Cambodian govt musters support from huge crowds in Thai border row
PHNOM PENH: Tens of thousands of Cambodians took to the streets of Phnom Penh on Wednesday for an official rally to support the government's actions in its recent border dispute with Thailand.
A massive crowd led by Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many -- Prime Minister Hun Manet's youngest brother -- joined a 'Solidarity March' to support Cambodia's government and troops stationed on the border with Thailand.
Singing patriotic songs and flourishing Cambodian flags and portraits of Hun Manet and his father, former leader Hun Sen, supporters marched to the Independence Monument in the heart of the capital.
One Cambodian soldier was killed on May 28 as troops exchanged fire in a disputed area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos meet.
The Thai and Cambodian armies both said they acted in self-defence.
Hun Many told the crowd that the march was 'an encouragement and additional energy for the government and our forces.'
'When the country faces a threat or any insult, the Cambodian people will not stay still, we will stand up in united spirit,' he said.
Cambodia has asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to help resolve the border dispute in four areas -- the site of last month's clash and three ancient temples.
Cambodian leaders have repeatedly said the move was to prevent further military clashes.
Long-running row
Hun Manet said Tuesday evening he wanted to maintain 'peace and good cooperation' with Thailand.
'Filing a complaint at the ICJ to resolve the dispute peacefully is our best option to keep friendship and good cooperation with Thailand,' he said.
The two sides held talks in Phnom Penh at the weekend, which Thailand said had made progress, but the row shows little sign of dying down.
Cambodia on Tuesday banned imports of Thai fruit and vegetables after Bangkok refused to lift border crossing restrictions imposed in recent days.
Cambodia last week banned Thai dramas from TV and cinemas, closed a popular border checkpoint, and cut internet bandwidth from Thailand.
Hun Manet said Tuesday that a return to normality depended on the Thai authorities.
'The ball is in the hands of (the) Thai side, Thai military,' he added.
Thailand says it wants a negotiated solution and has urged Cambodia to stop 'unofficial' communication -- an apparent reference to fiery interventions by Hun Sen, who stepped down in 2023 but still wields great influence.
The border row dates back to the drawing of the countries' 800-kilometre (500-mile) frontier in the early 20th century during the French occupation of Indochina.
Cambodia has previously sought help from the ICJ in a territorial dispute over a border temple.
In 1962, the court ruled that the disputed Preah Vihear temple belonged to Cambodia, and in 2013, the ICJ awarded an area next to the temple to Cambodia as well.
Thailand said it did not accept the court's jurisdiction.
Violence sparked by the dispute has led to at least 28 deaths in the region since 2008.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
42 minutes ago
- The Star
‘It was unfortunate', says Anwar on leaked audio between Paetongtarn and Hun Sen
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has described as 'unfortunate' the leaked phone call between Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen about the ongoing border dispute. 'It is unfortunate that there was this alleged leak of the conversation between Paetongtarn and Hun Sen. 'In my discussions with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and the Thai Prime Minister, both agreed that they would at least continue with this engagement and that was just before June 14,' said the Prime Minister during the 38th Asia-Pacific Roundtable in KL on Thursday (June 19). Anwar said both Hun Manet and Paetongtarn have an understanding to ensure that the contentious areas along the borders are dealt with in a more 'sober and restrained' manner. 'I think the interest is, of course, to try to cool down the tensions,' added Anwar. Recently, an alleged leaked audio recording between Paetongtarn and Hun Sen had created ripples in the Thai government. The leaked June 15 phone call shows Paetongtarn telling Hun Sen, whom she addressed as 'uncle', that she is under domestic pressure and urged him not to listen to the 'opposite side', which includes a prominent Thai military commander. As a result, Thailand's Bhumjaithai party, which is the second largest party in the Thai ruling coalition, announced its withdrawal from the government. The party said it left the ruling coalition because of Paetongtarn's leaked phone call with Hun Sen on the ongoing border dispute, in which she blamed the Thai military for 'miscommunication'. Paetongtarn is currently facing mounting calls to resign as prime minister after the leaked phone call had caused widespread public anger.
