Latest news with #SURIN
CNA
2 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
Thai and Cambodian evacuees hail truce news with mixed emotions
SURIN: Thai and Cambodian evacuees welcomed news of a ceasefire on Monday (Jul 28) with a mix of relief and scepticism. Counting down the minutes to midnight when a truce with Cambodia is due, Thai evacuee Jeanjana Phaphan was full of fragile hopes and doubted that peace would prevail. Jeanjana fled her frontier home in Phanom Dong Rak district with her three-year-old son a few days ago. "If it's truly ending, I'm overjoyed – the happiest I've felt in a long time," the 48-year-old told AFP at a shelter in Surin city, 50km from the border. Thailand and Cambodia's leaders have agreed on an "unconditional" ceasefire, following five days of combat along their jungle-clad frontier that has killed at least 38 people. Nearly 300,000 people have fled as the two sides fired artillery, rockets and guns in a battle over long-disputed areas home to a smattering of ancient temples. News of the ceasefire sent a ripple of relief, measured with a degree of scepticism, through those who fled since the fighting erupted last Thursday. "If our two countries keep fighting, the hardship and loss will only grow," Jeanjana said. "When I hear neighbours say their roof was pierced by bullets, it makes me heavy-hearted. The sound of people crying from loss is truly heartbreaking," she added with a trembling voice and tear-brimmed eyes. "People on that side are civilians too, just like us. On our side, we're just farmers – and I believe they are farmers like us too. Ordinary people working to survive." "I STILL HAVE DOUBTS" The peace deal was agreed in Malaysia, under the mediation of its Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, following interventions by US President Donald Trump and Chinese negotiators. But sitting on a straw mat next to his wife, 68-year-old farmer Tee Samanjai is thinking not about those high-table talks, but his normal life back on his farm. "The first thing I'll do when I get home is check on the chickens, fertilise the rice, and take care of the fields," he said. But his anticipation of returning is also clouded with doubt. The past week's clashes have been the deadliest since 2011 over the territory, claimed by both sides because of a vague demarcation made by Cambodia's French colonial administrators in 1907. "I still have doubts that Cambodia will follow through with what they agreed to," Tee said. "We may go home, but with unease. There's no peace of mind. I want to go back, but I don't trust Cambodia at all. No one in our village does." Just over the border in Cambodia, camped out at a temple evacuation site in Phumi Bak Thkav, farmer Say Yoeun has much in common with his Thai counterpart. "I am not happy to stay somewhere like this," said the 55-year-old. "I miss my home and livestock and I cannot take care of my paddy field." Cambodian and Thai commanders are due to meet early Tuesday morning if the truce holds, before villagers can return to their homes and start counting the cost of the conflict. For Thai Kavindhra Tiamsai, who evacuated her mother from the conflict zone, the fighting has revealed how locals on the fringes of both countries are marginalised by their governments. "A ceasefire is a good option, but also the minimum," the 33-year-old said. "What we need is a comprehensive, grounded plan that speaks to the realities of rural life."
CTV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Thailand and Cambodia agree to ceasefire talks after Trump steps in, but border clashes persist
SURIN, Thailand — Thailand and Cambodia on Sunday signaled their readiness to negotiate an end to a deadly border dispute following mediation efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump. The fighting, now in its fourth day, has killed at least 34 people and displaced more than 168,000. Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday that he spoke to the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia and suggested he would not move forward with trade agreements with either country if the hostilities continued. He later said both sides agreed to meet to negotiate a ceasefire. Both sides agree to discuss a ceasefire Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said Sunday his country agreed to pursue an 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire.' He said Trump told him that Thailand had also agreed to halt attacks following Trump's conversation with Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. 'This is positive news for the soldiers and people of both countries,' Hun Manet said in a statement. He said he tasked his deputy, Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, to coordinate next steps with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and to engage directly with Thailand's foreign minister to implement the ceasefire. Thailand expressed cautious support. Phumtham thanked Trump and said that Thailand agreed in principle to a ceasefire but stressed the need for 'sincere intention' from Cambodia, the Thai Foreign Ministry said. Phumtam called for swift bilateral talks to discuss concrete steps toward a peaceful resolution, it said. Both sides blame the other for the clashes The fighting first flared Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes. Both countries recalled their ambassadors and Thailand closed its border crossings with Cambodia. Despite the diplomatic efforts, fighting continued Sunday along parts of the contested border, with both sides refusing to budge and trading blame over renewed shelling and troop movements. Col. Richa Suksowanont, a Thai army deputy spokesperson, said Cambodian forces fired heavy artillery into Surin province, including at civilian homes early Sunday. He said Cambodia also launched rocket attacks targeting the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple claimed by both countries, and other areas in a bid to reclaim territory secured by Thai troops. Thai forces responded with long-range artillery to strike Cambodian artillery and rocket launchers. Richa said Trump's efforts to mediate was a 'separate matter.' The battlefield operations will continue and a ceasefire can only happen if Cambodia formally initiates negotiations, he added. 