Latest news with #ThaksinShinawatra
The Star
20 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
Border tensions rise as Thaksin court ruling looms June 13
BANGKOK: As the June 13 court ruling on Thaksin Shinawatra nears, Thai-Cambodian border tensions are intensifying, fuelling speculation of political distractions and raising questions about intertwined family interests between Bangkok and Phnom Penh. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Deputy Prime Minister/Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai are facing intense public backlash after news broke that they rejected a military proposal to shut down border crossings with Cambodia. The proposal followed a formal letter from the Thai military citing serious concerns over Cambodian troops amassing along disputed territory claimed by Thailand. The letter stated that nearly half of Cambodia's army, equipped with heavy weaponry, had been deployed to the Chong Bok area, with artillery guns pointed toward Thai positions — a move viewed as overtly threatening. The Thai military expressed discomfort over what it described as Cambodian encroachment. It argued that a failure to act might be perceived as Thailand conceding its claim, and therefore called for the closure of the entire Thai-Cambodian border to protect national sovereignty and ensure public safety. However, Phumtham urged restraint, advising the military to remain calm and avoid escalating tensions. He warned that a border shutdown could harm tourism and cross-border trade, potentially worsening Thailand's already fragile economy. Adding to the complexity, a meeting of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Committee (JBC) is scheduled for mid-June to address the ongoing dispute. Behind the scenes, high-level Cambodian leaders — including Prime Minister Hun Manet and Deputy PM/Defence Minister Gen Tea Seiha — reportedly contacted senior figures in the Thai government, asking them to delay the border closure decision. There's no denying the growing public unease within Thailand over the government's surprisingly restrained response to escalating tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border. While Cambodia has taken an aggressive stance, threatening to take the territorial dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and warning of potential military action, Thailand's official posture has remained cautious. The Cambodian side has clearly adopted a rapid and forceful approach, notably as the Thai Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions prepares to hear a case on June 13 involving former PM Thaksin Shinawatra's hospital stay while in prison. Fuelling speculation is a recent social media post by Hun Sen, Cambodia's Senate President and longtime ally of Thaksin. In his post, Hun Sen adopted a confrontational tone, sharing images of disputed border areas and citing them as evidence of Cambodia's territorial claims. Meanwhile, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet issued a stern statement reaffirming that while Cambodia prefers to resolve border issues through legal and technical channels, it reserves the right to use military force if its territory is encroached upon. Hun Manet emphasized that Cambodia is committed to peaceful resolution mechanisms under international law but has also ordered the following steps: Immediate convening of the Joint Boundary Committee (JBC) with Thailand to resume demarcation and installation of border markers. Inclusion of key disputed areas—Ta Moan Thom, Ta Moan Toch, Ta Kro Bei Temple, and the Mombei zone—on the JBC agenda, with a view to escalating the case to the ICJ. Hun Sen has publicly endorsed Hun Manet's move to pursue legal action at the international level, backing efforts to bring the disputes over Ta Moan Thom, Ta Moan Toch, Ta Kro Bei, and the Emerald Triangle to the ICJ. The Royal Thai Army has confirmed that both Thai and Cambodian troops have pulled back from the frontline at the Chong Bok border crossing in a de-escalation move ahead of talks under the JBC framework. Army spokesperson Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree stated that both sides agreed to step back from potential flashpoints to allow diplomatic and legal mechanisms—particularly through the JBC—to address issues related to border demarcation and relevant treaties or memorandums of understanding (MoUs). According to Gen Pana Klaewblaudtuk, Army Commander-in-Chief, three key points were agreed upon during recent discussions with his Cambodian counterpart: A mutual withdrawal of troops from the disputed zone; A commitment to resolve the matter through the JBC mechanism; A pledge to adhere strictly to prior agreements, treaties, and joint operating protocols to prevent future tensions. 'The existing agreements stipulate that disputed zones—such as the area where defensive trenches have been dug—are to be left untouched. There must be no changes to terrain, no deployment of troops, and no artillery aimed at the Thai side. We must uphold these mutual understandings before considering any further measures,' Winthai emphasised. An important note is that Cambodia will host the upcoming JBC meeting, and therefore holds the authority to set the date, time, and venue. The meeting is expected to take place in mid-June, likely after the politically sensitive June 13 court date for Thaksin. All eyes are now on the Thai-Cambodian border at Chong Bok, as tensions threaten to escalate in the run-up to the June 13 court hearing that could determine the fate of Thaksin. The verdict—whether in his favour or not—may have far-reaching implications, including along the border. If the court's ruling goes against Thaksin, unrest at the Chong Bok crossing could spill over to other border provinces such as Sa Kaeo and Si Sa Ket. Analysts warn this could be part of a deliberate effort to divert public attention from domestic political drama by shifting focus to a military standoff with Cambodia. The situation bears striking