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The Star
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Thailand and Cambodia to hold joint border meeting on June 14
The Commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army General Pana Klaewplodthuk (right) and the Commander of the Royal Cambodian Army General Mao Sophan (left) during a meeting at the Chong Chom border crossing in Thailand's Surin province on May 29, 2025. - AP BANGKOK: Cambodia and Thailand have scheduled a joint border commission meeting in Cambodia's capital city Phnom Penh on June 14, focusing on the border issues after a recent incident that resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier. Both governments have engaged in close consultations at all levels following a brief exchange of gunfire on May 28 between Thai and Cambodian troops in the Emerald Triangle Area with the Laos. In a release on June 4, a spokesman for Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Chum Sounry said the country is committed to resolving border issues peacefully through technical mechanisms and in accordance with international law. Chum Sounry, also secretary of state, recalled that at a bilateral meeting in Tokyo on May 30, the foreign ministers of both countries agreed to uphold the spirit of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Survey and Demarcation of Land Boundary, and to utilise all existing mechanisms, the Cambodian Press Agency (AKP) reported. After the border incident, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet called for an urgent meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Border Commission to resume border demarcation work and address rising tensions in disputed areas, according to The Khmer Times. He also proposed that unresolved temple disputes be referred to the International Court of Justice — a motion that received the full support of both the National Assembly and the Senate on June 2. Also on June 4, the Thai Prime Minister's Office issued a statement saying it will resolve the problem in every dimension for Thailand through bilateral mechanisms. The statement noted that both governments have engaged in close consultations at all levels following the accident. 'With regard to questions that Cambodia may wish to resort to a judicial mechanism or a third party on this matter, Thailand, as Cambodia's neighbour, is committed to resolving bilateral issues through peaceful means, based on international law,' said the Thai statement. 'Both sides have agreed to work together to restore the situation to normalcy and to prevent escalation, while also agreeing to make use of existing bilateral mechanisms to resolve the issue,' the statement added. 'In addition, both governments emphasized the importance of communicating with the public to prevent misunderstandings between the peoples of the two countries.' The Cambodian spokesperson also emphasised the country's commitment to transforming border areas with neighbouring countries into zones of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development for the benefit of the respective countries and peoples, the AKP reported. There are six permanent and 10 temporary checkpoints along the border between Thailand and Cambodia. According to the Thai statement, the overall situation along the Thai–Cambodian border remains calm and under control. - China Daily/ANN
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Thailand and Cambodia to hold joint border meeting on June 14
Royal Thai Army commander-in-chief General Pana Klaewplodthuk (right) and Cambodian General Mao Sophan shake hands at the Thai-Cambodian border in Kap Choeng on May 29, 2025. PHOTO: EPA-EFE/ROYAL THAI ARMY HANDOUT BANGKOK - Cambodia and Thailand have scheduled a joint border commission meeting in Cambodia's capital city Phnom Penh on June 14, focusing on the border issues after a recent incident that resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier. Both governments have engaged in close consultations at all levels following a brief exchange of gunfire on May 28 between Thai and Cambodian troops in the Emerald Triangle Area with the Laos. In a release on June 4 , a spokesman for Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Chum Sounry said the country is committed to resolving border issues peacefully through technical mechanisms and in accordance with international law. Mr Chum Sounry, also secretary of state, recalled that at a bilateral meeting in Tokyo on May 30, the foreign ministers of both countries agreed to uphold the spirit of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Survey and Demarcation of Land Boundary, and to utilise all existing mechanisms, the Cambodian Press Agency (AKP) reported. After the border incident, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet called for an urgent meeting of the Cambodia–Thailand Joint Border Commission to resume border demarcation work and address rising tensions in disputed areas, according to The Khmer Times. He also proposed that unresolved temple disputes be referred to the International Court of Justice — a motion that received the full support of both the National Assembly and the Senate on June 2 . Also on June 4 , the Thai Prime Minister's Office issued a statement saying it will resolve the problem in every dimension for Thailand through bilateral mechanisms. The statement noted that both governments have engaged in close consultations at all levels following the accident. 'With regard to questions that Cambodia may wish to resort to a judicial mechanism or a third party on this matter, Thailand, as Cambodia's neighbor, is committed to resolving bilateral issues through peaceful means, based on international law,' said the Thai statement. 