Latest news with #CambodianForces
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Thai army accuses Cambodia of ceasefire violations
Thailand's army has accused Cambodia of violating an hours-old truce, saying sporadic clashes continued despite an agreement to end the deadly fighting in the disputed border region between the two Southeast Asian countries. Thai troops have retaliated 'appropriately' and in 'self-defence', Thailand's army spokesman, Winthai Suvaree, said in a statement on Tuesday. 'At the time the agreement took effect, the Thai side detected that Cambodian forces had launched armed attacks into several areas within Thai territory,' Winthai said. 'This constitutes a deliberate violation of the agreement and a clear attempt to undermine mutual trust,' he added. 'Thailand is compelled to respond appropriately, exercising its legitimate right to self-defence.' Following peace talks in Malaysia, both Cambodia and Thailand agreed that an unconditional ceasefire would start at midnight on Monday to end the fighting in disputed zones along their 800km (500-mile) border, which killed at least 38 people in five days of clashes and displaced nearly 300,000 more. The peace deal was set to see military commanders from both sides meet at 7am local time (00:00 GMT) on Tuesday, before a cross-border committee is convened in Cambodia to further ease tensions on August 4. A Thai army spokesman said talks between both sides are now scheduled to be held at 10am local time (03:00 GMT). Al Jazeera's Tony Cheng, reporting from Surin province in Thailand, said the Thai military reported 'a couple of clashes in several areas along the border'. 'They did issue a statement saying that the Cambodian military was not respecting the ceasefire agreement. But for the most part, it does seem to be holding,' Cheng said. In Cambodia's Samraong city, 20km (12.4 miles) from the border with Thailand, an AFP journalist said the sound of blasts stopped in the 30 minutes leading up to midnight on Monday, with the lull continuing until dawn. 'The front line has eased since the ceasefire at 12 midnight,' Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said in a Tuesday morning message on Facebook. A joint statement from both countries on Monday – as well as Malaysia, which hosted the peace talks – said the ceasefire was 'a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security'. The flare-up in cross-border fighting has been the deadliest since violence raged sporadically from 2008 to 2011 over disputed border territory.
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Thai army accuses Cambodia of breaking truce
Thailand's army accused Cambodia on Tuesday of violating an hours-old truce, saying clashes continued despite a deal meant to end the bloody fighting that has engulfed their jungle-clad frontier. Following peace talks in Malaysia on Monday, both sides agreed that an unconditional ceasefire would start at midnight to end fighting over a smattering of ancient temples in disputed zones along their 800-kilometer border. "At the time the agreement took effect, the Thai side detected that Cambodian forces had launched armed attacks into several areas within Thai territory," said Thai army spokesman Winthai Suwaree.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Military Clash Between Thailand and Cambodia Expands Along Shared Border
Thai and Cambodian forces attacked each other in the Thai province of Trat on Saturday, creating a new front in the battle over their shared border and diminishing hopes of an early cease-fire as the armed fight entered a third day. At least 32 people have died in the conflict, which began on Thursday with an eruption of violence near Prasat Ta Muen Thom, an ancient temple claimed by both nations. The clash began after two months of tension over contested territory. In Thailand, at least 13 civilians and six soldiers have been killed. In Cambodia, there have been at least 13 deaths, including five soldiers. It is the deadliest conflict between the two decades-long adversaries in 14 years. Thai authorities said that Cambodian troops expanded their attack zone to the area of Ban Chamrak in Trat Province, part of southeastern Thailand, at 5:10 a.m. on Saturday. The Thai naval forces, who aid in land defense in that part of the country, said that within half an hour they had succeeded in pushing Cambodian forces back. Cambodia said it was Thai troops who expanded the conflict, firing into several areas including Cambodia's Pursat Province, which borders Trat, according to Maly Socheata, a spokeswoman for Cambodia's defense ministry. The Pursat and Trat provinces are about 200 miles south of where the conflict began on Thursday. Ms. Maly Socheata, who was addressing reporters at a news conference, did not take questions, so it was not possible to confirm a Thai statement from Friday saying that the Thai forces had killed approximately 100 Cambodian soldiers. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Thailand-Cambodia: Social media war flares up amid border clashes
