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Yomiuri Shimbun
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Thailand and Cambodia Trade Fresh Attacks and Accusations as Allies Call for a Ceasefire
SURIN, Thailand (AP) — Thailand and Cambodia traded accusations of fresh attacks Saturday as deadly border clashes entered a third day and President Donald Trump joined a chorus of international voices calling for a ceasefire. The fighting has killed at least 33 people and displaced more than 168,000. Artillery and small arms fire were reported near several border villages, expanding the area of the fighting that flared Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Cambodian and Thai officials blamed each other for starting the clashes. Both countries recalled their ambassadors and Thailand closed its border crossings with Cambodia. Cambodian authorities reported 12 new deaths on Saturday, bringing its toll to 13, while the Thai military said a soldier was killed, raising the number of dead to 20, mostly civilians. Cambodia's Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said Saturday that the clashes have forced 10,865 Cambodian families, or 37,635 people, in three border provinces to evacuate to safe locations. Thai officials said more than 131,000 people have fled their border villages. The 800-kilometer (500-mile) frontier between Thailand and Cambodia has been disputed for decades, but past confrontations have been limited and brief. The latest tensions flared in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thailand's domestic politics. International allies call for peace On Saturday, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he has talked with the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia and suggested he would not conclude a trade agreement with either country if the cross-border hostilities continued. He later said both sides have agreed to meet to negotiate a ceasefire. Thailand's Foreign Ministry gave a politely hedged response to Trump's proposal, saying Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai thanked him for his concern and said he agreed in principle that a ceasefire is needed. 'However, Thailand would like to see sincere intention from the Cambodian side,' the ministry said, reiterating Bangkok's desire for bilateral talks with Cambodia. The statement said Phumtham asked Trump to convey that position to the Cambodian side. Fresh News, an online news agency close to the Cambodian government, reported that Prime Minister Hun Manet posted on social media that Cambodia 'agrees with the request for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire between the two armies.' However, as reported by Fresh News, Hun Manet appeared to misunderstand or misrepresent Thailand's position as Bangkok agreeing to an immediate ceasefire. Trump's intervention followed increasing pressure on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to defuse the tensions between its two members. During an emergency meeting on Friday, members of the U.N. Security Council called for a de-escalation and urged ASEAN to mediate a peaceful solution. The council didn't issue a resolution on the crisis, but Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said Saturday that the group's 15 members called for restraint, an end to hostilities and a peaceful resolution. The leader of Malaysia, ASEAN's current chair, has said Thailand and Cambodia are open to a ceasefire proposal. Malaysian media said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has tasked the country's foreign minister with mediating peace talks, but no concrete plans have been announced. Maris said earlier Saturday that his country has agreed in principle to ASEAN's ceasefire proposal, but insisted Cambodia must first cease hostilities. He said Thailand continues to engage with Malaysia on the matter. 'Thailand reaffirms its commitment to resolving the conflict peacefully and in accordance with international law,' he said, urging Cambodia to 'return to the negotiating table with sincerity and in good faith.' Sides trade accusations and deny responsibility Cambodia's Defense Ministry condemned what it called an expanded Thai offensive early Saturday after five heavy artillery shells were fired into Pursat province. It said the attack was an 'unprovoked and premeditated act of aggression.' Ministry spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said tensions flared in the coastal province of Koh Kong and expressed concern about the possibility of confrontations at sea. Maly Socheata said seven Cambodian civilians and five soldiers have been killed in two days of fighting. Another man was reportedly killed when a pagoda he was hiding under was hit by Thai rockets. The Thai army has denied targeting Cambodian civilians and accuses Phnom Penh of using 'human shields' by positioning their weapons near residential areas. In a statement Saturday, Thailand's navy accused Cambodian forces of initiating a new attack in the province of Trat, which shares a border with Koh Kong, saying Thai forces responded swiftly and 'successfully pushed back the Cambodian incursion at three key points.' The navy warned that 'aggression will not be tolerated.' Thai authorities also alleged several Cambodian artillery shells damaged homes and property in neighboring Laos. Lao officials have not publicly responded to the claim. Call to protect civilians amid claim of cluster bomb use Human Rights Watch urged the U.N. Security Council and other nations to press Thailand and Cambodia to abide by international humanitarian law and take all steps to protect civilians. Children have been harmed and Thailand has closed at least 852 schools and seven hospitals for safety reasons, the rights group said in a statement Saturday. Both sides have fired rockets and artillery, and after initially denying Cambodian claims that internationally prohibited cluster munitions were being used, a Thai military spokesperson said Friday that such weapons can be utilized 'when necessary' to achieve military objectives. Human Rights Watch condemned the use of cluster munitions in populated areas. Neither Thailand nor Cambodia is party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans the use of the weapon. Thai authorities used them during a border dispute with Cambodia in February 2011 that left 20 people dead. 'Neither Thailand nor Cambodia appears to be paying attention to international humanitarian law at great expense to civilians,' John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. 'Diplomatic efforts underway need to prioritize protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure.' Thai officials acknowledged it has used F-16 jets and drones to launch airstrikes.
