Latest news with #border conflict
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Thailand and Cambodia agree to ceasefire: Will it stop the deadly fighting?
The leaders of Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to an 'unconditional' ceasefire, effective on Monday at midnight, in a bid to bring an end to their deadliest border conflict in more than a decade. Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet agreed to put down their arms after five days of fierce fighting that killed at least 36 people. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who hosted the talks in Malaysia's administrative capital, Putrajaya, said that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to an 'immediate and unconditional' ceasefire. 'This is a vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security,' Anwar declared. A meeting between the military commanders of both nations will follow on Tuesday, he added. The ceasefire will come into force at midnight (17:00 GMT) as Monday becomes Tuesday. Thailand and Cambodia have blamed each other for the border conflict that erupted on Thursday, July 24. The latest conflict, which dates back to disagreements over colonial-era maps, has displaced more than 270,000 from both sides of the Thailand-Cambodia 817-km (508-mile) land border. What did rival leaders say? Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet said: 'Today we have a very good meeting and very good results … that hope to stop immediately the fighting that has caused many lives lost, injuries and also caused displacement of people.' 'We hope that the solutions that Prime Minister Anwar just announced will set a condition for moving forward for our bilateral discussion to return to normalcy of the relationship, and as a foundation for future de-escalation of forces,' he added. Meanwhile, Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who had expressed doubts about Cambodia's sincerity ahead of negotiations in Malaysia, said Thailand had agreed to a ceasefire that would 'be carried out successfully in good faith by both sides'. In a joint statement issued after the talks had finished, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia said their respective defence ministers 'have been instructed to develop a detailed mechanism for the implementation, verification, and reporting of the ceasefire'. The sides also agreed to move ahead with a meeting of their so-called 'General Border Committee' on August 4, in Cambodia. Why were the two countries fighting? The Southeast Asian neighbours have accused each other of starting hostilities last week, before escalating the conflict with heavy artillery bombardments. Fighting began between the South Asian neighbours on July 24, following weeks of tensions which had been brewing since May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in an armed confrontation on the border. In February, a dispute over Prasat Ta Moan Thom, a Khmer temple close to the border in Thailand, intensified when Thai police stopped Cambodian tourists from singing their national anthem near the holy site. Since the start of the year, Thailand's Interior Ministry says more than 138,000 people have been evacuated from regions bordering Cambodia. On the other side, more than 20,000 Cambodians have been evacuated, according to local media. Reporting from Thailand's border province of Surin on Monday, Al Jazeera's Tony Cheng said the ceasefire announcement is welcome news for many people, especially those living along the border who have been displaced. 'There are so many people who have been affected by this, and they just want to go home so badly,' he said on Monday. But Cheng also reported that clashes were still occurring on both sides of the border, even as the talks in Malaysia had concluded. What role did the US and China play? Diplomats from the United States and China were also present at the meeting in Malaysia. Hun Manet, Cambodia's PM, said on Monday that the meeting had been 'co-organised by the United States and with participation of China'. China has strong economic links to Thailand and Cambodia, and is a close political ally of the latter. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday welcomed the ceasefire. 'The United States applauds the ceasefire declaration between Cambodia and Thailand announced today in Kuala Lumpur,' Rubio said in a statement. 'We urge all parties to follow through on their commitments.' In separate calls with Phumtham and Hun Manet on Saturday, Trump had threatened that Washington would not reach trade deals with either country as long as fighting continued. 'We're not going to make a trade deal unless you settle the war,' Trump said on Sunday, adding that both leaders expressed willingness to negotiate after speaking with him directly. Both Thailand and Cambodia face the prospect of a 36 percent US tariff from August 1. In their remarks after the meeting, both Phumtham and Hun Manet thanked Anwar and Trump, as well as China, for helping reach the ceasefire.
News24
a day ago
- Politics
- News24
Thailand, Cambodia reach ‘unconditional ceasefire' Malaysia PM Ibrahim announces
Thailand and Cambodia agreed to a ceasefire. Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the development after hosting talks. US and China were also present at the negotiations. Thailand and Cambodia will enter into an unconditional ceasefire starting at midnight on Monday, Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced. 'Both Cambodia and Thailand reached a common understanding as follows: One, an immediate and unconditional ceasefire with effect from 24 hours local time, midnight on 28th July 2025, tonight,' Anwar said after mediation talks in Malaysia. China said on Monday it welcomed efforts to end fighting between Cambodia and Thailand. 'We hope that both sides will start from the shared interests of their peoples, uphold the spirit of valuing peace and promoting good neighbourliness, remain calm and exercise restraint, cease fire and end the conflict as soon as possible,' foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said ahead of the ceasefire announcement. READ | 'I don't know when we could return home': Fear as 1000s flee Thailand Cambodia border clashes Reuters reported that the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand arrived in Malaysia on Monday for talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in their fierce border conflict, a Malaysian official said, amid an international effort to halt the fighting which entered a fifth day. Valeria Mongelli/Anadolu via Getty Images The ambassadors to Malaysia of the US and China were also present at the meeting in Malaysia's administrative capital of Putrajaya, the official said. Ibrahim, the chair of the regional bloc ASEAN, hosted the meeting his residence. At least six people were killed when a gunman opened fire at a market in Thailand's capital Bangkok on Monday, Thai police said in a statement. The fatalities include the gunman who took his own life, Charin Gopatta, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, told Reuters. 'Police are investigating the identity of the person and the motive for the incident,' Thai police said in a statement. The five people killed by the gunman were security guards at the market, it said. No tourists were killed or injured in the shooting incident, said Sanong Saengmani, a police official in Bangkok's Bang Sue district, where the market that mainly sells agricultural produce is located.
