Latest news with #armedclash
NHK
a day ago
- Business
- NHK
India takes off as drone power
An armed clash with Pakistan in May this year has helped push India's drone development to new heights. And manufacturers are confident they'll be able to grab a chunk of the global market within five years.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Cambodia-Thailand conflict: Monks, dancers and volunteers offer respite as violence escalates
Thailand Cambodia Coping in a Crisis 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.
ABC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Why is there conflict between Thailand and Cambodia?
Months of border tension between Thailand and Cambodia have escalated into an armed clash that has killed as many as 11 civilians and left others fleeing for safety. Both countries have exchanged gunfire on the border, and the Thai army has responded with air strikes at military targets, as each nation blamed the other for the escalation of conflict. Thai Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin told reporters that Cambodia's actions, including an attack on a hospital, should be considered war crimes. But what exactly is going on, and how did we get here? Here's what to know about the dispute between the two South-East Asian neighbours. Armed clashes broke out on Thursday in long-disputed border areas in Thailand and Cambodia, which included gunfire exchanges and shelling and rocket fire, which Thai authorities said killed at least 11 Thai civilians, including a five-year-old, and injured 14 others in three provinces. Thailand responded with air strikes. Of the six F-16 fighter jets that Thailand readied to deploy, one of the aircraft fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target, the Thai army said. "We have used air power against military targets as planned," Thai army deputy spokesperson Richa Suksuwanon told reporters. Clashes are ongoing in at least six areas along the border, the Thai Defence Ministry said. The first clash on Thursday morning happened in an area near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple, along the border of Surin and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province. The dispute first flared in May after armed forces of Thailand and Cambodia briefly fired at each other in a relatively small, contested border area that each country claims as its own. Both sides accused each other and said they acted in self-defence. A spokesperson for Cambodia's defence ministry said there had been an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops, and Cambodian forces had responded in self-defence. While the countries said afterwards they agreed to de-escalate the situation, Cambodian and Thai authorities continued to implement or threaten measures short of armed force, keeping tensions high. Thailand added tight restrictions at the border with Cambodia that stopped almost all crossings except for students, medical patients and others with essential needs. On Thursday, Thai authorities announced they were sealing the border entirely. Cambodia also banned Thai movies and TV shows, stopped the import of Thai fuel, fruits and vegetables, and boycotted some of its neighbours' international internet links and power supply. The neighbours are locked in a bitter spat over an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of both countries and Laos meet, and which is home to several ancient temples. The row has dragged on for decades, flaring into bloody military clashes more than 15 years ago and again in May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a firefight. Australian resident Olivia Tedeschi travelled from Cambodia to Thailand last week and told the ABC that foreign tourists like herself were "panicking" after all operating buses were cancelled and she was forced to fly. "You physically couldn't get from Cambodia to Thailand or vice versa by border land crossings," she said. Ms Tedeschi, who was volunteering in Cambodia, planned to catch the popular seven-hour bus from Siem Reap in the country's north-west to Bangkok last week. "Everyone catches the buses, but then all of a sudden, all of the buses started getting cancelled," she said. "They told us it was because the borders were shut." She said a young girl from Cambodia told her she was worried the conflict would escalate. The 26-year-old Tasmanian resident was able to catch a flight from Siem Reap to Bangkok, but said she was questioning if she should leave the country while she can. "Everyone was panicking when we heard the borders were closing," she said, referring to foreign travellers in hostels and popular online travel group chats and forums. "No one really knows what to do." The Department of Foreign Affairs updated its travel warnings for Thailand on the government's Smartraveller website on June 30, advising Australians to exercise a high degree of caution due to safety and security risks. It advised travellers in Cambodia to monitor the ongoing border dispute and follow the advice of local authorities. "I remember thinking 'oh, they'll probably open them back up in two weeks' [when I wanted to leave], but they didn't," she said about leaving Cambodia. "I'm