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Thailand, Cambodia trade fresh attacks as allies call for ceasefire
Thailand and Cambodia traded accusations of fresh attacks Saturday as deadly border clashes entered a third day and President Donald Trump joined a chorus of international voices calling for a ceasefire. The fighting has killed at least 33 people and displaced more than 168,000. Artillery and small arms fire were reported near several border villages, expanding the area of the fighting that flared Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Cambodian and Thai officials blamed each other for starting the clashes. Both countries recalled their ambassadors and Thailand closed its border crossings with Cambodia. Cambodian authorities reported 12 new deaths on Saturday, bringing its toll to 13, while the Thai military said a soldier was killed, raising the number of dead to 20, mostly civilians. Cambodia's Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said Saturday that the clashes have forced 10,865 Cambodian families, or 37,635 people, in three border provinces to evacuate to safe locations. Thai officials said more than 131,000 people have fled their border villages. The 800-kilometer frontier between Thailand and Cambodia has been disputed for decades, but past confrontations have been limited and brief. The latest tensions flared in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thailand's domestic politics. On Saturday, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he has talked with the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia and suggested he would not conclude a trade agreement with either country if the cross-border hostilities continued. He later said both sides have agreed to meet to negotiate a ceasefire. Thailand's Foreign Ministry gave a politely hedged response to Trump's proposal, saying Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai thanked him for his concern and said he agreed in principle that a ceasefire is needed. "However, Thailand would like to see sincere intention from the Cambodian side," the ministry said, reiterating Bangkok's desire for bilateral talks with Cambodia. The statement said Phumtham asked Trump to convey that position to the Cambodian side. Fresh News, an online news agency close to the Cambodian government, reported that Prime Minister Hun Manet posted on social media that Cambodia agrees with the request for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire between the two armies. However, as reported by Fresh News, Hun Manet appeared to misunderstand or misrepresent Thailand's position as Bangkok agreeing to an immediate ceasefire. Trump's intervention followed increasing pressure on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to defuse the tensions between its two members. During an emergency meeting on Friday, members of the U.N. Security Council called for a de-escalation and urged ASEAN to mediate a peaceful solution. The council didn't issue a resolution on the crisis, but Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said Saturday that the group's 15 members called for restraint, an end to hostilities and a peaceful resolution. The leader of Malaysia, ASEAN's current chair, has said Thailand and Cambodia are open to a ceasefire proposal. Malaysian media said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has tasked the country's foreign minister with mediating peace talks, but no concrete plans have been announced. Maris said earlier Saturday that his country has agreed in principle to ASEAN's ceasefire proposal, but insisted Cambodia must first cease hostilities. He said Thailand continues to engage with Malaysia on the matter. Thailand reaffirms its commitment to resolving the conflict peacefully and in accordance with international law, he said, urging Cambodia to return to the negotiating table with sincerity and in good faith. Cambodia's Defense Ministry condemned what it called an expanded Thai offensive early Saturday after five heavy artillery shells were fired into Pursat province. It said the attack was an "unprovoked and premeditated act of aggression. Ministry spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said tensions flared in the coastal province of Koh Kong and expressed concern about the possibility of confrontations at sea. Maly Socheata said seven Cambodian civilians and five soldiers have been killed in two days of fighting. Another man was reportedly killed when a pagoda he was hiding under was hit by Thai rockets. The Thai army has denied targeting Cambodian