Rift between Cambodia, Thailand deepens over landmine blast as ex-leaders Hun Sen, Thaksin trade barbs
This comes even as the former leaders of the two countries continue a squabbling match, with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen saying that he has no desire to communicate with former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The two were once seen as close allies when they were in power.
But the latest salvo by Hun Sen on Sunday appeared to take a jibe at the legal troubles facing Thaksin after the latter over the weekend told Thai media that he has stopped communicating with his former ally.
In a Facebook post, Hun Sen said that it should be him who stopped communicating with Thaksin after the latter's daughter 'was arrogant and looked down on me', referring to former Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
'Moreover, I have no interest in speaking with someone who has been convicted and is preparing to face additional charges. So, don't think too highly of yourself - talking to you only brings me trouble!' Hun Sen wrote, as reported by Thai news outlet The Nation.
Thaksin had earlier on Saturday told Thai media that he was determined to stop communicating with Hun Sen, citing fears that his conversations were being secretly recorded.
The former Cambodian leader also criticised Thaksin for calling him 'immoral' earlier.
'I want to ask you, if I lack morality, why did you rely on me for 19 years, from 2006 to 2025, constantly listening to my advice and even calling me 'Leader Number One'?' Hun Sen said.
He also said that since Thaksin became involved in Thai politics, 'Thailand has been in great turmoil', adding that he did not want to bring up 'vile' insults Thaksin allegedly made against the Thai monarchy.
Thaksin was twice elected as Thailand's prime minister, but he was toppled in a military coup in 2006. He fled in 2008 to avoid a jail sentence for corruption that he claimed was politically motivated and returned to Thailand in August 2023.
And just last week, Thaksin testified in court seeking to defend himself against royal defamation charges in a watershed case for his faltering political dynasty. His daughter, Paetongtarn, is also facing political struggles of her own after being suspended as prime minister following a leaked phone call between her and Hun Sen after a row over border territory.
THREE THAI SOLDIERS INJURED IN LATEST INCIDENT
On the issue of border skirmishes, the Thai foreign ministry on Sunday said that the landmines were a serious violation of international law and an infringement of Thai sovereignty.
The statement by foreign ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura came after three Thai soldiers were injured following a blast near the Chong Bok border area in Ubon Ratchathani province on Jul 16, The Nation reported.
It added inspections by Thai authorities found that the landmines used in the incident were newly planted and not part of Thailand's arsenal or inventory.
'The Thai government condemns in the strongest terms the use of anti-personnel landmines. Such actions violate Thailand's sovereignty and territorial integrity and are in direct contravention of the fundamental principles of international law as stated in the United Nations Charter,' Nikorndej was quoted as saying by The Nation.
Meanwhile, the Bangkok Post reported that the Thai military has begun mine-clearing operations in the Chong Bok border area, also known as Mom Bei in Cambodia.
Combat engineers from the Suranaree Task Force – a unit of the Royal Thai Army that is responsible for border security and operations along the Thai-Cambodian border – carried out operations from Sunday morning in response to a report that about 100 landmines were found there after Cambodian soldiers had retreated.
The landmine blast on Jul 16 saw three Thai soldiers injured, including one who lost a foot.
It is the latest incident after Cambodian and Thai armies on May 28 exchanged fire near Mom Bei - also known as the Emerald Triangle - that resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Indonesian military's new pharma role sparks fears of expanded powers
JAKARTA: Indonesia's military will begin manufacturing medicines for public distribution under a new agreement, officials said on Tuesday (Jul 22), in the latest expansion of the armed forces' role in civilian affairs since President Prabowo Subianto took office. The president, a former defence minister and special forces commander, has expanded the powerful military's role in civic affairs since taking office last year - including running much of his flagship project to serve free school meals. In March, Indonesia's parliament - which is dominated by Prabowo's coalition - also passed a revision to military law that allows more civilian posts to be occupied by soldiers, sparking protests by student and activist groups. The moves have dismantled some of the safeguards put in place after authoritarian leader Suharto was overthrown in 1998 and raised fears of a return to an era when the armed forces were allowed to crush dissent and dominate public life. Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin late on Tuesday signed an agreement with the food and drug agency for laboratories operated by the army, navy, and air force, which previously supplied medicines for soldiers, to begin manufacturing drugs for public use. "We are thinking of ways to lower the price even more so we could provide free medicines," Sjafrie told reporters. Mass production will begin in October and the medicines will be distributed to villages across Indonesia at 50 per cent below the retail price, Sjafrie said. Military involvement is expected to curb the flow of illegal medicines and fight the "mafia" in the medical industry, said the drug agency's head Taruna Ikrar. But rights groups have said that the agreement was unlawful as it brought serving military officials into civilian business positions - prohibited under military law. "This is a symptom of how the government has shifted into authoritarianism," said Usman Hamid from Amnesty International Indonesia. The military and Prabowo's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The medicines will be distributed by 80,000 state-backed cooperatives launched by Prabowo on Monday, Sjafrie said. Prabowo's cooperatives were set up to boost economic activity and cut out middlemen by providing services directly to the general public including giving loans and selling medicines and staple foods. The defence minister has also signed another agreement with the health ministry to build hospitals staffed by military doctors and nurses in conflict areas, including Papua province, where a low-level insurgency has battled for independence for decades.