The Star
42 minutes ago
- The Star
Thai PM under mounting pressure as ruling coalition hangs by a thread
FILE PHOTO: Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra speaks during a press conference at the Government House, in Bangkok, Thailand, May 19, 2025. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo BANGKOK (Reuters) -The government of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was hanging by a thread on Thursday with coalition partners weighing whether to stay in the alliance following the withdrawal of a major player that could sink her administration. Political neophyte Paetongtarn, the 38-year-old daughter of influential former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, is facing mountingpressure to resign after just 10 months in power, with popularity dwindling, the economy stuttering and a territorial row with Cambodia that has sparked fears of military clashes. The second-biggest partner in the alliance, the Bhumjaithai Party, withdrew from the coalition late on Wednesday, citing damage caused to Thailand's integrity, sovereignty and its army after an embarrassing leak hours earlier of a phone call between the premier and Cambodia's influential former premier Hun Sen. The United Thai Nation, Chart Thai and Democrat parties announced separate meetings on Thursday to decide on their next steps. A decision to withdraw by the UTN, now the second-biggest coalition member, would leave Paetongtarn with a minority government and in an untenable position. The premier has not commented on Bhumjaithai's exit and a government spokesperson had yet to respond to calls seeking comment. Paetongtarn was seen entering the government's headquarters on Thursday, with police surrounding the complex in preparation for possible protests against her. In the leaked June 15 call, Paetongtarn is heard pressing Hun Sen for a peaceful resolution and urging him not to listen to "the other side" in Thailand, including an outspoken Thai army general who she said "just wants to look cool". She later told reporters that was a negotiation tactic and there were no issues with the military. 'THE LAST STRAW' If Paetongtarn were to resign, parliament would need to convene to choose a new prime minister to form the next government, from a pool of only five remaining eligible candidates nominated before the 2023 election. Another option would be to dissolve parliament and call an election, a move that could favour the opposition People's Party, the largest force in parliament and the country's most popular party according to opinion polls. The People's Party, the reincarnation of the Move Forward Party that won most votes in the 2023 election but was disbanded last year by a court, said Thailand was paralysed by problems that only a new election could solve. "The situation yesterday on the leaked phone call is the last straw for Prime Minister Paetongtarn in harming public trust in her," People's Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut told a press conference. "I want the prime minister to dissolve parliament. I think the people want a government that can solve problems for the people, a legitimate government that comes from a democratic process." Paetongtarn's administration has also been dogged by criticism from opponents about the influence of her divisive tycoon father Thaksin, who holds no official position but often comments on policy and has maintained a high profile since his return from self-exile in 2023. (Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by John Mair)
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
‘Golden Dome' is pure fantasy
MUTZIG, FRANCE: First stop on my annual visit to France's mighty Maginot Line forts is this lovely Alsatian town. Mutzig was built by the Germans 1893-1916 to defend against enemy approaches to the important city of Strasbourg. It was – and remains – the largest modern fortress in Europe. The vast fortress, which covers over 800 acres, was never attacked during World War I by the Germans or French. But as Europe's first important fortress made of concrete and fully electrified, it was eagerly studied by French engineers and served as a template for the Maginot Line forts two decades later. Both world wars showed the vulnerability of fixed fortifications. An enemy will always find a way round them or discover a fatal weakness. In regard to the 322km-long Maginot Line, the forts did not fail. They held out to the bitter end. The reason for France's stunning defeat in 1940 was the failure of its field army and its blockheaded generals. Interestingly, a French parliamentary deputy with the effervescent name of Perrier precisely predicted where the Germans would break through the Ardennes Forest in 1940. Though vulnerable, the fixed defences of the Maginot Line were hugely popular in France and wildly overestimated because they involved huge construction projects for many of the villages and factories along France's eastern border with Germany. Just as New Deal make-work projects boosted the United States during the Great Depression. We see a similar mania in the response to President Donald Trump's plan to create a national 'Golden Dome' defensive shield to protect the nation from assorted nuclear threats. In many ways, it's a re-run of President Ronald Reagan's Star Wars missile shield, which never got off the ground but was extremely popular among the public. Frederick the Great of Prussia noted, 'he who defends everything, defends nothing,' As true today as it was in the 18th century. A national missile defence system to cover the entire nation would be impossibly expensive for a nation already deeply mired in debt. The always powerful military-industrial complex will see Trump's Golden Dome fantasy as a second Christmas though the basic technology has yet to be proven. One wonders if the proponents of this defensive system have noticed that Russia has developed ballistic missiles that can alter course, change altitudes and switch targets? Or that China has ICBMs aboard freighters in the Pacific. What about evolving electronic countermeasures that can fry enemy communications and guidance systems? It would be far more prudent for the US to pursue disarmament talks and effective inspection regimes with its rivals than pie in the sky defensive systems that will certainly enrich military companies but fail to protect North America. What's more, having even a partial anti-missile system will likely make the US more aggressive and prone to wars. Better to spend the trillions on curing cancer or blindness than on space wizardry. Alas, we have a view of what awaits us. Lately, Trump banned people from 12 mostly Muslims nations and imposed restrictions on seven nations. Good work Mr President. You and your New York City construction buddies have now made enemies of a quarter of the world's population.
