Thailand-Cambodia border calm as military commanders hold talks
Thai and Cambodian leaders met in Malaysia on Monday and agreed to a ceasefire deal to halt their deadliest conflict in more than a decade that has killed at least 40 people, mostly civilians, and displaced over 300,000 in both countries.
ALSO READ: Paetongtarn slams Cambodia as dishonourable for violating ceasefire
Although Thailand's military said that there had been attacks by Cambodian troops in at least five locations early on Tuesday, violating the ceasefire that had come into effect from midnight, commanders from both sides met and held talks, a Thai army spokesman said.
This includes negotiations between the general leading Thailand's 2nd region army, which oversees the stretch of the frontier that has seen the heaviest fighting during the conflict, and his Cambodian counterpart, Thai Major Gen. Winthai Suvaree told reporters.
The commanders, who met at the border, agreed to maintain the ceasefire, stop any troop movement, and facilitate the return of the wounded and dead bodies, he said.
"Each side will establish a coordinating team of four to resolve any problems," Winthai said.
In Bangkok, Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who travelled to the Malaysian capital to secure the truce deal, said he had spoken to Cambodia's defence minister and calm had returned to border area.
"There is no escalation," Phumtham told reporters. "Right now things are calm."
Maly Socheata, a spokesperson for the Cambodian Defence Ministry, said at a briefing on Tuesday that there had been no new fighting along the border.
Vehicular traffic and daily activity resumed in the Kantharalak district of Thailand's Sisaket province on Tuesday, about 30 km from the frontlines, where Thai and Cambodian troops remain amassed.
Chaiya Phumjaroen, 51, said he returned to town to reopen his shop early on Tuesday, after hearing of the ceasefire deal on the news.
"I am very happy that a ceasefire happened," he said. "If they continue to fight, we have no opportunity to make money." In Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province, 63-year-old Ly Kim Eng sat in front of a makeshift tarpaulin shelter, waiting for directions after hearing of the ceasefire deal.
"So, if the authorities announce it is safe for all of the refugees to return home, I would immediately return," he said.
The South-East Asian neighbours have wrangled for decades over their disputed frontier and have been on a conflict footing since the killing of a Cambodian soldier in a skirmish late in May, which led to a troop buildup on both sides and a full-blown diplomatic crisis.
Monday's peace talks came after a sustained push by Malaysian Premier Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and US President Donald Trump, with the latter warning Thai and Cambodian leaders that trade negotiations would not progress if fighting continued.
Thailand and Cambodia face a tariff of 36 per cent on their goods in the US, their biggest export market, unless a reduction can be negotiated. After the ceasefire deal was reached, Trump said he had spoken to both leaders and had instructed his trade team to restart tariff talks.
Pichai Chunhavajira, Thailand's finance minister, said on Tuesday that trade talks with Washington are expected to be concluded before August 1, and that US tariffs on the country are not expected to be as high as 36 per cent.
The ceasefire deal reflected a rare convergence of interest between the US and China, which also pushed for the talks, but the agreement itself remained fragile and third-party monitoring was essential to keep it in place, said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.