'Both sides have agreed to work together to restore the situation to normalcy and to prevent escalation, while also agreeing to make use of existing bilateral mechanisms to resolve the issue,' the statement added. 'In addition, both governments emphasized the importance of communicating with the public to prevent misunderstandings between the peoples of the two countries.' The Cambodian spokesperson also emphasised the country's commitment to transforming border areas with neighbouring countries into zones of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development for the benefit of the respective countries and peoples, the AKP reported. There are six permanent and 10 temporary checkpoints along the border between Thailand and Cambodia. According to the Thai statement, the overall situation along the Thai–Cambodian border remains calm and under control. CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
News18
26-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
After Celebi, Turkish NGOs In Bangladesh Under Indian Govt's Watch
Last Updated: Sources say a Turkish NGO with ties to the ruling AKP has been working closely with the Rohingya population that the country has given refuge to and could foment trouble in India Less than two weeks after India's Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) revoked the security clearance of Turkish Aviation company Celebi Airport Services, which operated in nine Indian airports, including Delhi and Mumbai, sources suggest the Centre is now keeping a watch on certain Turkish NGOs working from Bangladesh, which may pose a national security threat to India. UNDER WATCH A radical Islamist organisation, 'Saltanat-e-Bangla', has been in focus of late after it prominently exhibited what it called 'Greater Bangladesh', which not just consists of today's Bangladesh but the entire Arakan land of Myanmar, a vast section of Northeast that it calls 'Kamrup district' and even Jharkhand, Bihar, and Odisha. Even the Rohingyas or Arakans envision a greater Arakan land which includes parts of Northeast. However, this is the first time mainland Indian states are also being laid claim to. Government sources say NGOs aligning with Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi or Justice and Development Party are behind the movement. Government sources reveal they have reason to believe a particular Turkish NGO is working against India's interest in Bangladesh. News18 has learnt the NGO is IHH or İnsan Hak ve Hürriyetleri ve İnsani Yardım Vakfı, which translates from Turkish to Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief in English. This Turkish NGO with ties to the ruling AKP has been active in Bangladesh since the 1990s, even during Sheikh Hasina's term, and has been working closely among the vast Rohingya population that the country has given refuge to. Government sources suspect the NGO could have used its access to radicalise Rohingyas in Bangladesh in the past. NGO Monitor, an NGO watchdog notes, 'IHH is a member of the Union of the Good, an umbrella of 50+ Islamic organisations, which was designated by the US government as an organization created by Hamas leadership to transfer funds to the terrorist organization." On Saturday, 'Turkish Century'—a self-declared, Turkey-based Muslim think tank—posted the same photo that 'Saltanat-e-Bangla' has plastered across universities and places of discussion in Dhaka—a map of what 'Saltanat-e-Bangla' calls 'Greater Bangladesh'. The Turkish Century tweeted with a line: 'It's time to make Bangladesh great again", borrowing the phrase of Donald Trump's MAGA. Interestingly, the think tank had three nation emojis representing Bangladesh, Turkey and Pakistan, making the axis obvious. Kanchan Gupta, senior advisor to the ministry of information and broadcasting tweeted, 'Turkish Century a 'Muslim think-tank focusing on the economy, defence and geopolitics of Türkiye and its region, is propagating the 'Erdogan Line' on India's East and North-East." He added how terror organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir and Islamist-backed Yunus Regime in Bangladesh are a 'willing collaborator" in this 'evil smash-and-grab project." Interestingly, soon after Gupta posted the tweet, the think tank's website—which was earlier visible—has vanished and says it is 'under repair". The name of the think tank is also derived from the strategic vision articulated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, outlining Turkey's long-term objectives for the 21st century, aiming to establish it as a major global power by 2071. As Gupta warned about the grand plan of a possible demographic shift in bordering states by what he calls 'flooding these areas with illegal Muslim immigrants to create a 'lebensraum' or living space for Bangladeshi Muslims", there are more voices that have emerged. Himanta Biswa Sarma, chief minister of Assam—one of the states projected in the map of 'Greater Bangladesh'—issued a counter threat on Sunday. Without naming any country, Sarma warned that before threatening India about the strategically crucial 'Chicken's Neck', Bangladesh and its backers must keep in mind the 80km North Bangladesh Corridor from Dakhin Dinajpur to South West Garo Hills and 28km Chittagong Corridor from south Tripura till the Bay of Bengal. 'This corridor, smaller than India's Chicken's Neck, is the only link between Bangladesh's economic capital and political capital," said Sarma. Sources suggest a chief minister would not have resorted to such 'geopolitical bravado" without a political green signal. Having taken care of its western border, India now seems to be focusing on its eastern problem.
