Latest news with #Tea Seiha
Times of Oman
4 days ago
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Cambodia, Thailand agree to ceasefire with ASEAN as observers
Kuala Lumpur: Cambodia and Thailand agreed to allow the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to observe the ceasefire the two countries reached late last month to end fighting in a disputed border area, local media reported. Malaysian state media Bernama said that an interim observer team comprising defence attaches from ASEAN countries, led by a Malaysian attache, will be assigned on both sides of the Thai-Cambodian border to monitor the ceasefire agreement on July 28. Top officials of Thailand and Cambodia met on Thursday in Malaysia, the current ASEAN chair. Thailand's Acting Minister of Defence Nattaphon Narkphanit met with his Cambodian counterpart Tea Seiha and concluded four days of talks. Both continued to accuse each other of cross-border attacks, even after their leaders agreed to a cease-fire ending five days of fighting that began on July 24 and left 32 dead in Thailand and at least 13 in Cambodia. The two countries had been quarrelling for decades over their 817km (508-mile) undemarcated land border with the recent dispute breaking out after a landmine explosion on the border injured five Thai soldiers last month, with the resulting fighting killing at least 43 people. Both sides have agreed to a ceasefire involving all types of weapons and any form of attacks on civilians and military objectives. All sides must avoid unprovoked firing towards the other side's positions or troop The two countries resolved to maintain regular communications between all army areas and military regions along the border of both sides and strive to solve all issues peacefully. They also agreed to convene the Regional Border Committee (RBC) Meeting within two weeks after the Extraordinary GBC Meeting on August 7, 2025. The United States welcomed the developments as an "important step forward in solidifying the ceasefire arrangement and establishing the ASEAN observation mechanism", said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement on Thursday. The July 28 ceasefire followed economic pressure from US President Donald Trump, who had warned the nations that he would not conclude trade deals with them if the fighting persisted. Washington subsequently lowered tariffs on goods from the two countries from 36 percent to 19 percent at the beginning of this month, Al Jazeera said.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Thailand and Cambodia to deploy ceasefire monitors despite deadlock over captured soldiers
Cambodian Defence Minister General Tea Seiha attends the meeting of the Extraordinary General Border Committee (GBC) to discuss the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodian, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. (Hasnoor Hussain/Pool Photo via AP) KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Thailand and Cambodia agreed Thursday to establish interim observer teams to monitor a fragile ceasefire that ended five days of of deadly armed border clashes, even as the fate of 18 Cambodian soldiers captured by Thailand remains unresolved. The first meeting of the General Border Committee concluded after four days of talks in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, with a focus on ensuring the full implementation of the ceasefire brokered by Malaysia on July 28. Dozens of people were killed and over 260,000 displaced on both sides of the Thai-Cambodian border, when fighting began after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. According to a joint statement from the committee, each country will set up its own interim observer team comprising defence officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and coordinated by the bloc's annual chair Malaysia, pending the deployment of a formal ASEAN observer mission. The interim teams will operate within their respective borders and work closely with local military authorities. The main meeting Thursday was chaired by Cambodian Defence Minister Gen. Tea Seiha and Thailand's Deputy Defence Minister Gen. Natthaphon Nakpanit. Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin, along with representatives from the U.S. and China, attended as observers. U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D. Kagan said after the meeting that the outcome was an important milestone. 'The U.S. believes this is an important step. However it's important to recognize this is only a step. The goal here is a durable sustainable ceasefire, one that is able to be accepted and enforced by both sides,' he told reporters. He said the U.S. would work closely with Malaysia and ASEAN to monitor the truce. The July 28 ceasefire followed economic pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who had warned the warring nations that the U.S. would not conclude trade deals with them if the fighting persisted. Washington lowered tariffs on goods from the two countries from 36% to 19% on Aug. 1. However, tensions persisted as each country accused the other of violating the agreements and organized tours of the former battle areas for foreign diplomats and other observers to highlight damage allegedly caused by the other side. The two countries also continued to accuse each other of having violated international humanitarian laws with attacks on civilians and the use of illegal weapons. While both sides reaffirmed commitments to halt hostilities, freeze troop movement and avoid provocations, the issue of the 18 Cambodian soldiers captured just hours after the ceasefire took effect remains a sticking point. The joint statement did not directly mention them but it noted that the captives should be 'immediately released and repatriated after the cessation of active hostilities.' It didn't clarify whether this refers to a formal end to the conflict. Cambodia had accused Thailand of mistreating the captured men. Two wounded members of the 20-man Cambodian group were repatriated on Friday. Thai authorities, however, called the group 'prisoners of war' and said they would only be freed and repatriated following an end to the conflict. The Thai foreign ministry said in a separate statement Thursday that the 18 prisoners have been treated in full compliance with international humanitarian law. It said members of the International Committee of the Red Cross had visited them on Tuesday at their detention facility, and that the men were in good health and without any injury. Cambodia and Thailand have clashed in the past over their 800-kilometre (500-mile) border. Tensions had been growing since May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thailand's domestic politics. ___ Eileen Ng, The Associated Press Associated Press reporter Grant Peck in Bangkok and Sopheng Cheang in Cambodia contributed to this report.