civilians and accuses Phnom Penh of using human shields by positioning their weapons near residential areas. In a statement Saturday, Thailand's navy accused Cambodian forces of initiating a new attack in the province of Trat, which shares a border with Koh Kong, saying Thai forces responded swiftly and successfully pushed back the Cambodian incursion at three key points." The navy warned that aggression will not be tolerated. Thai authorities also alleged several Cambodian artillery shells damaged homes and property in neighboring Laos. Lao officials have not publicly responded to the claim. Human Rights Watch urged the UN Security Council and other nations to press Thailand and Cambodia to abide by international humanitarian law and take all steps to protect civilians. Children have been harmed and Thailand has closed at least 852 schools and seven hospitals for safety reasons, the rights group said in a statement Saturday. Both sides have fired rockets and artillery, and after initially denying Cambodian claims that internationally prohibited cluster munitions were being used, a Thai military spokesperson said Friday that such weapons can be utilized when necessary to achieve military objectives. Human Rights Watch condemned the use of cluster munitions in populated areas. Neither Thailand nor Cambodia is party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans the use of the weapon. Thai authorities used them during a border dispute with Cambodia in February 2011 that left 20 people dead. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Japan Times
18-04-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Xi meets Cambodian leader on final stop of regional diplomatic blitz
Chinese President Xi Jinping met the Cambodian premier in Phnom Penh on Thursday on the final leg of a Southeast Asia tour in which he sought to strengthen regional trade ties. Xi arrived in the Cambodian capital after visiting Vietnam and Malaysia, as Beijing seeks to build ties and offset the impact of huge tariffs imposed by his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump. Former leader Hun Sen and his son, Prime Minister Hun Manet, shared posts on their social media accounts showing them meeting with Xi. The two countries signed 37 agreements on a wide range of areas, including water resources and education, according to Cambodian pro-government media outlet Fresh News. China is Cambodia's biggest trading partner and source of investment and more than a third of Cambodia's $11 billion in foreign debt is owed to Beijing, according to the International Monetary Fund. Earlier in the day, the Chinese leader was greeted by King Norodom Sihamoni during a military welcome ceremony after he touched down in Phnom Penh. In an article published by Fresh News on Thursday, Xi said that China supported the kingdom "choosing a development path that suits the nation, safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity." He said the two countries should "resolutely oppose external forces interfering in internal affairs, sowing discord and undermining" relations. Phnom Penh is also among Beijing's most reliable supporters in Asia. Hun Manet had described Xi's visit as a display of "iron-clad" friendship. He said in a video posted on Wednesday that the two countries had "common interests based on the principles of respect for sovereignty, equality, and non-interference in internal affairs." He also said China had played a "pivotal role" in Cambodia's socio-economic development. China and Cambodia celebrate 67 years of diplomatic relations this year and the kingdom also commemorated on Thursday 50 years since Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge. Trump imposed tariffs of 49% on Cambodia, among the highest of the levies handed out in his April 2 "Liberation Day" trade announcements. He then paused the levies for most countries for 90 days, reverting to a base tariff of 10%. While meeting Hun Sen, Xi said "trade wars undermine the multilateral trading system and disrupt global economic order". "Unilateralism and hegemonism receive no support of the people," Xi said, as quoted by China's state news agency Xinhua. China is excluded from the 90-day pause and faces new U.S. levies of up to 145% on many of its products. Beijing has called the taxes a "joke" and imposed retaliatory tariffs of 125% on U.S. goods. Hun Manet wrote a letter to Washington "expressing Cambodia's good faith to negotiate a mutual solution" and pledging to reduce its own tariffs on 19 categories of U.S. goods, according to the commerce ministry.
