Latest news with #ThaiArmy
Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Thailand's former Prime Minister Suchinda Kraprayoon, who cracked down on 1992 protests, dies at 91
BANGKOK (AP) — Suchinda Kraprayoon, an army commander in Thailand who in 1992 followed the Southeast Asian nation's tradition of military strongmen assuming the reins of government, died Tuesday at age 91, the state Thai News Agency reported. Suchinda, who served just under seven weeks as prime minister, became one of the country's most reviled politicians after the military used lethal force to quash protests alleging he took office by undemocratic means. The episode became known as 'Black May.' The violence, during which 52 people were killed according to an official count, ended only when the country's revered monarch, then-King Bhumibol Adulyadej, summoned Suchinda and protest leader Chamlong Srimuang for a scolding on a live television broadcast. Suchinda stepped down and exited politics, living generally out of the public eye. He was respected by fellow officers and named chairman of a major Thai telecoms company. He began his military career by attending Chulachomklao Military Academy, Thailand's West Point, and did two study tours in the United States. He served a stint in a Thai unit supporting the U.S. war effort in Vietnam and was an assistant military attache in 1971 at the Thai Embassy in Washington. A 1985 appointment as assistant chief of staff for operations put him on track to be appointed army commander, which he achieved in March 1990. He then rose to become prime minister a year after leading a February 1991 coup ousting the elected government of Chatichai Choonhaven, whose ruling coalition was dubbed the 'buffet Cabinet' because its members were seen as feeding on the spoils of power. Although Suchinda was one of four deputy leaders of the junta that took over, he was arguably more influential than its official leader, Gen. Sunthorn Kongsompong. The junta got credit for appointing qualified technocrats to serve in its interim Cabinet and for holding an election in March 1992. Five parties that won a majority of seats nominated Narong Wongwan, a wealthy businessman and member of Parliament, to be prime minister. His nomination was withdrawn after the United States caused a controversy by saying it had refused him a visa because of suspected links to drug trafficking. The five parties then selected Suchinda as their candidate, and he became Thailand's 19th prime minister. A protest movement immediately took hold and grew rapidly. The confrontation escalated into violence by May 17, with running street battles, the burning of public property and troops opening fire on unarmed protesters. When King Bhumibol on May 20 summoned Suchinda and his main critic Chamlong to tell them to end the violence, Suchinda's position became untenable. After the king signed an amnesty covering both sides in the conflict, he resigned.
Asia Times
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Asia Times
Thai-Cambodia clash through a US vs China lens
BANGKOK – A deadly border feud between Thailand's US-trained military and Cambodia's Chinese-assisted troops has resulted in a surprise agreement with Phnom Penh retreating and abandoning a freshly dug trench after one Cambodian soldier was killed and both sides reinforced their armies in the disputed Emerald Triangle jungle. The face-to-face gunfight at the border also sparked questions about Bangkok's fragile civilian-led coalition government and its ability to control Thailand's politicized military which has, when displeased, unleashed government-toppling coups. While villagers hurriedly dug schoolyard bunkers, and thousands of travelers were left stranded due to temporary checkpoint closures, Thailand announced on Sunday (June 8) that Cambodian troops agreed to withdraw to their pre-confrontation positions and make other concessions. 'Cambodia agreed to fill in the trenches, to restore the area to its natural state,' the Bangkok Post reported on Monday (June 9). The Thai Army displayed photos of what it said showed a 650-meter trench dug by Cambodian troops in the disputed zone. Two pictures showed a freshly dug trench on May 18 and May 28. Two other photos displayed the site restored and filled with dirt on Sunday (June 8). In Cambodia, details about the agreement were sketchy. 'The Ministry of National Defense of Cambodia announced today that military commanders from Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to adjust the positions of their troops along certain areas of the border to reduce tensions and avoid confrontation,' the Khmer Times reported on June 9. 