Latest news with #border tensions
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Thailand-Cambodia truce mostly holds after shaky start in wake of fighting
A ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia has been mainly holding as border tensions linger, with a truce agreement to end deadly clashes in effect, in part, due to economic pressure from United States President Donald Trump. The two neighbours agreed to an 'immediate and unconditional' ceasefire, effective from midnight, at a meeting in Malaysia on Monday after nearly a week of hostilities that saw at least 38 mostly civilian deaths and displaced nearly 300,000 more. But the ceasefire was quickly tested when Thailand's army accused Cambodia of launching attacks in multiple areas early Tuesday – claims Cambodia rejected. The ceasefire comes days before the US is expected to announce new trade tariff decisions. Cambodia and Thailand are two of the nations likely to be hit hardest as a result of Trump's punitive trade measures, with a 36% tariff on goods from both countries taking effect this coming Friday. Trump had warned that the US might not proceed with trade deals with either country if hostilities continued, giving both sides a face-saving justification for halting the clashes. Some sporadic fire had been anticipated in the hours immediately after the ceasefire took effect. A Thai government statement late Tuesday said a new clash had broken out at one of the locations where there had previously been heavy fighting. The Thai army reported exchanges of gunfire into Wednesday morning but said there was no use of heavy artillery. Jirayu Houngsub, a spokesperson for the office of Thailand's prime minister, said in a text message to journalists that the Thai military 'is currently responding and controlling the situation' at Phu Makhuea, a mountain in a disputed area next to Thailand's Sisaket province. Thailand's army had said the morning fighting stopped after military commanders along the border from both sides met. They agreed to halt troop movements, avoid escalation and establish coordination teams before a joint border committee meeting in Cambodia on August 4, army spokesman Major-General Winthai Suvaree said. Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Seiha said he spoke to his Thai counterpart about 'incidents' that occurred during the implementation of the ceasefire, but stressed that Cambodia's army abided by the truce. 'Here is not as easy to live as my home' There were signs of calm along the border, with some of the tens of thousands of people displaced by the fighting returning to their homes. But residents staying in makeshift refugee shelters on Cambodia's northwestern border were still waiting to head home. 'If they (the government) say that my village is safe to return then I would go back home and reunite with my family because here is not as easy to live as my home,' Meun Saray, a 45-year-old woman living in a tarpaulin shelter near the border town of Samraong, capital of Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province, told the Reuters news agency. The town is directly south of the O Smach border crossing, where shelling and gunfire were heard on Monday afternoon, said Meach Sovannara, head of the opposition New Generation Party, adding that some local villagers were injured after their homes were hit by stray bullets. Cambodia and Thailand have clashed in the past over their 800km (500-mile) border. The fighting began Thursday after a landmine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. 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. Some analysts say the ceasefire remains tenuous and politically complicated. Kokthay Eng, a Cambodian researcher in history, politics and international relations, warned that the ceasefire may not last if the Thai government fails to secure lower US tariffs. 'It is risky and will require clear markers to build traction,' Southeast Asian political expert Bridget Welsh said. 'A proper border survey should begin immediately. Right now, it's on pause because the roots of the conflict have yet to be addressed.'
Malay Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Thailand slams ‘inaccurate' coverage, urges fact-checking as border clashes with Cambodia enter third day
BANGKOK, July 26 — Thailand has urged foreign media to verify images and information related to the ongoing border tensions, warning that inaccurate or misleading reports could further inflame the fragile situation. Government spokesperson Jirayu Huangsap said on Saturday that several international news organisations had disseminated reports containing factual inaccuracies and miscaptioned images as border clashes entered their third consecutive day. He warned that incomplete or out-of-context reporting could lead to serious international misunderstandings. 'The Thai government is ready to provide information openly and based on facts, with full respect for the role of the media in conveying the truth to the global community. 'Should there be any uncertainties or unclear points, the media are encouraged to contact either Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Thai-Cambodian Border Situation Administration Taskforce (TCB-SAT),' he said in a statement. Citing media inaccuracies, Jirayu pointed to several examples of misleading reporting — including a headline published on July 24 that read 'Thailand bombs Cambodia with F-16s', which failed to clarify that the action was in retaliation for an earlier attack by Cambodian forces. He also highlighted miscaptioned photographs showing Thai territory and civilians that were incorrectly described as being from Cambodia. Thailand and Cambodia have been embroiled in a bitter diplomatic dispute since May 28, following an armed clash between soldiers from both sides along the disputed Preah Vihear border area. One Cambodian soldier was killed during the skirmish. The two Southeast Asian neighbours have been contesting an 817-kilometre undemarcated stretch of border for decades, a source of recurring tension and strained diplomatic relations. Most recently, Thai and Cambodian forces reportedly clashed early Thursday in a disputed border area, with each side accusing the other of sparking the latest round of violence. — Bernama
Malay Mail
7 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
‘Worrying': Anwar to call Thai, Cambodian leaders after deadly border clashes
