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As Malaysia hosts Thailand-Cambodia peace talks, suspicion lingers

As Malaysia hosts Thailand-Cambodia peace talks, suspicion lingers

The leaders of
Thailand and
Cambodia were set to hold truce talks on Monday as a deadly border dispute entered its fifth day, with pressure mounting for a ceasefire from both China and the United States, which has threatened to halt any tariff deals until the fighting ends.
At least 35 people, most of them civilians, have been killed
since Thursday , when a long-simmering territorial dispute boiled over into open conflict along the nations' shared frontier.
More than 200,000 people in both countries have been forced from their homes by the relentless gunfights, artillery barrages and Thai air strikes, while tens of thousands of Cambodian migrant labourers have fled Thailand, fearing reprisals as nationalist sentiment intensifies on both sides.
Fresh clashes were reported on Monday, even as Thailand's acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, prepared to meet Cambodia's leader, Hun Manet, in Kuala Lumpur.
Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai (front) departs for Malaysia from a military airport in Bangkok on Monday. Photo: Thai Government Spokesman Office / AP
Phumtham sought to temper hopes of a swift ceasefire, telling reporters as he departed for the Malaysian capital: 'We do not believe Cambodia is acting in good faith, based on their actions.'
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Thailand-Cambodia clash: Malaysia hosts peace talks after fifth day of border dispute
Thailand-Cambodia clash: Malaysia hosts peace talks after fifth day of border dispute

South China Morning Post

time5 minutes ago

  • South China Morning Post

Thailand-Cambodia clash: Malaysia hosts peace talks after fifth day of border dispute

As the deadly border dispute – that has killed at least 35 people, mainly civilians – between Thailand and Cambodia entered its fifth day on Monday, both nations' leaders set out for Malaysia to discuss a potential truce. Pressure for a ceasefire has mounted from both China and the United States, which has threatened to halt any tariff deals until the fighting ends. A long-simmering territorial dispute boiled over into open conflict along the nations' shared frontier on Thursday. More than 200,000 people in both countries have been forced to leave their homes by the relentless gunfights, artillery barrages and Thai air strikes, while tens of thousands of Cambodian migrant labourers have fled Thailand, fearing reprisals as nationalist sentiment intensifies on both sides. Fresh clashes were reported on Monday, even as Thailand's acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, prepared to meet Cambodia's leader, Hun Manet, in Kuala Lumpur. Phumtham sought to temper hopes of a swift ceasefire, telling reporters as he departed for the Malaysian capital: 'We do not believe Cambodia is acting in good faith, based on their actions.' 'They need to demonstrate genuine intent, and we will assess that during the meeting,' he added. Cambodian migrant workers leave Thailand, crossing the border at Ban Laem Border checkpoint to return to their home country. Photo: Reuters The talks come amid diplomatic intervention from US President Donald Trump, who warned on Saturday that tariff negotiations would not continue 'with either country if they are fighting'. Both Thailand and Cambodia blame each other for starting the violence, which has spread rapidly from forested front lines near ancient temple ruins to wide-ranging cross-border attacks that have struck civilian areas. Cambodian forces have fired salvoes of Russian-made rockets into Thailand, killing civilians in their homes and at a petrol station, even striking hospitals. Thai artillery has shelled Cambodian villages, meanwhile, while Bangkok's F-16 fighter jets have pounded Cambodian military targets. On the eve of Monday's talks, Cambodian officials accused Thailand of continuing to target their forces, while Thailand's military on Sunday warned: 'Cambodia may be preparing for a major military operation prior to entering negotiations.' A previous bout of border clashes between the two countries lasted from 2008 to 2011. A Srei Snam district official (right) works to register dozens of displaced villagers in a newly established resettlement site in Wat Velevorn in Siem Reap Province, Cambodia, on Monday, July 28. Photo: AP Representatives from both the US and China are expected to attend Monday's talks. China, a key ally of both nations, has significant influence across the region, while Thailand is one of Washington's oldest treaty allies in Southeast Asia. Monday's meeting is expected to be hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), the regional bloc to which both Thailand and Cambodia belong. Late on Sunday, Anwar said he was ready to host the talks and discuss the parameters and conditions, but mainly an immediate ceasefire, in remarks carried by state news agency Bernama. The roots of the conflict run deep, tracing back to disputed French colonial-era maps, which Thailand refuses to recognise as accurate. The rivalry is also fuelled by competing cultural claims, rising nationalism and a recent fallout between Thailand's powerful Shinawatra family and the clan of Cambodia's former leader, Hun Sen, whose son now serves as prime minister. Thailand has accused Hun Sen of stoking border tensions in retaliation for Bangkok's crackdown on Cambodian-linked gambling and scam operations, which generate billions annually under Phnom Penh's watch. Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (centre) mediates talks with Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. Photo: AFP Cambodia dismisses these allegations as a distraction from the Shinawatra family's domestic woes. Thailand's coalition government has struggled with waning support and criticism for its perceived closeness to Hun Sen and his family. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the latest in the family to lead Thailand, is currently suspended as prime minister pending a court ruling over an alleged ethical breach following a leaked call with Hun Sen. Analysts are watching for the precise details and durability of any ceasefire. The broader strategic aims behind the conflict remain unclear. 'It is unlikely, given the stark differences in the military capabilities of Thailand and Cambodia, that Cambodia will want to fight a prolonged conventional war with Thailand,' political analyst Ken Lohatepanont told This Week in Asia. 'But indeed, we are not even sure of what Cambodia's aims in this conflict are.' Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse, Reuters

Hong Kong public universities agree to return more funding if asked
Hong Kong public universities agree to return more funding if asked

South China Morning Post

time35 minutes ago

  • South China Morning Post

Hong Kong public universities agree to return more funding if asked

Hong Kong's eight public universities have promised to return more recurrent funding allocated to them if asked by the government within the next three academic years and to follow Beijing's guidance. In new documents signed with their funding body, the universities also agreed that the government had the right to reduce the amount of their regular allocation if they failed to meet their commitments or had any major deficiency in institutional governance. The University Grants Committee (UGC), a government advisory body that allocates funding for higher education institutions, uploaded the university accountability agreements it signed with each institution in June. In an unprecedented move in February, the government revealed in its budget that the eight public universities would be asked to return HK$4 billion (US$509.6 million) from their reserves that they had saved from previous government funding. Earlier, university chiefs had indicated a willingness to do so. The budget also stated that authorities would only offer the eight public universities HK$68.1 billion in the coming three school years, falling short of the HK$70.9 billion proposed by the UGC, resulting in a 4 per cent average reduction rate. The new clauses specified that the government would not only be allowed to claw back the money, but also exert fuller control of the funding granted to the universities.

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