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RTHK
2 hours ago
- RTHK
Thailand and Cambodia agree to ceasefire
Thailand and Cambodia agree to ceasefire Sealing the ceasefire deal in Putrajaya are, from left, Hun Manet of Cambodia, Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia and Phumtham Wechayachai of Thailand. Photo: Reuters The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia agreed to a ceasefire on Monday effective midnight, in a bid to bring an end to their deadliest conflict in more than a decade after five days of fierce fighting. Amid an international effort to quell the conflict, the Thai and Cambodian leaders held talks in Malaysia hosted by its Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the current chair of the Asean regional bloc, where both sides agreed to halt hostilities and resume direct communications. Anwar said when opening a press conference alongside the Thai and Cambodian leaders that there would be "an immediate and unconditional ceasefire with effect from midnight tonight. This is final." The Southeast Asian neighbours accuse each other of starting the fighting last week, before escalating it with heavy artillery bombardment and Thai air strikes along their 817km land border. Anwar had proposed ceasefire talks soon after a long-running border dispute erupted into conflict on Thursday, and China and the United States also offered to assist in negotiations. US President Donald Trump called both leaders at the weekend urging them to settle their differences, warning he would not conclude trade deals with them unless they ended the fighting. The tension between Thailand and Cambodia has intensified since the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief skirmish late in May. Both sides reinforced border troops amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand's fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse. "Today we have a very good meeting and very good results... that hope to stop immediately the fighting that has caused many lives lost, injuries and also caused displacement of people," Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said, expressing appreciation to China for its efforts in participating in the process and to Trump. "We hope that the solutions that Prime Minister Anwar just announced will set a condition for moving forward for our bilateral discussion to return to normalcy of the relationship, and as a foundation for future de-escalation of forces." Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who had earlier expressed doubts about Cambodia's sincerity ahead of the negotiations in Malaysia, said Thailand had agreed to ceasefire that would "be carried out successfully in good faith by both sides". (Reuters)
HKFP
3 hours ago
- HKFP
Hong Kong slams countries over ‘smears' against bounties targeting overseas activists
The Hong Kong government has said it 'strongly opposed and disapproved of smears with distorted facts' after countries such as the US, Canada, and Australia criticised the city's fresh bounties targeting overseas activists. In a statement on Sunday, the Hong Kong government said that 'such foreign government officials and politicians, as well as anti-China organisations, turned a blind eye to illegal acts of criminals' and 'also deliberately smeared and spread irresponsible remarks, in an attempt to mislead the public.' On Friday, Hong Kong national security police announced bounties for information leading to the arrest of 19 overseas activists for their link to political group the 'Hong Kong Parliament,' accusing them of committing subversion under the Beijing-imposed national security law. A bounty of HK$200,000 each was offered for 15 members of the group, while the remaining four were already wanted for HK$1 million each. 'The 'Hong Kong Parliament' is an organisation which aims to subvert state power; its objectives include promoting 'self-determination', promulgating the so-called 'Hong Kong Constitution', and overthrowing or undermining' the governments in China and Hong Kong, the statement also said. 'No country or organisation should harbour criminals nor try to exonerate these people with different excuses.' Criticism against bounties The Sunday statement was issued after senior US, Canadian, and Australian officials levelled criticism against the bounties. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday condemned the move by the Hong Kong authorities, calling the bounties 'transnational repression.' 'The extraterritorial targeting of Hong Kongers who are exercising their fundamental freedoms is a form of transnational repression,' Rubio said in a statement. 'We will not tolerate the Hong Kong government's attempts to apply its national security laws to silence or intimidate Americans or anyone on U.S. soil,' he added. In Canada, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand and Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree issued a joint statement on Saturday condemning the bounties. 'This attempt by Hong Kong authorities to conduct transnational repression abroad, including by issuing threats, intimidation or coercion against Canadians or those in Canada, will not be tolerated,' the statement read. 'The actions taken by Hong Kong threaten the sovereignty of Canada and security of the people in this country,' the statement continued. The Canadian officials also said the bounties were 'being amplified in an inauthentic and coordinated way, through an online network of accounts that are targeting Chinese-speaking communities.' Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Saturday on X: 'Australia strongly objects to Hong Kong authorities issuing arrest warrants for pro-democracy advocates in Australia. Freedom of expression and assembly are essential to our democracy.' The Hong Kong government on Saturday also issued a statement opposing remarks by UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who described the bounties as 'another example of transnational repression.' A total of 34 people residing overseas are currently placed on a wanted list by Hong Kong national security police. Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong's mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.
RTHK
4 hours ago
- RTHK
Over 120 truckloads of food aid 'distributed in Gaza'
Over 120 truckloads of food aid 'distributed in Gaza' Trucks carrying aid line up near the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. Photo: Reuters Israel said on Monday that more than 120 truckloads of food aid were distributed by the UN and aid agencies in the Gaza Strip on the first day of a promised limited break in fighting. On Sunday, Israel declared a "tactical pause" in military operations in part of Gaza and promised to open secure routes for aid, urging humanitarian groups to step up food distribution. "Over 120 trucks were collected and distributed yesterday by the UN and international organisations," said Cogat, an Israeli defence ministry body overseeing civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories. "An additional 180 trucks entered Gaza and are now awaiting collection and distribution, along with hundreds of others still queued for UN pickup," Cogat said in a post on X. The post came as United Nations chief Antonio Guterres urged the international community to reject hunger as a weapon of war. "Climate change is disrupting harvests, supply chains, and humanitarian aid. Conflict continues to spread hunger from Gaza to Sudan and beyond," he told a UN conference in Ethiopia by video. "Hunger fuels instability and undermines peace. We must never accept hunger as a weapon of war." Separately, Israel, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates have conducted parachute air drops of smaller quantities of aid. More than two million Palestinians live in Gaza and, before the eruption of the latest 21-month-old conflict between Israel and Hamas, it took roughly 500 trucks per day of commercial trade and humanitarian aid to supply the territory. In recent weeks UN agencies have been warning of a life-threatening famine as aid supplies dry up, and international pressure has been building for a ceasefire to allow a massive relief operation. Israel's government, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, furiously denies that it is using hunger as a weapon of war, and instead accuses the aid agencies of failing to pick up and distribute aid delivered to Gaza's border crossing points. "More consistent collection and distribution by UN agencies and international organisations equals more aid reaching those who need it most in Gaza," Cogat said. (AFP)