'I ask the public to trust that the government is working to solve this through peaceful means, which is the only way to avoid violence and maintain good relations with our neighboring country,' Cambodia's influential former prime minister Hun Sen said. Cambodia blames Thai forces for allegedly shooting dead a Cambodian soldier on May 28 during a brief firefight in the Emerald Triangle, where eastern Thailand, northern Cambodia, and southern Laos meet. The jungle and scrubland include a no man's zone that is not officially demarcated, attracting human and wildlife traffickers, illegal loggers, smugglers, fugitives, and other criminals. The disputed zone also boasts the ruins of ancient Hindu temples, including Ta Moan Thom, Ta Moan Toch, and Ta Kro Bei. The latest deadly confrontation began when the two nations' armed forces opened fire at each other at Chong Bok pass on the Thai-Cambodian border. The Cambodians were allegedly digging a trench along the rugged, porous frontier, drawn 100 years ago by French colonialists. According to the Thai army, Cambodia's troops 'encroached' and shot first when the Thais approached to talk. Cambodian troops 'misunderstood the situation and started using weapons, so Thai forces retaliated,' a Thai army spokesman said. In an official letter to Thailand's embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's Foreign Ministry officially demanded an investigation and trial for Thailand's troops who 'without provocation' allegedly killed the Cambodian. The Cambodian soldier's death created increased public support for authoritarian Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. 'The reaction of the Cambodian public to this situation has surprised me, in how it has caused a large upswell in patriotic sentiment and pro-government support, even from a lot of people I know to be very skeptical of the government,' Craig Etcheson, an author and researcher about Cambodia, said in an interview. 'In that sense, it has been very good for the CPP,' Etcheson said, referring to the long-ruling, monopolistic Cambodian Peoples' Party. Coincidentally, miles away, China was concluding its two-week-long Golden Dragon military exercises with Cambodia, which included 2,000 combined personnel, fearsome galloping 'robot combat dogs' with assault rifles mounted on their backs, plus helicopters, vehicle-mounted rockets, mortars, and other weaponry. The Golden Dragon drills do not 'threaten or harm any country,' said Cambodia's Defense Ministry spokesman General Chhum Socheat. China is Cambodia's biggest source of weapons and other military needs, including Chinese tanks, armed vehicles and air defense training, but there was no indication of any Chinese involvement in the border confrontation. China's President Xi Jinping boosted Phnom Penh's faith in more aid and investment from Beijing during his April visit to Cambodia. In May, US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs John Noh met Cambodia's Defense Minister and Secretary of State Lieutenant General Rath Dararoth to discuss security and military relations. 'Both leaders look forward to a US Navy ship visit, and maritime training, to occur at Ream Naval Base later this year, as well as travel by Secretary Hegseth to visit the US ship while in port at Ream,' the US Defense Department said on May 31. American officials hope a US ship will be able to dock, for the first time, near Sihanoukville in Cambodia's Ream Naval Base which is undergoing massive upgrades by China as part of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative. Thailand conducts large-scale military exercises with the Pentagon each year and allows the US Navy docking facilities, including the US 7th Fleet's nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, along its shallow Gulf of Thailand coast, bolstering the US Pacific Fleet in the Indo-Pacific region. The Thai-Cambodian border clash meanwhile exposed cracks between Thailand's elected, civilian-led government and its cautious relationship with the military. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said she wants a peaceful, behind-the-scenes, negotiated settlement between Bangkok and Phnom Penh, but has not announced its terms. Thailand's military is perceived as bristling against Cambodia. 'The Thai army would prefer a hawkish response,' Paul Chambers, a visiting fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, said in an interview before the border agreement was reached. 'As tensions have risen, alarm has grown. Such alarm could intensify to an extent that it affects Thai civil-military relations,' he said. The mood among the public has risen 'from apathetic to increasingly alarmed in both countries,' Chambers added. Others said the differences between Thailand's government and military were not destabilizing, yet. 'Currently, the Thai military and the civilian government under Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra appear to be aligned in their approach to the border dispute,' Sophal Ear, an associate professor of Southeast Asian and other international relations at Phoenix's Arizona State University, said in an interview. 'Both have expressed a preference for peaceful resolution through existing bilateral mechanisms. However, the military has indicated readiness for a 'high-level operation' if necessary, reflecting a cautious stance amid increased Cambodian military activity near the border,' Sophal Ear said. Paetongtarn expressed her relationship with the army when she said, 'The military understands precisely what is happening on the ground. It is the military's responsibility to evaluate whether the situation has reached a point where confrontation is necessary. 