'Any cessation of hostilities cannot be reached while Cambodia is severely lacking in good faith and repeatedly violating the basic principles of human rights and humanitarian law,' Thailand's Foreign Ministry said separately. Cambodian Defense Ministry spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata accused Thai forces of escalating the violence with bombardment of Cambodian territory early Sunday, followed by a 'large-scale incursion' involving tanks and ground troops in multiple areas. 'Such actions undermine all efforts toward peaceful resolution and expose Thailand's clear intent to escalate rather than de-escalate the conflict,' she said. Thailand on Sunday reported a new death of a soldier, bringing the total number of fatalities to 21, mostly civilians. Cambodia said 13 people have been killed. More than 131,000 people in Thailand have evacuated to safe locations and over 37,000 people fled from three Cambodian provinces. Many border villages are mostly deserted, with many schools and hospitals shut. Evacuees hope for a swift end to the fighting Pichayut Surasit, an air-conditioning technician in Thailand, said the sudden outbreak of fighting meant leaving his work in Bangkok to return home to protect his family. 'I didn't have the heart to continue with my work when I heard the news. I wanted to come back as soon as possible but I had to wait until the evening,' he said. Now at a shelter in Surin housing some 6,000 evacuees, Pichayut worries for his wife and twin daughters, hoping the conflict will end soon so they can return to their home in Kap Choeng district, one of the hardest hit by shelling. Bualee Chanduang, a local vendor who moved to the same shelter Thursday with her family and pet rabbit, is counting on swift negotiations to end the violence. 'I pray for God to help that both sides can agree to talk and end this war,' she said. The UN Security Council has called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a regional bloc, to mediate peace between the two members. Human Rights Watch has condemned the reported use of cluster munitions, weapons banned by International law, in populated areas, and urged both governments to protect civilians. The 800-kilometre (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. Associated Press writers Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul and Grant Peck in Bangkok, and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report. Sopheng Cheang reported from Samrong, Cambodia. Jintamas Saksornchai And Sopheng Cheang, The Associated Press
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Thailand and Cambodia agree to ceasefire talks after Trump steps in, but border clashes persist
SURIN, Thailand (AP) — Thailand and Cambodia on Sunday signaled their readiness to negotiate an end to a deadly border dispute following mediation efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump. The fighting, now in its fourth day, has killed at least 33 people and displaced more than 168,000. Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday that he spoke to the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia and suggested he would not move forward with trade agreements with either country if the hostilities continued. He later said both sides agreed to meet to negotiate a ceasefire. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said Sunday his country agreed to pursue an 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire.' He said Trump told him that Thailand had also agreed to halt attacks following Trump's conversation with Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. 'This is positive news for the soldiers and people of both countries,' Hun Manet said in a statement. He said he tasked his deputy, Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, to coordinate next steps with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and to engage directly with Thailand's foreign minister to implement the ceasefire. Thailand expressed cautious support. Phumtham thanked Trump and said that Thailand agreed in principle to a ceasefire but stressed the need for 'sincere intention' from Cambodia, the Thai Foreign Ministry said. Phumtam called for swift bilateral talks to discuss concrete steps toward a peaceful resolution, it said. The fighting first flared Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes. Both countries recalled their ambassadors and Thailand closed its border crossings with Cambodia. Despite the diplomatic efforts, fighting continued Sunday along parts of the contested border, with both sides trading blame over renewed shelling and troop movements. Col. Richa Suksowanont, a Thai army deputy spokesperson, said Cambodian forces fired the first shots into Thai territory, including at civilian homes early Sunday. He said Cambodia also launched rocket attacks targeting the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple claimed