Malaysia ready to facilitate Cambodia-Thailand border talks
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is ready to help facilitate peaceful negotiations between Cambodia and Thailand over their ongoing border dispute, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.
Anwar said he had spoken with both Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who informed him that their respective governments had agreed to hold talks on June 14 regarding the issue.
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New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Israeli military retrieves body of Thai hostage from Gaza
CAIRO: The Israeli military has retrieved the body of a Thai hostage who had been held in Gaza since Hamas' Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Saturday. Nattapong Pinta's body was held by a Palestinian militant group called the Mujahedeen Brigades, and was recovered from the area of Rafah in southern Gaza, Katz said. His family in Thailand has been notified. Pinta, an agricultural worker, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, a small Israeli community near the Gaza border where a quarter of the population was killed or taken hostage during the Hamas attack that triggered the devastating war in Gaza. Israel's military said Pinta had been abducted alive and killed by his captors, who had also killed and taken to Gaza the bodies of two more Israeli-American hostages that were retrieved earlier this week. There was no immediate comment from the Mujahedeen Brigades, which has previously denied killing its captives, or from Hamas. The Israeli military said the Brigades were still holding the body of another foreign national. Only 20 of the 55 remaining hostages are believed to still be alive. The Mujahedeen Brigades also held and killed Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, according to Israeli authorities. Their bodies were returned during a two-month ceasefire, which collapsed in March after the two sides could not agree on terms for extending it to a second phase. Israel has since expanded its offensive across the Gaza Strip as US, Qatari and Egyptian-led efforts to secure another ceasefire have faltered. The United Nations has warned that most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is at risk of famine after an 11-week Israeli blockade of the enclave, with the rate of young children suffering from acute malnutrition nearly tripling. Aid distribution was halted on Friday after the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said overcrowding had made it unsafe to continue operations. It was unclear whether aid had resumed on Saturday. On Wednesday, the GHF suspended operations and asked the Israeli military to review security protocols after Palestinian hospital officials said more than 80 people had been shot dead and hundreds wounded near distribution points between June 1-3. The GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May, overseeing a new model of aid distribution which the United Nations says is neither impartial nor neutral. It says it has provided around 9 million meals so far. Israel is facing growing international pressure over its offensive against Hamas, which has plunged Gaza into a humanitarian crisis and displaced most of its population. Hamas fighters took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, in the Oct 7 attack, Israel's single deadliest day. Israel's military campaign has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza, and left much of the densely populated coastal enclave in ruins. Families of remaining hostages fear that those alive are in danger from the continued Israeli offensive and those dead will be lost forever. Israel says the campaign is aimed at bringing them all back.
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Thailand grants military control over border checkpoints with Cambodia amid escalating tensions
BANGKOK: Thailand currently has 18 checkpoints with Cambodia across seven provinces — Ubon Ratchathani, Sisaket, Surin, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, Trat, and Buriram. Royal Thai Army (RTA) spokesperson Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree announced on Saturday (June 7) that RTA Commander-in-Chief Gen Pana Klaewblaudtuk had signed Army Order No. 806/2568, authorising the commanders of the Burapha and Suranaree Task Forces to oversee the opening and closing of all border checkpoints along the Thai-Cambodian border. These commanders are empowered to implement appropriate security measures and conditions based on the severity of the situation in their respective jurisdictions. This directive follows a resolution from the National Security Council meeting on June 6, which designated the RTA as the lead agency for safeguarding national security along the border and ensuring full cooperation from all relevant agencies. According to the RTA, the decision was prompted by Cambodia's repeated incursions into Thai territory and increasingly provocative actions, including armed presence and the construction of military fortifications near the border. Despite Thailand's diplomatic efforts and restraint, Cambodia's actions have heightened concerns