logo
Thailand says another soldier injured by mine near Cambodia

Thailand says another soldier injured by mine near Cambodia

Daily Express3 days ago
Published on: Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Published on: Tue, Aug 12, 2025
By: Reuters Text Size: Bangkok accused Cambodia of planting landmines on the Thai side of the disputed border. (Royal Thai Army/AP pic) BANGKOK: A Thai soldier was injured by a landmine near the Cambodian border today, the Thai army said, days after the Southeast Asian neighbours agreed a ceasefire following last month's deadly five-day conflict. 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.
Advertisement 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 817km 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. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Mexican ranchers hit by flesh-eating screwworm want action on cattle smuggling
Mexican ranchers hit by flesh-eating screwworm want action on cattle smuggling

The Star

timean hour ago

  • The Star

Mexican ranchers hit by flesh-eating screwworm want action on cattle smuggling

TAPACHULA, Mexico (Reuters) -On a scorching afternoon in the rural heartland outside Mexico's southern city of Tapachula near the Guatemala border, rancher Julio Herrera calls his herd back from an afternoon of grazing. "Gate! Gate!" he hollers as the cows turn the corner from the pasture and trot instinctively to their corral. He runs his hands under their hooves, feeling for wounds through which the deadly screwworm parasite could burrow inside their bodies. Efforts to protect his herd can only go so far, he says, until Mexico's government steps up to tackle what he considers the core issue: illegal livestock moving unchecked across the border from Central America. Maggots from screwworm flies burrow into the flesh of living animals, causing serious damage. While it can often be fatal, infected animals can be treated by removing larvae and applying medications, if it is detected early enough. The infestation, which began in November, hasnow claimed its first human casualty: an 86-year-old woman with advanced cancer and complications from a screwworm infection who died in the state of Campeche in late July. While infections are rarer (and treatable) in humans, Mexico confirmed more than 30 cases in people in the last week of July. "From Guatemala there is indiscriminate passage of stolen cattle, sick cattle. There is no health control," Herrera told Reuters. "We, the producers, are the ones who suffer." Estimates cited by Mexican authorities in 2022 and others by sector experts indicate the number of illegal cattle crossing into Mexico is at least 800,000 per year. Organized crime groups have long been linked to the theft and trafficking of livestock, which enables them to tap a lucrative market and extort money along the way. The animals may come from Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua or other Central American countries. They enter Mexico with black market ear tags and falsified documents. CLOSED BORDER Local veterinarians in Chiapas, slaughterhouse professionals and producers said the illegal crossings were a major factor in the outbreak. These animals bypass government checkpoints, sanitary inspections and taxes, and are then sold to meat companies or larger cattle producers. While local government officials in Chiapas acknowledged the illegal trade, they said it was being handled by the federal government - and was not the main factor in the spread of screwworm. Instead, they blamed the unchecked movement of the screwworm fly and a failure to reportcases and seek treatment. Mexico's Ministry of Agriculture did not respond to questions about measures to stop illegal livestock at the southern border, but pointed to past statements on efforts to reduce counterfeit and unauthorized ear tags. The U.S. has kept its border mostly closed to Mexican cattle since May because of the outbreak, dealing a heavy blow to an industry that exports approximately a billion dollars' worth of cattle to the U.S. annually, and contributing to high beef prices in the U.S. The outbreak is costing the Mexican meat industry an estimated $25 million to $30 million a month, according to the Mexican Association of Meat Producers (AMEG). Three ranchers told Reuters they are increasingly angry over the government's lack of control at the southern border. In July, Mexico's National Confederation of Livestock Organizations called on the government to redouble efforts to control illegal crossings. "It's a business," said Jorge Ortiz of the Tapachula municipal slaughterhouse and a local pig farmer, about illegal livestock. "It needs a lot of attention to be able to control this problem... and where that should come from is the federal government." The outbreak is bringing fresh trade tensions to the U.S.-Mexico trade relationship as Mexico has three months to negotiate a trade deal with the U.S. or face increased tariffs. Mexico's federal government is working on a $51 million plant in Chiapas to breed sterile screwworm flies, with the help of $21 million from the U.S.,though it is not expected to begin operating until 2026. DISPELLING MYTHS Officials have said that infected animals will not be slaughtered. A few screwworm-detecting dogs have been deployed to a Chiapas livestock border crossing and training sessions and free care, such as de-worming products, areoffered to producers who report infected animals. Chiapas state Agriculture Secretary Marco Barba said local efforts are focused on awareness and prevention. Signs are posted around towns with slogans such as "Without wounds, there's no worms." Authorities are also trying to dispel myths about contaminated meat, Barba said, adding that consumption has dropped in the state. Officials have said that screwworm infections are not transmitted through the consumption of meat. Livestock producers hesitate to report screwworm cases because they fear officials could shut down their business or slaughter their animals, said Carlos Mahr, president of the Livestock Union of Chiapas. At Mahr's ranch outside Tuxtla Gutierrez, a worker lassos a young cow. The animal bucks as it is guided over to Mahr, who is waiting with an aerosol can of disinfectant used to clean the wound left from removing the animal's horns. Infected animals can be easily treated, Mahr said. "There should be no fear or worry," he said. "Reporting is important to have a generalized map of where the worm is found." It is vital for the country's cattle producers that the border with the U.S. reopens, Barba said, and his government has been working to show USDA officials that there's progress. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has said the U.S. is working more closely with Mexico than ever before and that the USDA team was "staffing up in the hundreds" to get into Mexico to verify the data the country was providing. The resources, though, haven't trickled down to everyone. Alfonso Lopez, a livestock veterinarian in Tapachula, said he sees cases every day, on several ranches. "Right now, it's a very serious situation," Lopez said from his office, where he had a fresh sample of screwworms collected from a newborn calf earlier that day. "What the federal government is doing, which isn't enough, is sending personnel to address the cases, but Chiapas isn't just highways... it has mountains and valleys, and so the fly isn't going to travel only on the roads. It's insufficient," Lopez said. While controlling screwworm in livestock is the main priority, Herrera, the rancher in Tapachula, noted that the pest can infect any warm-blooded animal. "What happens with the coyotes, the stray dogs... the deer, the jaguar?" Herrera said. (Reporting by Cassandra Garrison; Editing by Christian Plumb and Claudia Parsons)

Court to hear MCMC's contempt bid against Telegram on Sept 24
Court to hear MCMC's contempt bid against Telegram on Sept 24

Free Malaysia Today

timean hour ago

  • Free Malaysia Today

Court to hear MCMC's contempt bid against Telegram on Sept 24

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission obtained an interim injunction order against Telegram from the Kuala Lumpur High Court on July 13. KUALA LUMPUR : The High Court here will hear the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission's application to initiate contempt proceedings against Telegram on Sept 24. Justice Mahazan Mat Taib fixed the date after Daniel Bock, the lawyer representing Telegram, informed the court they needed 14 days to file a reply. Both MCMC, represented by lawyer SN Nair, and Telegram were ordered to file their submissions by Sept 19. The court also set Sept 11 to deliver its decision on MCMC's separate bid for a full injunction against Telegram. The contempt bid, filed yesterday, alleges that the messaging platform failed to comply with one of the terms of an ex parte injunction granted on July 17. On June 19, MCMC announced it had sued Telegram and two of its channels – Edisi Siasat and Edisi Khas – for allegedly spreading harmful content that could erode trust in public institutions and threaten social order. Edisi Siasat and Edisi Khas are anonymous channels known for publishing whistleblower-style allegations, particularly targeting public institutions and enforcement agencies. Despite being unofficial, their posts often gain traction and trigger public debates.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store