resemblance to the final stages of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's rice-pledging case. At that time, national attention fixated on the Supreme Court, only for Yingluck to flee the country before the verdict was delivered. The intertwining of the Shinawatra and Hun Sen families adds another layer of intrigue. Their relationship spans politics, business, and even personal ties—most notably through the marriage connection between the daughter of Yaowapa Wongsawat (Thaksin's sister) and a son of one of Hun Sen's close political allies. During Hun Sen's 71st birthday in 2023, he famously expressed two heartfelt wishes: for his 'dear friend' Thaksin to return safely to Thailand, and to one day see his son, Hun Manet, and Thaksin's daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, rise to become prime ministers of their respective nations—a vision he believed would solidify Thai-Cambodian relations. Now, however, that vision is clouded by legal peril. Thaksin faces a new challenge with the so-called 'Ward 14 Case,' and the outcome remains uncertain. As tensions rise, the government—especially Paetongtarn, now Prime Minister and seen as a political protégé and daughter figure to Thaksin—will be under pressure to provide clear, reasoned leadership. The current flare-up at the border may well be a byproduct of these entangled personal and political interests. Regardless of how the court rules, many observers believe Cambodia stands to gain—either diplomatically or strategically—while Thailand risks losing ground, both literally and figuratively, under the weight of overlapping family and political interests. - The Nation/ANN
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
One down, two to go
HONOLULU 2011 – US President Barack Obama hosted many world leaders including from Russia, China and Japan for the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit. A few of us, part of the Malaysian media delegation, were walking back to the hotel after a quick lunch. It was a short walk. Big mistake. Just as we were about to cross the road (the hotel was about 50m away), our group was stopped by the local police. The Chinese leader and delegation were staying in the vicinity and the entourage was about to leave the hotel. For security reasons we had to wait for more than 30 minutes. No questions asked, we understood. Pattaya 2009 – Asean Summit. Thailand was forced to cancel the summit as thousands of anti-government protesters forced their way into what was supposed to be a secured area. Thai army personnel made no attempt to stop hundreds of red shirt protestors, loyal to Thaksin Shinawatra and seeking to oust Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, as they barged into the media centre, breaking the glass doors and toppling metal detectors, among other things. There was a lot of confusion, shouting and for some of us at the media centre, the fear was real. One protestor checked my media tag, took a photo with me and mumbled sorry, obviously realising his group was at the wrong place. The mayhem in Pattaya was brought by a security lax during the Asean Summit there in Thailand in 2009. Fast forward to this week. As Malaysia hosted the 46th Asean summit in Kuala Lumpur, many Malaysians took to social media venting their annoyance when the government announced road closures before and during the summit. Typical Malaysians, we don't like to be inconvenienced. What many of us do not realise is that some leaders are from high risk countries – they are susceptible for attacks. Malaysia as the host does not want any of these leaders exposed to any potential threats. A security lax will show the world our incompetence and potentially a major embarrassment for the government, as what had happened in Thailand during the Asean summit. It was a relief all around as the summit held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre came to an end Tuesday evening. Many worked behind the scenes. We don't know them, we don't see them but they were the frontliners and backroom officials making sure everything was in place. They will be the first ones facing the brunt from the guests. It is not easy to please everyone. Complaints about access to certain venues, the missing flags or wrong sitting arrangements were plenty. For the record, three main summits were held – the 46th Asean Summit, the second Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council and the inaugural Asean–GCC–China summit, attended by leaders of 17 countries with different interests and priorities. After each summit, a leaders' joint statement would be issued, for failure to issue one shows the inability of the chair to persuade the rest to be onboard. A joint statement carries more weightage in terms of the commitment of Asean members and all other external partners involved. It demonstrates the collective political will to undertake what the leaders have agreed and spur officials to ensure implementation of the cooperation agreed. There were whispers during the summit when several countries tried to include paragraphs on highly complicated issues which not all of Asean members were ready to address to ensure balance in the outcome document. Good sense prevailed at the very last minute and the joint statement was issued. Big decisions were made at this summit including the adoption of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on 'Asean 2045: Our Shared Future' which will serve to guide Asean's direction over the next two decades. When the decision for Timor Leste's accession as the 11th member of Asean at the 47th Asean Summit in October was announced, it was met with tears of joy among Timorese officials at the summit venue. It has been a long 14 years. Officials said one Asean member state was adamant that Timor Leste goes through the process before its accession as a full member but Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan swung into action to get the full consensus. It was later brought to the leaders level where a final decision was made to admit Timor Leste. 