New York Times
26-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Erdogan Might Have Finally Gone Too Far
It has been more than two months since the police in Turkey detained Ekrem Imamoglu, the popular mayor of Istanbul and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's likely opponent in Turkey's next presidential election. The international reaction has been largely muted. Turkey is rightly recognized as a geopolitically important — even indispensable — NATO ally, a dominant military power in post-Assad Syria and the natural host to delegations to negotiate peace in Ukraine. If Mr. Erdogan, who has long had authoritarian tendencies, is now setting Turkey on the path to full-fledged autocracy, the international community does not seem poised to prevent him. Nevertheless, he might still fail. In Turkey the largest protests in a decade and, crucially, the lack of support by important political allies suggest that Mr. Erdogan's determination to remain in power might have finally pushed him to go too far. Mr. Erdogan has dominated Turkish politics since the early 2000s. For a long time he continued to enjoy popular support, even as he jailed opponents. He continued to consolidate power and, while elections were not fair, the opposition could still win. Last year his Justice and Development Party, or A.K.P., had a poor showing in municipal elections when disaffected conservative voters, tired of persistently high unemployment and inflation, shifted toward the Republican People's Party, known as the C.H.P. Those elections also returned Mr. Imamoglu as the mayor of Istanbul for a second term. Mr. Imamoglu's arrest in March signaled something new: that in elections in Turkey, popular opposition politicians may simply not be allowed to run. Mr. Erdogan appeared to be borrowing from the playbook of President Vladimir Putin of Russia. But importantly, since Turkey — unlike Russia — does not possess the natural resources that could help fund autocratic rule, Mr. Erdogan is constrained by the need for foreign investment, state support and a majority of the public's support or at least acquiescence to his actions. It was immediately clear that the arrest rattled markets — the lira, Turkey's currency, fell to a record low — and was deeply unpopular with the population. One poll suggested that 65 percent of people disapproved, and many thousands of people crowded into the streets. A few days after Mr. Imamoglu's arrest, his party conducted a symbolic primary, in which party members and sympathizers anointed the mayor as their candidate for president. It's possible that this public anger could give way to apathy before the next elections are scheduled to be held, in 2028. Mr. Erdogan may be banking on it. But some of the president's political allies in the state are signaling that they, too, object. The far-right Nationalist Movement Party, or M.H.P., was critical to Mr. Erdogan's re-election as president in 2018 and 2023 and forms part of the A.K.P.'s current parliamentary majority. But a few weeks after Mr. Imamoglu's arrest, Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the M.H.P., urged a quick resolution. 'If he is innocent, he should be released,' Mr. Bahceli was reported to have said. M.H.P. loyalists hold many positions in the state bureaucracy and the judiciary, and the party and Mr. Bahceli have been central to the peace process with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, an insurgent group known by its Kurdish initials, P.K.K. The disarming and disbanding of the P.K.K., which the group announced this month, is essential for Turkey's national security and improved relations with its neighbors, but the arrest of Mr. Imamoglu could still imperil this process by undermining the premise that the Kurds will be able to pursue a political solution. Despite Turkey's ubiquity on the world stage, it is still geopolitically vulnerable. Russia has historically competed with Turkey for dominance in the Black Sea, the Mediterranean and the Caucasus. But above all, Turkey fears a Kurdish alliance with Israel; Foreign Minister Gideon Saar of Israel has described the Kurdish people as victims of Turkish and Iranian oppression and as Israel's 'natural ally.' Turkey has a history of turning toward democracy in the face of perceived threats to its national security. In 1950 an authoritarian president, Ismet Inonu, recognized that Turkey, threatened by the Soviet Union, needed to be fully accepted by the West for its own protection. Turkey held multiparty elections, which Mr. Inonu lost, and he duly resigned. Decades later, at the turn of this century, a push for membership in the European Union prompted successive Turkish governments to carry out liberal reforms required for its entry. It's time for Turkey to turn toward democracy again. Others have recognized this. It's time for Mr. Erdogan to listen.
India.com
18-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
After India cut ties, Turkey-backed group in Bangladesh circulates map showing..., Posters feature...
Why attacking Turkey means attacking US? This is why this Muslim country became powerful... New Delhi: After the Modi government severed ties with Turkey over its support for Pakistan across various sectors—including security, aviation, education, and trade—Turkey has now shifted its focus to Bangladesh, where it is now actively working to replicate its Pakistan-style engagement model. According to an Economic Times report quoting sources, an alleged Turkish NGO-backed Islamist group has come up in Dhaka under the banner 'Saltanat-e-Bangla'. The group has published a map promoting 'Greater Bangladesh' that includes Myanmar's Arakan State, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and the entire Northeast region of India Posters featuring the map have reportedly been displayed in university halls across Dhaka and other areas popular among youth and students. Notably, some individuals previously aligned with the Yunus regime have expressed support for the idea of integrating India's northeastern states into Bangladesh. It is important to note that ever since Muhammad Yunus took charge of the Bangladesh government, Turkey has increased its engagement through proposed military supplies to the Bangladesh armed forces. Turkish NGOs aligned with the ruling AKP have also grown increasingly active in Bangladesh, with Pakistan allegedly playing a role in bringing the two countries closer since August last year.