CNA
5 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
Thailand, Cambodia agree to comply with international law on captured soldiers after ‘positive' talks in KL
KUALA LUMPUR: Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to comply with international humanitarian law in treating each other's captured soldiers, and will facilitate the 'dignified and timely return' of deceased individuals. The two Southeast Asian countries, which agreed to a ceasefire on Jul 28 in their border dispute, met in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday (Aug 7) for an extraordinary general border committee meeting. Both sides also agreed that in the event of an armed conflict, whether intentional or unintentional, they would promptly consult at the local level through existing bilateral mechanisms to prevent the situation from escalating along the entire border. In a joint statement, Thailand and Cambodia said that the meeting 'was held in a constructive and positive atmosphere, resulting in meaningful outcomes'. 'Both sides reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to the full and effective implementation of the terms of the ceasefire agreed upon.' The meeting was co-chaired by Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister and National Defence Minister, General Tea Seiha, and Thailand's Acting Defence Minister, General (Ret) Nattaphon Narkphanit. Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution observed the meeting along with representatives from the United States and China. Eighteen Cambodian soldiers are still being held by the Royal Thai Army as of Monday (Aug 4). Thailand had on Aug 1 returned two wounded Cambodian soldiers. The number of Thai soldiers captured by Cambodia is unclear. On Thursday, both countries also agreed to allow the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to act as observers of the ceasefire, Thailand's Acting Minister of Defence Nattaphon said. Pending an ASEAN observer team led by Malaysia as agreed on Jul 28, interim teams made up of defence attaches of ASEAN members accredited to Cambodia or Thailand will be established separately in each country. After five days of fighting last month that resulted in at least 38 people killed and the displacement of over 300,000 people on both sides, the two countries agreed to halt their deadliest conflict in more than a decade, with a ceasefire taking place at the stroke of midnight on Jul 29.
Al Jazeera
5 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Thailand, Cambodia border tensions continue as talks conclude in Malaysia
Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand – As Thai and Cambodian officials meet for talks in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur to cement a fragile ceasefire, sources on the ground say troops continue to build up on both sides of their disputed border. Malaysia helped mediate a truce on July 28 that brought to an end five days of fierce clashes between Cambodian and Thai forces. But the two neighbouring countries have accused the other of violating the terms of the shaky ceasefire, even while their officials attend border talks in Kuala Lumpur that began on Monday. list of 4 items list 1 of 4 list 2 of 4 list 3 of 4 list 4 of 4 end of list Advertisement The four-day summit will conclude on Thursday with a meeting scheduled between Thai Deputy Defence Minister Natthaphon Nakpanit and Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Seiha, which will also be attended by observers from Malaysia, China and the United States. 'It can erupt at any time; the situation is not stable,' said Wasawat Puangpornsri, a member of Thailand's parliament whose constituency includes Ubon Ratchathani province's Nam Yuen district on the border with Cambodia. On Tuesday, Wasawat Puangpornsri visited the area and said a large number of Thai and Cambodian troops were stationed some 50 metres away from each other around the Chong Anma border crossing in Nam Yuen district. Advertisement The ongoing tension has stymied efforts to return some 20,000 Thai people to their homes in Ubon Ratchathani, which came under attack on July 24 when simmering tensions exploded into heavy fighting between the two countries. Wasawat Puangpornsri and other representatives from Thailand's government were inspecting civilian homes damaged in the area during the fighting to assess reparation payments. Thai MP Wasawat Puangpornsri and other government officials inspect civilian infrastructure damaged during the conflict in Nam Yuen district to appraise them for compensation on August 5, 2025 [Andrew Nachemson/Al Jazeera] Residents of the area told Al Jazeera that they were already on high alert after a brief firefight in May left one Cambodian soldier dead and diplomatic relations between Bangkok and Phnom Penh soured as a result. Both militaries blamed each other for firing the first shots during the May incident and also the all-out clashes that erupted on July 24, which included Cambodian forces firing artillery and rockets into civilian neighbourhoods in Thailand and Thai fighter jets bombing Cambodia. Local Thai resident Phian Somsri said she was feeding her ducks when the explosions started in July. 