As the border clashes this week killed more than a dozen people in Thailand and at least one in Cambodia, regional governments have been trying to prevent a war between the two a different kind of war between their citizens is already raging - via increasingly belligerent exchanges on social media. Nationalists from both sides have long bickered over several points of national pride - from ownership of temples and territories to the origins of traditional dances, costumes, food and rising tensions in recent weeks, which culminated in the deadly attacks on Thursday, have now prompted young people on both sides to trade fresh barbs online. The comment sections of social media posts about the conflict have turned into an online warzone, with Thai and Cambodian users arguing with each other and backing their governments official version of events. "Justice for Cambodia," one Cambodian user commented on a TikTok video of a user trying to explain the conflict. "Thai troops opened fire on Cambodian forces first.""[Who's] gonna trust [what] the largest scammer country said?" a Thai user replied, making a reference to the widespread scam centres in Cambodia that have entrapped hundreds of thousands. "Cambodia fired at Thailand first. This is the truth. Join in using the hashtag #CambodiaOpenedFire" a Thai X user wrote, in a post that has been viewed a million times. Cambodians, meanwhile, are using the hashtag "Thailand opened fire" and making their own videos about the conflict. Border tensions between the two countries have been simmering since May, after a brief skirmish killed one Cambodian soldier. Both countries imposed travel restrictions on each other and strengthened military presence along the bilateral ties plunged to their lowest levels in a decade, some voiced concerns about hate-mongering on social media that threatened to divide the two countries' people even and Thai journalists' associations issued a joint statement in May, saying that social media users have "circulated information without clear sources" and "caused confusion".The groups urged social media users to "carefully consider the potential consequences" when sharing content related to the things heat up, a few have taken the belligerence offline too. A viral video posted on Thursday showed what appeared to be a Thai man asking Cambodian workers to speak Khmer - before slapping them in the face. "We're now beginning to see violence, even among the groups with no prior conflict between them," Wilaiwan Jongwilaikasaem, a journalism professor at Thammasat University, told BBC Thai, describing the nationalistic influencers as waging a "war of hate". Long cultural rivalry There are plenty of sensitive touchpoints for social media warriors from both countries to battle over. The dispute between the two countries dates back to more than 100 years ago, when the borders of the two nations were drawn after the French occupation of Cambodia. In 2008, Cambodia registered Preah Vihear, an 11th Century temple located near the disputed border as a Unesco World Heritage Site - a move that was met with heated protest from dispute later expanded to the 13th Century Ta Moan temple complex - which Cambodia claimed Thai troops had lined with barbed wire on historical sites are at the heart of a longstanding cultural rivalry between the two countries, which also extends to the realms of sports, cuisine and nationalists decry what they say is cultural theft by "Claimbodia", while their Khmer counterparts have dubbed them "Siamese thieves". In 2023, Thai kickboxers boycotted the Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia after the sporting event they recognised as Muay Thai was introduced as Kun Khmer - which is what Cambodians call this month, controversy ensued after Cambodia nominated its Khmer wedding tradition for inscription on Unesco's list of intangible cultural heritage. Thai social media users claimed that a Thai traditional dress was in the submission - igniting anger and allegations of cultural appropriation, as Thailand was also seeking consideration for its traditional attire to be recognised by recently, Thai tourists attacked Cambodian military officers at Ta Muen Thom, a temple in a disputed area along Thai-Cambodian border. Politicians' war on X The aggression is unlikely to wane, especially since the political kingmakers on both sides - who are avid social media users themselves - are hurling jabs at each other too. In a post on X, Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand's populist former prime minister, said he appreciated the offers he had received to help mediate the hostilities. "But I asked for some time because I have to let the Thai military teach Hun Sen a lesson for his cunningness," he Sen, a strongman ex-leader who remains influential in Cambodian politics, retorted on his X account. "I am not surprised by Thaksin's attitude toward me, because he has even betrayed the Thai King, as well as members of his own party," he wrote on Friday. "Now, under the pretext of taking revenge on Hun Sen, he is resorting to war, the ultimate consequence of which will be the suffering of the people."This particular escalation of events was, in fact, caused by the unexpected fracturing of a long-standing friendship between Hun Sen and Thaksin Shinawatra. Hun Sen leaked a phone call between him and Thaksin's daughter, Paetongtarn conversation, where Paetongtarn - then prime minister - called him "uncle", and criticised one of her own military commanders, was hugely embarrassing for her and sparked massive public anger. She has since been suspended as prime minister and Thailand's Constitutional Court is considering a petition for her Thais believe that the leaking of the phone call was an attempt by Hun Sen to distract his people. "Hun wants dispute and war, he wants to solidify his and his son's future position in (Cambodia) and he needs to have bigger enemy which is why he push for anti-Thai narrative and war," said one Thai social media user in response to a Cambodian's post which said "there is no reason for smaller country with weaker economic (sic) like Cambodia to invade Thailand first".Even if the border conflict stops short of being a full-fledged war, the battles on the social media look set to continue. Additional reporting by Paweena Ninbut
CBC
6 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
Why Thailand's F-16s just bombed Cambodia in escalating border dispute
A century-old border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia has boiled over after Thai and Cambodian forces fired on each other in a deadly exchange. Andrew Chang explains what spurred this recent violence and why neither side appears eager to back down.