'If not, then engaging prematurely could result in great harm.' Thailand and Cambodia, meanwhile, cooperate on several vital issues, including trade and security, which may help temper their feud. Their relations are so tight, for example, that they are jointly accused of helping each other crush political dissidents, according to New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW). 'The Cambodian and Thai governments have engaged in transnational repression – government efforts to silence dissent by committing human rights abuses against their own nationals outside their own territory — through reciprocal arrangements targeting dissidents and opposition figures, colloquially known as a 'swap mart',' HRW said. 'Both governments have facilitated assaults, abductions, enforced disappearances, and the forced return of people to their home countries where their lives or freedom are at risk,' the rights group said in April. Thailand and Phnom Penh deny violating the law when it comes to deporting people back to each other's country, despite pleas that fleeing political activists be spared. In 1999, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet was a cadet at the US Military Academy at West Point. It is unknown if that will temper or give confidence to his military dealings with Thailand. Paetongtarn's father, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, had close fraternal ties with Cambodia's previous prime minister and former Khmer Rouge regiment commander Hun Sen, the father of Prime Minister Hun Manet. Those generational links were especially valuable after Thaksin was overthrown in a military coup in 2006, leading to 15 years as a self-exiled fugitive from prison sentences for corruption and other financial crimes. Those enmeshed personal relationships had recently been blamed by some Thais for weakening Bangkok's negotiating stance in an ongoing dispute with Cambodia over mapping their shared Gulf of Thailand which hosts oil and natural gas extraction platforms. 'Right-wing opponents of the Shinawatras, in particular, are using the issue of Thai-Cambodian border issues to attack the Paetongtarn government,' Chambers said. 'This issue could become increasingly productive for the right-wing opposition.' Sophal Ear said: 'Opposition groups in Thailand have criticized the Shinawatra-led government for its handling of the border dispute, accusing it of being too conciliatory towards Cambodia. 'This strategy taps into nationalist sentiments, but risks being counterproductive if perceived as undermining efforts for a peaceful resolution. The [Thai] government's emphasis on diplomacy may appeal to moderates who prioritize stability over confrontation. 'In Cambodia, there is a sense of nationalistic fervor, with support for the government's decision to seek ICJ intervention. 'In Thailand, the public is more divided, some express concern over national sovereignty, while others prioritize economic and political stability,' Sophal Ear said. Thailand and Cambodia will engage in talks at a June 14 meeting of the Joint Boundary Committee, said Thai Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. 'The government has made preparations, both the legal aspects and negotiations through mechanisms, along with military preparations on the frontline if that proves necessary,' said the defense minister, who is also a deputy prime minister. 'For those who stir up nationalist sentiments, they should understand that war is best avoided,' Phumtham said. 'Don't stir it, or problems will follow.' Richard S Ehrlich is a Bangkok-based American foreign correspondent reporting from Asia since 1978, and winner of Columbia University's Foreign Correspondents' Award. Excerpts from his two new nonfiction books, 'Rituals. Killers. Wars. & Sex. — Tibet, India, Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka & New York' and 'Apocalyptic Tribes, Smugglers & Freaks' are available here.
NHK
a day ago
- Politics
- NHK
Thailand, Cambodia dial down tensions after clash in contested border area
Defense officials from Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to return their troops to positions they held before a fatal clash in a contested border area. Since last month's incident, both sides had been beefing up their military presence along the frontier. Military representatives from the two countries held a meeting over the issue on Sunday. After the talks, the Thai army said it will redeploy its soldiers to positions the two sides agreed on last year. Cambodia's defense ministry says it will send its forces to "appropriate areas" to reduce tensions. The countries' armed forces exchanged fire on May 28th. One Cambodian soldier died in the brief skirmish. The confrontation prompted Thailand to tighten border security with Cambodia. On Saturday, Bangkok said it will cut operating hours at some border crossings and limit tourism in both directions. The countries are set to hold more talks this weekend. Cambodia proposes taking the dispute to the International Court of Justice, but Thailand favors bilateral negotiations.