The National
a day ago
- Politics
- The National
Thailand and Cambodia begin truce talks as fighting drags on
Thailand and Cambodia's leaders started peace talks on Monday in Malaysia aimed at reaching a ceasefire after five days of fighting along the border that has killed at least 35 people. The latest escalation is the deadliest since violence between 2008 and 2011 over jungle territory that is claimed by both sides, after a vague border demarcation by Cambodia's French colonial administrators in 1907. More than 200,000 people have fled since the fighting began. US President Donald Trump − who both nations are courting for trade deals to avert the threat of eye-watering tariffs − intervened over the weekend, and said both sides had agreed to 'quickly work out' a truce. Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet began their talks in the administrative capital Putrajaya. They met at the residence of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, serving chair of the Asean bloc, of which Thailand and Cambodia are both members. Mr Ibrahim earlier told media he would focus on an 'immediate ceasefire'. Thailand's leader said there were doubts about Cambodia's sincerity ahead of the negotiations in Malaysia. 'We are not confident in Cambodia, their actions so far have reflected insincerity in solving the problem,' acting Mr Wechayachai told reporters ahead of his departure for Malaysia. 'Cambodia has violated international law, but everybody wants to see peace. Nobody wants to see violence that affects civilians.' On the eve of the talks, Thailand's military said Cambodian snipers were camped in one of the contested temples, and accused Phnom Penh of surging troops along the border and hammering Thai territory with rockets. It said there was fighting at seven areas in the rural region, marked by a ridge of hills surrounded by jungle and fields where locals farm rubber and rice. 'The situation remains highly tense, and it is anticipated that Cambodia may be preparing for a major military operation prior to entering negotiations,' the Thai military said. Cambodia has denied Thai accusations it has fired at civilian targets, and has instead said that Thailand has put innocent lives at risk. It has called for the international community to condemn Thailand's aggression against it. The tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have intensified since the killing in late May of a Cambodian soldier during a brief skirmish. Border troops on both sides were reinforced amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand's fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse. Mr Ibrahim had proposed ceasefire talks soon after the border dispute erupted into conflict on Thursday, and China and the US also offered to assist in negotiations.
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Thailand-Cambodia border clashes continue before Malaysia ceasefire talks
Clashes have continued in several areas along Thailand's disputed border with Cambodia, as fighting between the two sides entered its fifth day just hours before scheduled ceasefire talks. Leaders of the two warring Southeast Asian countries are scheduled to hold ceasefire talks in Malaysia starting at 07:00 GMT on Monday, in a bid to halt fighting that has killed at least 35 people and displaced more than 270,000 from both sides of the border. Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet are due to meet in Kuala Lumpur for talks. China is also expected to send a delegation to the talks brokered by Malaysia and being pushed by the United States. In a post on X on Monday, Hun said the purpose of the talks is to achieve an immediate ceasefire in the conflict with Thailand. However, Phumtham, before departing Bangkok on Monday, told reporters: 'We do not believe Cambodia is acting in good faith, based on their actions in addressing the issue. They need to demonstrate genuine intent, and we will assess that during the meeting.' Meanwhile, Thai army spokesperson Colonel Richa Suksuwanon told reporters on Monday that fighting continues along the border, as gunfire could be heard at dawn in Samrong in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province, The Associated Press news agency reported. On Sunday, Thailand said one person was killed and another injured after Cambodia fired a rocket in Sisaket province. Thailand's military also reported that Cambodian snipers were camping in one of the contested temples, and accused Phnom Penh of surging troops along the border and hammering Thai territory with rockets. Cambodia's Ministry of National Defence spokeswoman Maly Socheata on Monday accused Thailand of deploying 'a lot of troops' and firing 'heavy weapons' into the Cambodian territory. Socheata claimed that before dawn on Monday, the Thai military targeted areas near the ancient Ta Muen Thom and the Ta Kwai temples, which Cambodia claims are its territory but are being disputed by Thailand. She also accused the Thai military of firing smoke bombs from aircraft over Cambodian territory and heavy weapons at its soldiers, adding that Cambodian troops 'were able to successfully repel the attacks'. Al Jazeera's Tony Cheng, reporting from Thailand's border province of Surin, said the mediators have been 'very reluctant' to acknowledge the holding of talks in the Malaysian capital. 'The Malaysian Foreign Ministry was incredibly nervous. Last week, they had said that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had brokered a peace deal only to be shot down very quickly by the Thai Foreign Ministry,' Cheng said. Still, Cheng said a mounting death toll and the number of displaced people could give the two leaders the 'motivation' to resolve the crisis peacefully. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday said US officials 'are on the ground in Malaysia to assist these peace efforts', while Anwar told domestic media he would focus on securing an 'immediate ceasefire'.