Observer
17-04-2025
- Business
- Observer
China's Xi seeks ties with Cambodian leader in final tour
PHNOM PENH: Chinese President Xi Jinping met the Cambodian premier in Phnom Penh on Thursday on the final leg of a Southeast Asia tour in which he sought to strengthen regional trade ties. Xi arrived in the Cambodian capital after visiting Vietnam and Malaysia as Beijing seeks to build ties and offset the impact of huge tariffs imposed by his US counterpart Donald Trump. The Chinese leader was greeted by King Norodom Sihamoni during a military welcome ceremony after he touched down in Phnom Penh. Former leader Hun Sen and his son, Prime Minister Hun Manet, shared posts on their social media accounts that showed them meeting with Xi, although there were no details on any agreements that were expected. Xi said in an article published by Cambodian state-run Fresh News on Thursday that China supported the kingdom "choosing a development path that suits the nation, safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity". He said the two countries should "resolutely oppose external forces interfering in internal affairs, sowing discord and undermining" relations. China is Cambodia's biggest trading partner and source of investment, according to the International Monetary Fund. Phnom Penh is also among Beijing's most reliable supporters in Asia. Hun Manet had described Xi's visit as a display of "iron-clad" friendship. He said in a video posted on Wednesday that the two countries had "common interests based on the principles of respect for sovereignty, equality, and non-interference in internal affairs". He also said China had played a "pivotal role" in Cambodia's socio-economic development. China and Cambodia celebrate 67 years of diplomatic relations this year and the kingdom also commemorated on Thursday 50 years since Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge. Trump imposed tariffs of 49 per cent on Cambodia, among the highest of the levies handed out in his April 2 "Liberation Day" trade announcements. He then paused the levies for most countries for 90 days, reverting to a base tariff of 10 per cent. Hun Manet wrote a letter to Washington "expressing Cambodia's good faith to negotiate a mutual solution" and pledging to reduce its own tariffs on 19 categories of US goods, according to the commerce ministry. Chinese President Xi Jinping met Malaysia's king on Wednesday in a state visit analysts said was aimed at burnishing Beijing's credentials as a reliable partner and "not a hegemon". Xi embarked this week on a Southeast Asia tour that has already taken him to Vietnam and will also include Cambodia, with Beijing trying to position itself as a stable alternative to US President Donald Trump's punitive tariff regime. Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional bloc have been among the hardest hit by the US tariffs, which risked alienating even Washington's friends and allies. Malaysia is this year's ASEAN chair. ASEAN member Vietnam, a manufacturing powerhouse, was slapped with 46 per cent tariffs and Cambodia — a major producer of low-cost clothing for big Western brands — was hit with a 49 per cent duty. Xi vowed in an opinion piece published in Malaysia's The Star newspaper that China will work with Southeast Asian countries to fight protectionism and keep global supply chains stable. "We must uphold the multilateral trading system, keep global industrial and supply chains stable, and maintain an international environment of openness and cooperation," Xi said. — AFP
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China's Xi, seeking to build regional ties, meets Cambodian leader
Chinese President Xi Jinping met the Cambodian premier in Phnom Penh on Thursday on the final leg of a Southeast Asia tour in which he sought to strengthen regional trade ties. Xi arrived in the Cambodian capital after visiting Vietnam and Malaysia as Beijing seeks to build ties and offset the impact of huge tariffs imposed by his US counterpart Donald Trump. The Chinese leader was greeted by King Norodom Sihamoni during a military welcome ceremony after he touched down in Phnom Penh. Former leader Hun Sen and his son, Prime Minister Hun Manet, shared posts on their social media accounts later on Thursday that showed them meeting with Xi, although there were no details on any agreements that were expected. Xi said in an article published by Cambodian state-run Fresh News on Thursday that China supported the kingdom "choosing a development path that suits the nation, safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity". He said the two countries should "resolutely oppose external forces interfering in internal affairs, sowing discord and undermining" relations. China is Cambodia's biggest trading partner and source of investment and more than a third of Cambodia's $11 billion in foreign debt is owed to Beijing, according to the International Monetary Fund. Phnom Penh is also among Beijing's most reliable supporters in Asia. Hun Manet had described Xi's visit as a display of "iron-clad" friendship. He said in a video posted on Wednesday that the two countries had "common interests based on the principles of respect for sovereignty, equality, and non-interference in internal affairs". He also said China had played a "pivotal role" in Cambodia's socio-economic development. China and Cambodia celebrate 67 years of diplomatic relations this year and the kingdom also commemorated on Thursday 50 years since Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge. Trump imposed tariffs of 49 percent on Cambodia, among the highest of the levies handed out in his April 2 "Liberation Day" trade announcements. He then paused the levies for most countries for 90 days, reverting to a base tariff of 10 percent. Hun Manet wrote a letter to Washington "expressing Cambodia's good faith to negotiate a mutual solution" and pledging to reduce its own tariffs on 19 categories of US goods, according to the commerce ministry. China is excluded from the 90-day pause and faces new US levies of up to 145 percent on many of its products. Beijing has called the taxes a "joke" and imposed retaliatory tariffs of 125 percent on US goods. bur-sjc/pbt