CNA
7 hours ago
- CNA
Former preschool teacher pleads guilty to kicking 4-year-old girl, leaving bruise
SINGAPORE: A former preschool teacher pleaded guilty on Tuesday (Jul 22) to kicking a four-year-old girl as she felt that the child, who was seated, had nearly caused her to trip. The child felt pain on her shin, which became bruised. Alamelu Paramaguru, a 57-year-old Singaporean, admitted to one charge of ill-treating a child under the Children and Young Persons Act. The court heard that she was known as "Teacher Meloo" at the kindergarten, which cannot be named due to a gag order preventing identification of the victim. The child was in Kindergarten 1 at the time of the offence in April 2024. On Apr 2, 2024, Alamelu was in charge of the K1 class. After morning lessons, the children had lunch and a bath. They were to have a nap around noon. At about 11.55am, Alamelu sanitised the sleeping cots and placed them on the floor. She instructed a group of seven students, including the victim, to move away from a corner of the classroom as she wanted to place the cots there. Six of them moved, but the victim remained seated on the floor. Alamelu began moving a cot to the corner. After this, she turned and felt that she had nearly been tripped by the victim, although she did not trip or fall. Alamelu became angry. She forcefully kicked the girl on her right shin while scolding and shouting at her to sit properly. The child felt pain and hugged her shin before burying her face. Alamelu did not attend to the girl and continued to scold her. Later that evening, the girl told her mother that Teacher Meloo had kicked her as she was "not sitting properly". Her mother saw a bruise on the girl's shin and immediately spoke to other teachers, since Alamelu had left for the day. The teachers said they would bring the matter up with the principal the next day, and the victim's mother lodged a police report that same night. The girl was seen at KK Women's and Children's Hospital with a bruise measuring 1cm by 1cm. She was given two days of medical leave and some cream. During investigations, Alamelu said she could not remember what had happened when asked if she had done anything to the girl. She said that, "unconsciously", her foot could have touched or made contact with the girl's leg. Alamelu, who is defended by Mr Jonathan Wong from Tembusu Law, is no longer with the school. CNA has contacted the Early Childhood Development Agency for more information. She will return to court for mitigation and sentencing in August.
Independent Singapore
9 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Sylvia Lim's memoir to be published by Epigram Books in 2027
Sylvia Lim. FB screengrab/ The Workers Party SINGAPORE: Sylvia Lim, who has chaired the Workers' Party (WP) for over two decades now, is working on her memoir. According to an Instagram post, it will be published by Epigram Books in 2027. Ms Lim, like Singapore has turned 60 this year. Her story is part of a series of profiles of people who were born in 1965, as featured in . The project was launched by Tay Kay Chin, who was, as one might have guessed, born in the same year. It was announced in a b1965 Instagram post on Jul 17 that Ms Lim is working on her life story. Screenshot In a comment on the post, Ms Lim noted how meaningful it is to be included in Mr Tay's collection of profiles, adding, 'As we celebrate SG60, it is opportune to reflect on our personal journeys and fascinating to see where our cohort mates have been.' While those who are interested in knowing more about Ms Lim's life story will have to wait a couple of years before the book is published, the b1965 interview provides fascinating insights into Ms Lim's background, including the desire from her youth to be of service to society. 'When it comes to what I want to do in my life or my career choices, it always has to be in terms of contributing to society,' she said, adding a while later that 'one of the main slogans of the WP since the 1970s was 'Towards a caring society.' That means something to me. It means that the poor and the underprivileged will always have a special place in WP's agenda.' Ms Lim, a former police officer and law lecturer, joined the WP in 2001, after reaching out to the then secretary-general, Low Thia Khiang. She was elected party chair in 2003. After having served as a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament from 2006 to 2011, she was elected as an MP for Aljunied GRC and is now in her fourth term, representing the Paya Lebar ward. She also talked briefly in the interview about her husband, Quah Kim Song, one of Singapore's football greats, saying that one great thing about him is that 'he wears his heart on his sleeve.' The pair got married earlier this year, after more than a dozen years of being together. When asked to compare her journey with that of Singapore, she said, 'Singapore, in the early days, we were finding our way. And now, after 60 years of so-called independence, there are new challenges. So, broadly speaking, I find that it is similar to us as well.' /TISG Read also: '60 is the new 40' — Sylvia Lim on the important role of older workers () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
