay scattered in every direction. Burned fragments of debris were strewn across the ground. A gaping hole in the ceiling allowed daylight to pour into the store, illuminating its charred remains. The smell of smoke still lingered, even though fire hoses and rain had washed much of the dust and ash away. Unfamiliar, haunting details stood out: a packet of peanuts, its plastic wrapper melted onto a twisted metal hook; fridge doors blown wide open, every glass pane shattered. The scene spoke volumes about the devastating power of the weapon used. Many of the locals in Surin and Sisaket that I spoke with still remember the border-related violence that broke out in 2011. They said this year's conflict is the most serious escalation since then. Not just because of the weapons used, but because of what was lost. In addition to hitting military outposts, rockets also struck homes, farms, shops, and even a hospital. Many civilians have lost their lives from or because of the conflict, including a 65-year-old man, who took his own life, reportedly after being prevented from returning to his home along the border. Just a day after a barrage of Cambodian rocket and artillery fire landed in four Thai border provinces, I spoke with a Thai rubber plantation farmer in a shelter for displaced people in Surin. With tears falling down her face, she told me: I have 30 chickens, so my husband decided not to come to the shelter. …I still call him to check if he's eaten and ask how the situation is. … Because we've had to flee like this, villagers can't tap rubber and sell it. It's affected our income. We're grateful for the support we receive here [at the shelter], but can we really sleep peacefully at night? I worry about home. This kind of testimony does not fit neatly into military briefings or diplomatic cables, but it is how war manifests for those in the firing line. Although I wasn't able to talk with people on the Cambodian side, I can only imagine their hardships mirror what Thai survivors are going through. On Thailand's western border with Myanmar, where I am currently living, people are suffering the long-term impacts of a different war. Refugees fleeing decades of internal armed conflict in Myanmar are still stuck in limbo. They cannot return home to Myanmar, and now, with the wholesale withdrawal of American aid, they cannot even rely on the minimal assistance they once had. As of July 31, the Border Consortium, one of the few remaining lifelines for displaced people in the region, discontinued its support to all but the most vulnerable refugees in nine border refugee camps due to funding shortfalls. Many organizations have been working tirelessly to address the shortfalls, but without the political will, it remains nearly impossible to offer these communities a real way out. Communities living on Thailand's borders must not be allowed to fall through the social safety net that, in many ways, marks this nation out as a leader in the region. On the Cambodia border, a ceasefire is not enough. The two nations must not only end hostilities and resolve the territorial dispute, but also begin a real recovery process that centers the voices of those affected. This should include government-backed conflict insurance, compensation, and access to mental health support. We are not talking about the symbolic or procedural compensation under the law, but reparations and support that allow them to rebuild their lives and return to normalcy with dignity. Along the Myanmar border, hundreds of thousands of people displaced by decades of war and repression continue to live without security or stability, made worse by the recent funding cuts. Thailand must provide them with legal status and sustainable livelihood, by promoting local integration that allows them to stand strong and self-reliant. True peace and freedom within a federal, democratic Myanmar must remain the ultimate goal. We must invest not only in border security, but in rebuilding trust, restoring livelihoods, and returning dignity to people who have lived under the shadow of war for far too long – on both borders. It is the lasting traces of war, the ones that remain long after the gunfire stops, that we too often leave unspoken.
Japan Times
3 days ago
- Japan Times
Myanmar security forces involved in systematic torture, U.N. report says
United Nations investigators said on Tuesday they have found evidence of systematic torture by Myanmar security forces and identified some of the most senior perpetrators. The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), formed in 2018 to analyze evidence of serious violations of international law, said victims were subject to beatings, electric shocks, gang rape, strangulation and other forms of torture like the removal of fingernails with pliers. "We have uncovered significant evidence, including eyewitness testimony, showing systematic torture in Myanmar detention facilities," Nicholas Koumjian, head of the IIMM, said in a statement accompanying the 16-page report. The torture sometimes resulted in death, the report said. Children, who are often unlawfully detained as proxies for their missing parents, were among those tortured, it said. A spokesperson for Myanmar's military-backed government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The military-backed government has not responded to over two dozen requests by the U.N. team for information about the alleged crimes and requests to access the country, the U.N. report said. The military has said it has a duty to ensure peace and security. It has denied atrocities have taken place and has blamed "terrorists" for causing unrest. The findings in the report covering a one-year period through to June 30 were based on information from more than 1,300 sources, including hundreds of eyewitness testimonies as well as forensic evidence, documents and photographs. Perpetrators identified so far include high-level commanders, the report said, although names were withheld due to ongoing investigations and concerns about alerting the individuals. Investigators focused on torture partly because many victims were able to identify perpetrators individually which Koumjian, a former prosecutor, said could help with future convictions. "People often know the names or they certainly know the faces of those who torture them or who torture their friends," Koumjian told reporters in Geneva. Myanmar has been in chaos since a 2021 military coup against an elected civilian government plunged the country into civil war. Tens of thousands of people have been detained since then, the United Nations says. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing ended a four-year state of emergency last month and announced the formation of a new government, with himself as acting president, ahead of a planned election. The IIMM is investigating abuses in Myanmar since 2011, including crimes committed against the mainly Muslim Rohingya minority in 2017 when hundreds of thousands were forced to flee a military crackdown, and those affecting all groups since the coup. The IIMM is supporting jurisdictions investigating the alleged crimes, such as Britain and the International Criminal Court. However, Koumjian said U.N. budget cuts threaten its work. Donations for its research on sexual violence and crimes against children as well as funding for witness security are set to run out at year-end, he said. "All of this would have a very substantial effect on our ability to continue to document the crimes and provide evidence that will be useful to jurisdictions prosecuting these cases," he said.