PETALING JAYA, July 24 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today he plans to speak with his counterparts from Thailand and Cambodia, following renewed border tensions that have reportedly killed at least two civilians. Malaysia is the current chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and Anwar previously offered to mediate the dispute. The latest round of fighting escalated today when a Thai F-16 fighter jet bombed targets in Cambodia, according to reports from both sides. 'I think what's happening is worrying. Both are key members of Asean and close neighbours to Malaysia,' Anwar told reporters after delivering a keynote address at the Asean Semiconductor Summit here. 'I have sent messages to both prime ministers and look forward to speaking with them later today or tonight.' Reuters, quoting the Thai army, reported that one of the country's F-16 fighter jets readied along the disputed border had fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target. MORE TO COME
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Thai online users shared edited report about Cambodia landmine incident
As border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia continued to simmer following a deadly clash in May 2025, social media users shared a news segment with an altered news chyron falsely claiming it shows a Cambodian soldier injured after stepping on a landmine. But the original news clip shows a Thai woman who was hurt in a landmine explosion in 2023. "Cambodian soldiers planted a mine, but one stepped on it himself and was seriously injured," reads a Thai-language X post shared on July 14, 2025. The post includes a 14-second video that shows several uniformed personnel helping someone lying on the ground, with a chyron that reads: "Shocking! Cambodian soldier steps on their own landmine, loses leg". The posts emerged as a long-standing border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia escalated into a deadly clash in May 2025, killing one Cambodian soldier (archived link). The incident soured relations between Phnom Penh and Bangkok -- causing the closure of border crossings as Cambodia banned fuel and gas imports from Thailand (archived link). Cambodia media reported that as the border dispute heats up, its army trained border soldiers in mine detection and demining techniques (archived link). The country remains littered with mines, discarded ammunition and other arms from decades of war starting in the 1960s. It had aimed to be mine-free by 2025, but the government pushed the deadline back by five years because of funding challenges and new landmine fields found along the Thai border (archived link). The same claim has also been shared in an X post and on TikTok. But the original news segment shows officials tending to an injured Thai woman two years ago. A reverse image search on Google led to a longer YouTube video published by Thai broadcaster Channel 7 News on May 28, 2023 (archived link). The footage matches the video in the false post at the 1:18 mark. The original headline reads: "Officials rush to help Thai woman in Sa Kaeo after stepping on a landmine -- severed foot, heavy bleeding." Corresponding news reports by local media say the 46-year-old Thai woman was injured by a landmine while foraging in the Thai-Cambodian border area, losing her left foot (archived here and here). AFP observed the Thai-language news chyron in the clip contained misspellings and formatting inconsistencies, indicating it was digitally manipulated. The original text was replaced to suggest the incident involved Cambodian forces. Khmer Times also reported that a Cambodian soldier was also injured while trying to save the Thai woman in the same incident (archived link). AFP has debunked other misinformation related to the Cambodia-Thailand border dispute.
CTV News
14-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Cambodia will start military conscription next year as tensions with Thailand persist
In this photo released by Agence Kampuchea Press (AKP), Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet delivers a speech during ceremony to put in used the military building in northern Kampong Chhnang province, Monday, July 14, 2025. (AKP via AP) PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet said Monday that his country will implement military conscription starting next year, in an announcement that coincides with persistent border tensions with Thailand. Relations between the neighbours have deteriorated sharply following an armed confrontation on May 28 in which one Cambodian soldier was killed in one of several small contested patches of land. The sides have agreed to de-escalate their dispute to avoid further clashes, but continue to implement or threaten measures that have kept tensions high, alongside exchanging sharp words. The dispute has also roiled Thailand's domestic politics. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended from office after making what critics saw as a disparaging comment about her country's military in a phone call to Cambodia's former Prime Minister Hun Sen, who leaked a recording of it. Hun Manet, Hun Sen's son and successor, said that starting in 2026, an existing law on conscription would be implemented to fill shortages and upgrade the military's capabilities. 'This is our commitment,' Hun Manet said in a speech to military forces in the northern province of Kampong Chhnang. He wore his military uniform displaying his rank of a four-star general. Hun Manet said that soldiers joining the ranks through conscription were more effective than a voluntary force and at least as professional. The conscription law was passed in 2006, but never activated. Cambodians of both sexes, aged 18 to 30, must serve but for women, service is voluntary. Thailand has long implemented conscription for men reaching 20 years of age, with an annual lottery determining who among them is called up. The CIA's World Factbook estimates Cambodia's armed forces total 200,000 personnel, including a large force of military police. It says Thailand has 350,000 active-duty personnel in its armed forces. Hun Manet also called for increasing the military budget. Cambodia is one of the region's poorer countries, with a US$9.32 billion national budget for 2025, out of which the biggest share, US$739 million, went for defense. He also repeated calls for Thailand to reopen without conditions all border crossings it had closed, saying that Cambodia would reciprocate within hours. Sopheng Cheang, The Associated Press