not sure if I should leave Thailand or not." Border disputes have caused periodic tensions between the two neighbours. Thailand and Cambodia share more than 800 kilometres of land border. The contesting claims stem largely from a 1907 map drawn under French colonial rule that was used to separate Cambodia from Thailand. Cambodia has been using the map as a reference to claim territory, while Thailand has argued the map is inaccurate. The most prominent and violent conflicts have been around the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded sovereignty over the temple area to Cambodia. The ruling became a major irritant in bilateral relations. Cambodia went back to the court in 2011, following several clashes between its army and Thai forces that killed about 20 people and displaced thousands. The court reaffirmed the ruling in Cambodia's favour in 2013. Cambodia has again turned to the international court to resolve the border disputes, but Thailand has rejected the court's jurisdiction. Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the situation was delicate. "We have to be careful," he told reporters. "We will follow international law." An attempt by Thailand's then-premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra to resolve the recent tensions via a call with Cambodia's influential former Prime Minister Hun Sen, the contents of which were leaked, kicked off a political storm in Thailand, leading to her suspension by a court. ABC/Reuters
CNA
18-07-2025
- Politics
- CNA
New clashes erupt in Syria's Druze stronghold as Bedouin reinforcements arrive
WALGHA, SYRIA: Armed tribal fighters backed by Syria's Islamist-led interim government clashed with Druze forces on Friday (Jul 18) in the southern province of Sweida, a day after the army withdrew under Israeli bombardment and US-led diplomatic pressure. The renewed violence raised fresh doubts over interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa's control, as he struggles to manage rising unrest among Syria's religious and ethnic minorities, including Kurds in the northeast and Alawites along the Mediterranean coast. The United Nations condemned the bloodshed, urging an 'independent' investigation into the unrest, which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said has killed nearly 600 people since fighting erupted on Sunday. HOSPITALS OVERWHELMED In Sweida National Hospital, bodies were stacked in refrigerated storage units as the morgue reached capacity. A small team of exhausted doctors and nurses treated the wounded in crowded hallways, AFP reported. 'We have received more than 400 bodies since Monday morning,' said Dr Omar Obeid, president of the Sweida branch of the Order of Physicians. 'There is no more room in the morgue, the bodies are in the street.' TRIBAL FIGHTERS DEPLOY Tribal fighters from across Syria were seen arriving in villages around Sweida on Friday, responding to calls for help from local Bedouin amid a deepening feud with the Druze community. Anas al-Enad, a tribal chief from Hama, said he travelled to the village of Walgha to support the Bedouin. An AFP correspondent saw burning shops and homes in the village, now under tribal control. The UK-based Observatory said the government had facilitated the movement of tribal reinforcements, as Syrian troops are barred from entering Sweida under a security arrangement brokered with Israel. ISRAEL SENDS HUMANITARIAN AID Israel, which bombed military sites in Sweida and Damascus earlier this week, said on Friday it was delivering emergency aid to the Druze population in Sweida. 'In light of the recent attacks targeting the Druze community and the severe humanitarian situation, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has ordered the urgent transfer of aid,' Israel's foreign ministry said. The aid package, worth two million shekels (nearly US$600,000), includes food parcels and medical supplies. A ceasefire was meant to take effect on Thursday, but Sharaa's office accused Druze fighters of violating the truce. The fighting has heavily damaged infrastructure, leaving Sweida's residents without water, electricity, or communication. UN DEMANDS INQUIRY The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said nearly 2,000 families have been displaced by the violence. 'The humanitarian situation is catastrophic. We cannot find milk for children,' said Rayan Maarouf, editor-in-chief of local news outlet Suwayda 24. UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Turk demanded a halt to the violence and called for 'independent, prompt and transparent investigations into all violations.' 'Those responsible must be held to account,' Turk said. TRIGGERED BY KIDNAPPING The latest unrest began on Sunday after a Druze vegetable merchant was kidnapped by local Bedouin, triggering retaliatory abductions and escalating into armed conflict, according to the Observatory. While the army was deployed to restore order, witnesses and monitors said the troops sided with the Bedouin and committed abuses against Druze civilians. The interim government, which ousted Bashar al-Assad in December, has faced criticism for failing to build inclusive ties with Syria's minority communities.