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Thailand and Cambodia reinforce troops along disputed border: Thai minister
Thailand has reinforced its military presence along a disputed border with Cambodia following an increase in troops on the other side, the Thai defence minister has said. Tensions between the two Southeast Asian countries have been rising since a Cambodian soldier was killed on May 28 in a brief skirmish in an undemarcated border area. Since the incident, the two governments have been exchanging carefully worded statements committing to dialogue. Thailand's Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who also serves as deputy prime minister, said on Saturday that Cambodia had rejected proposals in bilateral talks held on Thursday that could have led to a de-escalation. 'Furthermore, there has been a reinforcement of military presence, which has exacerbated tensions along the border,' Phumtham said in a statement. 'Consequently, the Royal Thai Government has deemed it necessary to implement additional measures and to reinforce our military posture accordingly.' He did not provide further details on the extent of reinforcements by either side. There was no immediate comment from Cambodia. In a separate statement on Saturday, the Thai army said Cambodian civilians had also repeatedly made incursions into Thailand's territory. 'These provocations, and the buildup of military forces, indicate a clear intent to use force,' the Thai army said, adding it would take control of all Thai checkpoints along the Cambodia border. Thailand and Cambodia have for more than a century contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817km (508-mile) land border. Tension escalated in 2008 over an 11th-century Hindu temple, leading to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths, including during a weeklong exchange of artillery fire in 2011. On Monday, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet said the government would file a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the border dispute. 'Cambodia hopes that the Thai side will agree with Cambodia to jointly bring these issues to the International Court of Justice… to prevent armed confrontation again over border uncertainty,' Hun Manet said during a meeting between MPs and senators. Thailand has not recognised the ICJ's jurisdiction since 1960 and has instead called for bilateral talks. Efforts have been made by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is the current chair of the Southeast Asian ASEAN bloc, and China to reduce tensions, but the border remains disputed. A meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Boundary Commission – which addresses border demarcation issues – is scheduled for June 14.
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Thailand, Cambodia reinforcing troops on disputed border
Thailand and Cambodia have for more than a century contested sovereignty at various points along their border. (AFP pic) BANGKOK : Thailand has reinforced its military presence along a disputed border with Cambodia, following an increase in troops on the other side, Thailand's defence minister said today. Tensions between the two Southeast Asian countries have been simmering since a Cambodian soldier was killed on May 28 in a brief skirmish in an undemarcated border area. For days, the two Southeast Asian governments have been exchanging carefully worded statements committing to dialogue. But Phumtham Wechayachai, who also serves as Thailand's deputy prime minister, said Cambodia had rejected proposals in bilateral talks held on Thursday that could have led to a de-escalation. 'Furthermore, there has been a reinforcement of military presence, which has exacerbated tensions along the border,' Phumtham said in a statement. 'Consequently, the Royal Thai government has deemed it necessary to implement additional measures and to reinforce our military posture accordingly.' He did not provide details on the extent of reinforcements by either side. In a separate statement today, the Thai army said Cambodian soldiers and civilians had repeatedly made incursions into Thailand's territory. 'These provocations, and the build-up of military forces, indicate a clear intent to use force,' the Thai army said, adding that it would take control of all Thai checkpoints along the border with Cambodia. A spokesman for Cambodia's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to questions from Reuters on the Thai army's announcement. 'This is our stance, not to initiate conflict, but to defend ourselves,' Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said in a speech today. 'Our guiding principles are… respect for international legal frameworks. These grounded strategies are key to safeguarding our nation's sovereignty,' he said, adding that its armed forces were ready to defend against aggression. The military reinforcements come despite efforts by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is the current chair of the Southeast Asian Asean bloc, and China to reduce tensions. Thailand and Cambodia have for more than a century contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817km land border, which was first mapped by France in 1907 when Cambodia was its colony. Tension escalated in 2008 over an 11th-century Hindu temple, leading to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths, including during a week-long exchange of artillery in 2011. Current governments in both countries, however, have enjoyed warm ties. Former leaders Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand and Cambodia's Hun Sen have had a close relationship, and Thaksin's daughter and Hun Sen's son are now the incumbent prime ministers of their countries. Still, nationalist sentiment has risen in Thailand and the Thai military said yesterday it is ready to launch a 'high-level operation' to counter any violation of its sovereignty. Cambodia said this week it would refer disputes over four parts of the border to the International Court of Justice and asked Thailand to cooperate. Phumtham reiterated in his statement today that Thailand does not recognise the jurisdiction of the court and proposed that all boundary-related issues be resolved through bilateral negotiations.