by both countries, and other areas in a bid to reclaim territory secured by Thai troops. He said Thai forces responded with long-range artillery to strike Cambodian artillery and rocket launchers. Richa said Trump's efforts to mediate was a 'separate matter.' The battlefield operations will continue and a ceasefire can only happen if Cambodia formally initiates negotiations, he added. Cambodian Defense Ministry spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata accused Thai forces of escalating the violence and increasing their use of cluster bombs — weapons that are banned under international law. She said Sunday that Thai troops had carried out both targeted and indiscriminate attacks, resulting in loss of life and destruction of civilian infrastructure. Thailand has reported 20 deaths, mostly civilians, while Cambodia said 13 people have been killed. More than 131,000 people in Thailand have evacuated to safe locations and over 37,000 people fled from three Cambodian provinces. Many border villages are mostly deserted, with many schools and hospitals shut. The U.N. Security Council has called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a regional bloc, to mediate peace between the two members. Human Rights Watch has condemned the reported use of cluster munitions in populated areas, and urged both governments to protect civilians. 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. _________ Associated Press writers Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul and Grant Peck in Bangkok, and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report. Sopheng Cheang reported from Samrong, Cambodia.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Thailand and Cambodia agree to ceasefire talks after Trump steps in, but border clashes persist
SURIN, Thailand — Thailand and Cambodia on Sunday signaled their readiness to negotiate an end to a deadly border dispute following mediation efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump. The fighting , now in its fourth day, has killed at least 33 people and displaced more than 168,000. Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday that he spoke to the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia and suggested he would not move forward with trade agreements with either country if the hostilities continued. He later said both sides agreed to meet to negotiate a ceasefire.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Cambodia-Thailand conflict: Monks, dancers and volunteers offer respite as violence escalates
SURIN, Thailand (AP) — Long-festering tensions over border territory have escalated into armed conflict between Cambodia and Thailand, leading to dozens of deaths on both sides and displacing tens of thousands of people. Neither side is prepared to claim responsibility for the first volley on Thursday, and they each blame the other for the continuing skirmishes. While regional and international allies and organizations have called for a ceasefire, scant attempts at mediation had resulted in no peace talks as of early Sunday. It's a grim situation, but there is some light amid the darkness. On both sides of the border, some people are working around the destruction, intent on creating a safe space or finding normalcy. A Buddhist temple with a homemade bomb shelter A temple in Thailand's northeastern province of Surin has something most of the country's 27,000 active Buddhist monasteries do not: a concrete bunker to shelter from bombs and shelling. The temple, which asked not to be identified by name because of safety concerns, is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with Cambodia. The temple's abbot, Phut Analayo, said the decision to build a bunker was made shortly after a brief armed clash between Thai and Cambodian soldiers in May inflamed cross-border relations, culminating in the current fighting. Phut Analayo said donations paid for materials and equipment for the bunker, and the temple's monks and nearby villagers built it in four or five days. Construction was speedy because the bunker is made from large precast concrete drainage pipes a little over a meter (yard) in diameter, protected by mounds of earth, metal frames and sheeting. It's divided into two tubular rooms, each about four meters (yards) long, and wired with electricity. There's a kitchen with a kettle, an electric rice cooker and basic cookware. It's a tight fit, but because most of the nearby residents have fled to safer areas, there is enough space for the temple's six monks and the dozen or so villagers who sleep there every night. 'When we need to use the bathroom, we have to wait to make sure if things are quiet. If it's quiet out there, we will go out,' Phut Analayo said. He said his temple has ceased religious activities for now but that the remaining monks stayed out of concern for the monastery and the people it serves. 'If I leave, the people who rely on us will lose their spirit,' he said. 'I'm scared too, but I'll just stay here for now, when I can.' Thai monasteries frequently serve as sanctuaries for stray dogs, and the more than 10 living at the temple are seemingly unbothered by the crisis. 