CNA
2 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Commentary: Trump's call didn't stop the fighting in Thailand and Cambodia. Can Malaysia do better?
SINGAPORE: In a few hours, Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet will sit down for peace talks in Malaysia, amid an escalating border conflict that has killed at least 30 people and displaced thousands more. The visit to Kuala Lumpur on Monday (Jul 28) by the leaders will offer the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) a chance to preserve its treasured centrality and demonstrate a capacity to solve its problems on its own rather than under external intervention or pressure. It also offers current ASEAN chair, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, an opportunity to create a legacy. This is something that has thus far eluded him, and ASEAN in the other major crisis it faces – Myanmar's seemingly intractable and ongoing civil war. The scheduled talks follow a characteristically unilateral announcement on Saturday by United States President Donald Trump claiming both countries had agreed to work out a ceasefire after he threatened to cease trade talks if the fighting did not stop soon. Cambodia had already proposed a ceasefire, but Thailand – after the call from Mr Trump – said while it agreed in principle with a ceasefire, the onus was on Cambodia to stand down. Mr Trump's announcement did not seem to have any effect. There was no sign of de-escalation. Within hours of a brief pause, Thailand and Cambodia were exchanging rocket and gun fire again, possibly with each intent on gaining advantage on the ground ahead of a truce so that a clear win could be presented domestically. A WINDOW FOR ASEAN Speculation on the origins of the conflict ranges from bad blood over business and economic interests – from casinos to scam centres – to personal falling out between the Hun and Shinawatra families; to domestic agendas to prop up wobbly political parties and mandates; and even superpower rivalry between the US, an ally of Thailand, and China which has significant economic interests in Cambodia. Premier Hun Manet's father Hun Sen – now President of the country's Senate and viewed as the de facto leader of Cambodia – may indeed feel he has greater strategic space with China's backing, given China's interests in Cambodia. But while there may be some element of truth in that, it risks falling into the trap of seeing the conflict through an American, China-centric prism. China took pains last week to say the weaponry Cambodia was using was old stock supplied not recently but previously by Beijing. In fact, any definitive explanation without real evidence is suspect; the origins of the conflict remain opaque and likely only really known to a relatively small circle of power elites in both capitals. Regardless, neither country wants to be seen domestically to bending to external pressure. This offers a thus far ineffective ASEAN response new traction. Conversely, the opportunity puts pressure on Mr Anwar, who may be seen as somewhat compromised by his decision earlier this year to appoint former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as an adviser – even if one of several – to the ASEAN chair he holds. Thus while the meeting offers hope, underlying complexities should not be underestimated. The proximate and historical causes of the conflict may be many, and significantly intertwined, but what is evident and indisputable is that what tipped a volatile situation over the edge was a falling out between old friends Mr Hun Sen and Mr Thaksin. The latter's daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra – who became prime minister only last August – has been suspended pending an ethics investigation over her leaked phone call with Mr Hun Sen, throwing Thailand's civilian coalition government into some disarray and giving its military an opportunity to wave its nationalist credentials. 'Failure to secure a meaningful and lasting ceasefire could severely damage ASEAN's credibility as a regional problem-solver, especially given past criticisms of its effectiveness in other regional crises,' Professor Pavin Chachavalpongpun of Kyoto University's Centre for Southeast Asian Studies told me. THE LIMITS OF MEDIATION The meeting signals a step towards de-escalation, but it doesn't magically resolve the deep-seated territorial disputes, nationalistic sentiments and historical grievances that fuelled this conflict, Professor Pavin added. 'The true test will be whether it leads to genuine, sustained efforts to address the root causes, or merely provides a temporary pause in hostilities.' That the conflict so easily ignited historical grievances underscores its unfinished nature. A particularly disturbing aspect – mirroring the India-Pakistan crisis in May – is the jingoism that has reached such levels, even in the local media, that it has prompted some civil society organisations to speak out. Thailand's Assembly of the Poor for instance, last week said: 'We resist the ultra-patriotism and militarism that makes states turn their back on people, while manipulating fear, hatred and loss as their political instruments.' Securing a ceasefire may be the easiest part of Monday's meeting. The more difficult aspects will however have to be addressed by political-military elites in Cambodia and Thailand, to avoid a repetition of a cycle that, with tourism and investor confidence plunging, both countries can ill afford.