'It is not a question of one member state against Timor Leste but rather asking it to fulfil all the conditions first. Without Asean consensus, it will further delay getting Timor Leste into the family. 'This year is all about inclusivity and yet one family member is not 100 percent in the Asean house. If we want to strictly follow the roadmap, it was near impossible for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam to be a full member of Asean back then. 'We should give them leeway and give a timeframe to fulfill the requirements. Admit them first. We have to help them,' said one official With four months to go, Timor Leste, which was granted observer status in 2022, will now have to comply with the requirements and more importantly going through their own legislation process. The Asean chair statement stated that ministers and senior officials have been given the task to undertake the procedural steps for the admission of Timor Leste and expedite negotiations on the key agreements. Another summit which received much attention and described as ambitious is the Asean-GCC-China Summit, held for the first time. In a joint statement released on Wednesday, Asean, the GCC or Gulf Cooperation Council ( Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) and China, said they were committed to enhancing economic cooperation. 'We recognise that Asean, GCC and China encompass diverse and complementary economies which create enormous potential, broad prospects and new opportunities for greater cross-sectoral trade, investment, and economic collaboration,' the leaders said. They also expressed grave concerns over the developments in West Asia and condemned all attacks against civilians and called for a durable ceasefire and to allow the unhindered delivery of fuel, food and medicine throughout Gaza. It is interesting to note that China has long been a close partner for Asean while relations between the grouping and Arab countries have only recently started gaining momentum. Will there be another trilateral summit when the Philippines takes over the Asean chair next year? 'We hope other Asean member states understand that Malaysia is doing this for the grouping. We have always put Asean's interest as priority in initiating new initiatives for Asean. With the Asean-GCC-China Summit we are just opening up the opportunity, building a bridge beyond our region,' said a Malaysian official. A lot of praises came from all around for the participation, substance and overall organisation of the summits. The second summit will be held in October. However, for the exhausted officials, it is only a brief respite as the next big meeting is just weeks away – the annual Asean foreign ministerial where they will be joined by their dialogue partners from Australia, China, Canada, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, United Kingdom and the United States among others. Now that, to me, is the highlight of the Asean chairmanship with issues like the South China Sea, a contentious one among claimant states and user states which includes powerful countries. Given the action on the ground in recent months, there will be no doubt that some countries would want stronger language in the outcome document. Others outside the region would also want to have a say about the SCS. Yet, it is important to maintain consistency when dealing with the issue.
Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Thai court rejects ex-premier Thaksin's special treatment case
Thaksin Shinawatra has remained active campaigning in provincial elections for Pheu Thai. (EPA Images pic) BANGKOK : Thailand's top court dismissed a case today that accused former premier Thaksin Shinawatra of receiving special treatment when he returned to the kingdom after more than a decade in exile. The case filed by a former lawmaker from the Democrat Party – long-time foes of Thaksin – alleged the authorities gave the 75-year-old former leader preferential treatment when he came back to Thailand in August 2023. Thaksin was sentenced to eight years in prison for corruption and abuse of power as soon as he landed in Bangkok and was taken to a detention centre. However, he was transferred to a private room at the Police General Hospital the next day for health reasons and remained there until pardoned by King Maha Vajiralongkorn around six months later and was released on parole. That Thaksin did not spend time in a prison cell, combined with the fact he returned on the very day his Pheu Thai party took over the government, fuelled speculation that he had benefited from some kind of backroom deal. The Supreme Court dismissed the case today, ruling the petitioner 'does not have the rights to file a petition' because he was not directly involved. However, the court ordered its own investigation to determine whether Thaksin had served his sentence properly, summoning officials from the prison, the department of corrections and a hospital doctor to testify on June 13. Thaksin, who had said he would retire from politics after returning, has remained active campaigning in provincial elections for Pheu Thai and recently volunteering in informal trade discussions with the US, according to Thai media. Pheu Thai formed a coalition with military-aligned parties, ending decades of political wrangling between progressive and pro-military factions. Thaksin's daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra became prime minister last year. Political analyst Yuttaporn Issarachai told AFP the case was 'just another legal battle' launched by anti-Thaksin groups to push him out of politics. 'It's something we have seen repeatedly in Thai politics over the past 20 years,' he said. While Thaksin remains popular with his support base, he has long been disliked by Thailand's pro-royalist and military establishment. He is due to appear in court in July over a separate royal defamation case linked to his 2015 interview with a South Korean media outlet.