'If I leave them behind, how will they live? What will they eat? So I have to stay to take care of them. Every life loves their lives all the same,' Phut Analayo said. Ballroom dancers heed the call to help their countrymen Learning ballroom dancing is how some senior citizens in northeastern Thailand usually spend their leisure hours, but the latest border conflict has motivated them to try to help some of the thousands of people displaced by the fighting. About a dozen members of the Ballroom Dance for Health of the Elderly of Surin Province club went Saturday to a shelter housing about 1,000 evacuees, where they handed out clothes, toiletries, blankets and pillows. Retired civil servant Chadaporn Duchanee, the ballroom teacher, initiated the project. On Friday, she gathered with friends at her home to fill small yellow plastic bowls with toiletries and other goods to give to the evacuees. The 62-year-old posted on Facebook about the donation she made on Thursday, and her pupils proved happy to participate, too. 'We want to help, said Chadaporn. 'Everyone left in a hurry, without bringing their belongings, just trying to escape the line of fire, so they fled empty handed,' Prapha Sanpote, a 75-year-old member of Chadaporn's donation team, said she hopes the conflict is resolved quickly. 'Our people couldn't go home. They have to leave home, and it's not just the home they had to leave,' he said. 'It's their belongings, their cattle, or their pet dogs, because they left without anything. How will those animals live? Everything is affected.' A pop-up stall to feed those fleeing fighting and those headed into battle It looks just like your typical roadside stall found commonly all over Southeast Asia, but this one seems exceptionally well-provisioned. Also, it's not selling anything, even though there are boxes of bottled water, plastic bags filled with fruit and vegetables and the occasional packet of instant noodles. It is there to solicit donations of food and other essentials to give to evacuees escaping fighting along the border. It also gives handouts to members of the armed forces headed in the other direction, toward the front lines. This pop-up operation is at the border of Siem Reap, home to Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple complex, and Oddar Meanchey province, which is an active combat zone. It's a one-stop shop on a key road that convoys of police and military vehicles roar along with sirens blaring. Chhar Sin, a 28-year-old self-described youth volunteer, mans the stall, which is located in her home Srey Snam district. 'We're used to seeing people bustling around, we're not surprised by that,' she said, between handing out parcels to eager hands. But even here, 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the border with Thailand, she senses people don't feel safe, as the streets seem emptier than usual. She and other volunteers, are spending the weekend collecting supplies from ordinary Cambodians to dole out to the less fortunate. Families drive by on tractors to donate vegetables, while others swing by on motorbikes carrying bananas, dragon fruit and rambutans. 'For today and tomorrow, we are standing here waiting to give gifts to the people who are displaced from war zones and are seeking safety,' Chhar Sin said Saturday. 'We will provide them with food because they have nothing, and some of them come with only a few clothes and a hat.' When she woke up Saturday morning, Kim Muny, made the decision not to open her convenience store, but instead cook rice for members of the Cambodian military and fleeing civilians. 'Cambodians have a kind heart. When we heard that soldiers and displaced people needed help, we decided to help with an open heart,' said the 45-year-old after donating parcels of rice wrapped in banana leaves at the stall. 'We know our soldiers don't have time to cook, so we will do it for them.' The city empties but its temple's top monk isn't moving Alone in a mostly evacuated pagoda, Tho Thoross began a Buddhist chant to express gratitude for all that is good in life. The 38-year-old Tho Thoross is one of the last monks in the city of Samrong, the provincial capital of Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province, which is on the front line of the cross-border fighting. Most civilians have fled the town, spooked by the sounds of artillery and what they suspect was a Thai military drone hovering above them. All but seven of the 40 monks at the monastery have left. As chief monk of Wat Prasat Samrong Thom, Tho Thoross ordered more than a dozen of the temple's novices — young monks in training — to evacuate to displacement camps farther from the border with Thailand, which is 40 kilometers (25 miles) away. The temple is the largest in the town of Samrong, as well as the oldest, dating back over a century. Its distance from the border does not keep it protected from artillery and aerial attacks, but it nonetheless is considered a relatively safe place. Most Cambodians and Thais are Buddhists. Nine monks from other temples that felt more insecure are also staying at Wat Prasat Samrong Thom. In the Buddhist tradition, temples are community centers and almost always places of sanctuary, and on Thursday, several displaced villagers stopped by briefly on their way to a government-arranged safety zone. Tho Thoross provided them with food. He said the latest fighting is '10 times bigger' than prolonged clashes over similar issues in 2008 and 2011, when the clashes were confined to certain areas. 'But today, the fighting is happening everywhere along the border.' said Tho Thoross, who has lived in Oddar Meanchey for nearly three decades. 'As a Buddhist monk living in a province bordering Thailand, I would like to call on both sides to work together to find a solution that is a win-win solution for all,' he declared Saturday. _____ Sopheng Cheang and Delgado reported from Samrong, Cambodia; Peck reported from Bangkok. Associated Press video journalist Tian Macleod Ji in Surin, Thailand contributed to this report.