'I prepared for it, but I never really thought it would happen,' she said, sitting on the tile floor of a Buddhist pagoda where she has been sheltering for more than 10 days. Advertisement 'Bombs were falling in the rice fields,' Phian Somsri said, recounting to Al Jazeera how she received a frantic phone call while gathering her belongings to flee. One of her closest friends, known affectionately as Grandma Lao, had just been killed when a rocket struck her house. 'I was shocked and sad, I couldn't believe it, and I hoped it wasn't true. But I was also so scared, because at that same time I could hear the gunfire and bombs, and I couldn't do anything,' she said. Advertisement When the guns fell silent on July 28 after five days of fighting, at least 24 civilians had been killed – eight in Cambodia and 16 in Thailand – and more than 260,000 people had been displaced from their homes on both sides of the border. While the ceasefire is holding, both countries continue to accuse the other of violations since the ceasefire went into effect – even while the General Border Committee meeting talks in Kuala Lumpur got under way this week to prevent further clashes. Cambodia's former longtime leader Hun Sen claimed on Sunday that a renewed Thai offensive was imminent, although it never materialised. Advertisement Despite handing power to his son, Prime Minister Hun Manet, in 2023, Hun Sen is largely seen as being the country's real power and continuing to call the shots. The head of a district in Ubon Ratchathani, located away from the fighting and where displaced Thai people evacuated to, also confirmed that people are not yet returning home due to the ongoing tension and reports of renewed troop build-ups. Children in Thailand displaced by the conflict attend lessons taught by volunteers at an evacuation centre in Mueang Det, Ubon Ratchathani province, on August 5, 2025 [Andrew Nachemson/Al Jazeera] The district official, who asked that his name not be used as he was not authorised to talk to the media, said the Thai military is wary of its Cambodian counterpart. Advertisement 'They don't trust the Cambodian side,' he said, adding that many of the evacuees have been traumatised by their recent experience. Netagit, 46, a janitor for a village hospital, told how he was taking refuge at a bomb shelter near a Buddhist temple when his house was destroyed by rocket fire on July 25. 'I have no idea what I'm going to do next,' he told Al Jazeera while inspecting the ruins of his home. Advertisement Netagit had lived here with his two children, his wife and her parents. Now his family's personal belongings have spilled into the street and concrete walls painted a bright blue are crumbled, while a corrugated iron roof lies strewn across the ground in pieces. At first, he tried to hide the news from his kids that their house had been destroyed. 'I didn't want to tell them, but they saw the pictures and started crying,' Netagit said. 'I'm just trying to prepare myself for whatever comes next,' he added. The remains of Netagit's home in Nam Yuen district, which was destroyed by Cambodian rocket fire on July 25, pictured on August 5, 2025 [Andrew Nachemson/Al Jazeera] Displaced residents in this district hope the outcome of the border talks in Kuala Lumpur will bring stability, but continued troop movements and diplomatic sparring are leaving them anxious. After a week away from home, Phian Somsri's husband was allowed to briefly return to check on their property. By then, all of her ducks had died, she said. 'I feel really overwhelmed, and I just want to go home,' she said. 'I pray everything will be all right and peaceful between the two countries.' Source: Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
5 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Locals pray for peace as Thailand, Cambodia tensions continue despite talks
Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand – As Thai and Cambodian officials meet for talks in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur to cement a fragile ceasefire, sources on the ground say troops continue to build up on both sides of their disputed border. Malaysia helped mediate a truce on July 28 that brought to an end five days of fierce clashes between Cambodian and Thai forces. But the two neighbouring countries have accused the other of violating the terms of the shaky ceasefire, even while their officials attend border talks in Kuala Lumpur that began on Monday. The four-day summit will conclude on Thursday with a meeting scheduled between Thai Deputy Defence Minister Natthaphon Nakpanit and Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Seiha, which will also be attended by observers from Malaysia, China and the United States. 'It can erupt at any time; the situation is not stable,' said Wasawat Puangpornsri, a member of Thailand's parliament whose constituency includes Ubon Ratchathani province's Nam Yuen district on the border with Cambodia. On Tuesday, Wasawat Puangpornsri visited the area and said a large number of Thai and Cambodian troops were stationed some 50 metres away from each other around the Chong Anma border crossing in Nam Yuen district. The ongoing tension has stymied efforts to return some 20,000 Thai people to their homes in Ubon Ratchathani, which came under attack on July 24 when simmering tensions exploded into heavy fighting between the two countries. Wasawat Puangpornsri and other representatives from Thailand's government were inspecting civilian homes damaged in the area during the fighting to assess reparation payments. Residents of the area told Al Jazeera that they were already on high alert after a brief firefight in May left one Cambodian soldier dead and diplomatic relations between Bangkok and Phnom Penh soured as a result. Both militaries blamed each other for firing the first shots during the May incident and also the all-out clashes that erupted on July 24, which included Cambodian forces firing artillery and rockets into civilian neighbourhoods in Thailand and Thai fighter jets bombing Cambodia. Local Thai resident Phian Somsri said she was feeding her ducks when the explosions started in July. 'I prepared for it, but I never really thought it would happen,' she said, sitting on the tile floor of a Buddhist pagoda where she has been sheltering for more than 10 days. 'Bombs were falling in the rice fields,' Phian Somsri said, recounting to Al Jazeera how she received a frantic phone call while gathering her belongings to flee. One of her closest friends, known affectionately as Grandma Lao, had just been killed when a rocket struck her house. 'I was shocked and sad, I couldn't believe it, and I hoped it wasn't true. But I was also so scared, because at that same time I could hear the gunfire and bombs, and I couldn't do anything,' she said. 'I pray everything will be all right and peaceful' When the guns fell silent on July 28 after five days of fighting, at least 24 civilians had been killed – eight in Cambodia and 16 in Thailand – and more than 260,000 people had been displaced from their homes on both sides of the border. While the ceasefire is holding, both countries continue to accuse the other of violations since the ceasefire went into effect – even while the General Border Committee meeting talks in Kuala Lumpur got under way this week to prevent further clashes. Cambodia's former longtime leader Hun Sen claimed on Sunday that a renewed Thai offensive was imminent, although it never materialised. Despite handing power to his son, Prime Minister Hun Manet, in 2023, Hun Sen is largely seen as being the country's real power and continuing to call the shots. The head of a district in Ubon Ratchathani, located away from the fighting and where displaced Thai people evacuated to, also confirmed that people are not yet returning home due to the ongoing tension and reports of renewed troop build-ups. The district official, who asked that his name not be used as he was not authorised to talk to the media, said the Thai military is wary of its Cambodian counterpart. 'They don't trust the Cambodian side,' he said, adding that many of the evacuees have been traumatised by their recent experience. Netagit, 46, a janitor for a village hospital, told how he was taking refuge at a bomb shelter near a Buddhist temple when his house was destroyed by rocket fire on July 25. 'I have no idea what I'm going to do next,' he told Al Jazeera while inspecting the ruins of his home. Netagit had lived here with his two children, his wife and her parents. Now his family's personal belongings have spilled into the street and concrete walls painted a bright blue are crumbled, while a corrugated iron roof lies strewn across the ground in pieces. At first, he tried to hide the news from his kids that their house had been destroyed. 'I didn't want to tell them, but they saw the pictures and started crying,' Netagit said. 'I'm just trying to prepare myself for whatever comes next,' he added. Displaced residents in this district hope the outcome of the border talks in Kuala Lumpur will bring stability, but continued troop movements and diplomatic sparring are leaving them anxious. After a week away from home, Phian Somsri's husband was allowed to briefly return to check on their property. By then, all of her ducks had died, she said. 'I feel really overwhelmed, and I just want to go home,' she said. 'I pray everything will be all right and peaceful between the two countries.'