Reuters
7 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Cambodia says soldier killed in brief border skirmish with Thai troops
BANGKOK, May 28 (Reuters) - A Cambodian soldier was killed on Wednesday, its defence ministry said, after a brief exchange of gunfire with Thai soldiers at a disputed border area between the two Southeast Asian neighbours. The incident took place early on Wednesday at a border area between Cambodia's Preah Vihear province and Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani province, both countries said, adding their troops had since stood down and would use diplomacy to handle this issue. Deadly clashes between Cambodia and Thailand last erupted in 2011 over Preah Vihear, an ancient temple at the heart of a decades-long dispute on their undemarcated border. "Thai army first opened fire on a trench that had been a Cambodian army base for a long time, resulting in the loss of one of our soldiers," Cambodia's defence ministry said in a statement. Thailand said its soldiers were trying to negotiate with Cambodian troops to back away from taking up a position in a disputed area but came under fire, Thai army spokesman Major General Winthai Suvaree said, adding there were no Thai casualties. "Cambodian forces misunderstood the situation and started using weapons, so Thai forces retaliated," Winthai said adding that the exchange lasted about 10 minutes. Although the two countries have a historic rivalry, their governments enjoy warm ties, partly due to the close relationship between their influential former leaders, Thailand's Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodia's Hun Sen, whose daughter and son respectively are both prime ministers. Earlier this month, security officials from both countries met in Bangkok to try to reduce border tension after a February incident in which a group of Cambodians escorted by troops sang their national anthem at an ancient Hindu temple claimed by both sides, before being stopped by Thai soldiers.
The Star
28-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Thaksin declares war on drugs again, vows community scans for pushers
BANGKOK: Forner Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose 2003 'War on Drugs' policy led to over 2,800 extrajudicial killings, declared a new war on drugs on Tuesday (May 27). This time, he vowed to scan communities for drug pushers on behalf of the Interior Minister and the national police chief. Thaksin announced the campaign during a special speech at the Office of the Narcotics Control Board on the topic 'Narcotics, transborder crimes, attitude and challenges for sustainable solutions.' He said he would seek permission from his daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, to check communities for drug sellers. The findings would be reported to the Interior Minister and the national police chief for further action as part of the campaign. Thaksin also highlighted the success of his 2003 drug war, recalling how government agencies were ordered to scan 'every square inch' for drug trafficking to eliminate the trade. The 2003 campaign is believed to have resulted in the deaths of over 2,800 people within three months. Although initially claimed to be due to drug turf wars, a 2007 government investigation found that more than half of those killed had no links to drug offences. During his speech, Thaksin stressed the need for government agencies to change their attitudes and recognise drug trafficking as a national threat to current and future generations. He urged police and Interior Ministry officials to work together rather than acting separately in the fight against drugs. Thaksin criticised the presence of too many agencies responsible for fighting drugs, suggesting some merely seek suppression budgets without effectively enforcing laws. He identified key agencies in charge of drug suppression as police, soldiers, customs officials, and Interior Ministry officials. Thaksin declares war on drugs again, vows community scans for pushers Thaksin blamed corrupt customs officials for failing to stop the smuggling of precursor chemicals used to make methamphetamine. These chemicals are shipped by sea and then transported to Myanmar's Shan state, controlled by the United Wa State Army (UWSA). He accused the UWSA of being responsible for the influx of drugs into Thailand. Thaksin boasted good relations with Myanmar's junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing and the Laotian Prime Minister, claiming he could seek their cooperation to halt drug shipments into Thailand. However, he pointed out Myanmar's lack of control over Shan state, stating Thailand must handle the war on drugs independently. 'There must be internationally acceptable ways for us to urgently tackle drug manufacturers,' Thaksin said. He added the Thai Foreign Minister would soon discuss measures with Myanmar to suppress the UWSA. Thaksin stated, 'We should not have mercy on the enemy,' referring to drug traffickers. He highlighted the Mekong River as a key smuggling route and urged authorities to intercept shipments by all means, aiming to make 'every village a white village again.' Thaksin urged the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) to improve efficiency in drug suppression and southern insurgency operations, warning he would propose dissolving the agency if it fails. 'The ISOC must have a role or it should be dissolved. Otherwise, its budget of over 7 billion baht would be wasted,' he said. He suggested using part of the 157 billion baht central emergency fund for the drug war and to establish drug rehabilitation centres across districts. Thaksin argued that people would accept the suspension of 10,000-baht handouts if the government effectively suppressed drug trafficking. Thaksin called on the Education Ministry to improve curricula, teaching children from kindergarten about the dangers of drug abuse. He also recommended involving the armed forces to secure borders against smuggling of drugs, weapons, and oil. Believing major drug bosses have fled to neighbouring countries, Thaksin stressed the need to investigate pushers in villages and link them to bosses. He urged authorities to seize traffickers' assets and identify the kingpins. 'Nothing under the sun is impossible for Thai police, and they must also receive support from the Interior Ministry,' Thaksin concluded. - The Straits Times/ANN