over national sovereignty and security, prompting the Thai military to adopt stronger defensive measures. Thailand currently has 18 checkpoints with Cambodia across seven provinces—Ubon Ratchathani, Sisaket, Surin, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, Trat, and Buriram—comprising: 8 permanent checkpoints, including: - Chong Sa Ngam (Sisaket) - Chong Chom (Surin) - Ban Khlong Luek (Sa Kaeo) - Ban Khao Din (Sa Kaeo) - Thai-Cambodian Friendship Bridge (Sa Kaeo) - Ban Laem (Chanthaburi) - Ban Phak Kard (Chanthaburi) - Ban Hat Lek (Trat) 9 temporary checkpoints, including: - Ban Nam Yuen (Ubon Ratchathani) - Ban Ta Phraya (Sa Kaeo) - Ban Nong Prue (Sa Kaeo) - Ban Subtari (Chanthaburi) - Ban Suan Som (Chanthaburi) - Ban Bueng Chanang Lang (Chanthaburi) - Ban Muen Dan (Trat) - Ban Ma Muang (Trat) - Chong Sai Taku (Buriram) 1 tourist access point: - Khao Phra Wihan's Entrance (Sisaket) Currently closed checkpoints: - Ban Muen Dan (Trat) – Closed due to inactivity and no cross-border trade - Khao Phra Wihan's Entrance (Sisaket) – Closed for security reasons As of now, 16 border checkpoints remain open while 2 are closed. The Thai military continues to monitor the situation closely and is prepared to act decisively to protect national sovereignty and public safety. - The Nation/ANN
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Thai Commander: Over 400 protests filed against Cambodian border violations
BANGKOK: In a detailed Facebook post, Major General Nutt Sri-in, Deputy Commander of the 2nd Army Region, alleged that Cambodia has violated the 2000 MoU by advancing troops and digging trenches into Thai territory. He stated that Thai forces have exercised restraint and pursued peaceful negotiations, but warned that further unilateral action could escalate tensions. Maj Gen Nutt Sri-in, Deputy Commander of Thailand's 2nd Army Region, posted a detailed message on his personal Facebook page on Saturday (June 7), highlighting key historical and legal facts surrounding the Thai-Cambodian border dispute. He wrote: 'The Truth... 1. Thailand and Cambodia have long-standing border issues, primarily because the two sides rely on different historical maps. 2. The 1:200,000-scale map often referenced was produced as part of the Franco-Siam Treaties of 1904 and 1907. It is a rough-scale map with several discrepancies from the actual watershed line. 3. To address these differences, both countries agreed to establish the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) to work together on producing an officially accepted border line and demarcation markers. 4. While the JBC carries out its work, a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2000 (commonly referred to as MOU43) provides guidelines for both sides. Notably, Article 5 prohibits any alteration of terrain that could impact the watershed boundary. - Photo: The Nation/ANN 5. In the past, Cambodia has consistently violated MOU43 by expanding communities, building casinos, and cultivating crops near the border—actions that damage the watershed. We have lodged more than 400 protests, but cooperation to resolve the issues has been minimal. Meanwhile, on our side, the area falls under national park status, so no such actions can be taken. 6. Before the burning of the Trimuk Pavilion on February 28, 2025, Cambodian troops were stationed no closer than 500 metres from the border. Our forces were similarly positioned. The area in between was a zone of peace, where both sides came and went, coordinated, and resolved issues through dialogue. 7. On February 28, 2025, Cambodia burned down the Trimuk Pavilion and advanced their forces to the alstonia scholaris tree, which intrudes approximately 150 metres into Thai sovereignty. They also dug a trench, destroyed the watershed, and violated MoU 43. 8. We have tried to resolve the issue peacefully, with patience and restraint. We have held negotiations many times, requesting the withdrawal of troops that encroached on Thai sovereignty, but Cambodia refused to pull back. Eventually, weapons were used on May 28, 2025. 9. Thai commanders at all levels have sought peaceful solutions, repeatedly negotiating for the withdrawal of troops from the encroached area. Cambodia claims those forces were already stationed there before MOU43, which is absolutely untrue. If troops had been there last year (August 2024), how could I have walked through that point to reach the Trimuk Pavilion? 10. Cambodia claims it is under aggression and that Thailand is not resolving the issue peacefully. They threaten to escalate the conflict to the International Court of Justice, saying it will bring closure. But how can there be closure? 11. Cambodia continues to reinforce troops and bring in weapons, attempting to extend control to other parts of the border that were previously unoccupied forest or hills. If we deploy forces to defend our sovereignty, it becomes a direct confrontation. For what purpose? 12. We have already agreed rules between our two sides. Wouldn't it be better to face each other openly and talk like men? If this goes to court, our children will end up adversaries forever. What good can come from that, if we still consider each other friends? - The Nation/ANN