"The ceasefire agreement has to be enforced," he said. "It cannot be left to Thailand and Cambodia to implement because the hostilities are running so deep now." - Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
30 minutes ago
- The Star
Thaksin's niece files complaint over false claims of being a "Cambodian spy"
BANGKOK: Chayika Wongnapachant (pic), advisor to the Foreign Minister and niece of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, filed a police complaint on Monday (Aug 4) after being falsely accused on social media of being a 'Cambodian spy'. She posted an image of the police report, stating that someone had shared a photo of her along with a false caption, spreading the claim that she was working for Cambodia. The post had been widely circulated on Facebook and Twitter (X). Chayika clarified that she has never had any ties to Cambodia, stating, 'I have never had any connections with Cambodian nationals'. She also explained that she has been a single mother for five years and has never been married to a Cambodian national. While one of her cousins had previously been married to a Cambodian, they divorced over five years ago. She further emphasised that no one in her family has any ongoing connection to Cambodia, despite the false accusations. She went on to say, 'I am exercising my legal rights as a citizen to file a complaint with the police and have the matter investigated. This complaint extends not only to those who posted the defamatory image and message but also to those who shared or commented on it, as it has caused harm to me and my family.' Chayika concluded by stressing that both she and her family are Thai nationals who love and respect their country, religion, and monarchy, and that national love should not be restricted to any one group. She called for fairness from society, asserting, 'I ask for justice from the public.' Chayika is the daughter of Yaowares Shinawatra and Weerachai Wongnapachant, making her the niece of Thaksin Shinawatra and Yingluck Shinawatra. - The Nation/ANN
The Sun
30 minutes ago
- The Sun
Safe internet campaign educates children on online risks in Kuala Nerang
KUALA NERANG: A total of 101 students from Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Lamdin recently took part in the Safe Internet Campaign, aimed at raising awareness about online risks and threats among children. Organised by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the campaign is designed to enhance students' understanding, particularly those under the age of 13, of responsible internet use and the functions of various online applications. This edition of KIS focused on the Siamese community, as SK Lamdin has a majority of students from the Thai ethnic group. The programme utilised the Teaching Session Plan (RSP) module for two age categories: Primary School Students aged 7–9 and those aged 10–12. SK Lamdin's Senior Administrative Assistant, Cikgu Amran Salleh, said the campaign effectively improved students' awareness about safe and responsible internet use, especially for children under 13 whose cognitive development is still maturing. 'A total of 10 facilitators from the National Information Dissemination Centre (NADI) in the Padang Terap Cluster were involved in conducting the module activities,' he said at the closing of the campaign, which was also attended by Kedah MCMC deputy director Sharliza Saary. Cikgu Amran said the campaign also addressed the dangers of unregulated internet usage while promoting more positive and productive alternatives for students. 'This initiative has successfully met its objectives by increasing students' understanding of digital literacy, age limits for social media use, the risks of cyberbullying, and safety practices when using the internet,' he said. Prior to that, it was discovered that 78 students at the school had active social media accounts. However, following the awareness sessions, nearly all of them agreed to refrain from using social media until they reach the age of 13. At the end of the programme, Cikgu Norhazifah Mohd Noor was named the K-DAT KIS Icon in the Teacher Category, while Plai Foon A/P Mongkon was awarded the same title in the Student Category. - Bernama
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Streamlined Perkeso initiative sees 44,998 in B40 group receive aid
KUALA LUMPUR: The Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) has extended assistance to 44,998 individuals nationwide through its Social Synergy Programme from 2019 up to July this year. Its chief executive officer, Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed, said the initiative has streamlined the aid process by eliminating the need for individuals to knock on the doors of multiple social aid agencies. "The programme, first developed in 2017 as a Perkeso initiative, was designed to eradicate poverty and enhance the standard of living by ensuring that eligible recipients, particularly those in the B40 group, are not left out of the assistance ecosystem. "The issue of exclusion error was highlighted in a 2018 global monitoring agency survey, which revealed that 34 per cent of Malaysian households who were eligible for aid did not receive the financial assistance they urgently needed," he said in his speech at the Social Synergy Congress today. To address this, he said the Social Synergy Programme, which to date has recorded 979 collaborations involving 117 agencies and 862 community leaders nationwide, now acts as the eyes and ears of Perkeso. Azman cited an example where, upon the death of a contributor, strategic partners immediately alert Perkeso to verify the next of kin's eligibility for benefits. "All strategic partners complement one another by matching individuals in need, referred to as prospects, with the relevant agencies under the umbrella of the Social Synergy Programme. "I am pleased to share that between 2019 and July this year, 44,998 prospects from across the country were successfully channelled to various agencies for aid. This integrated approach means those in need no longer have to seek help from one agency after another," he said. He added that Perkeso officers must not remain passive behind counters, waiting for contributors or their next of kin to come forward. "Instead, Perkeso must be proactive by going to the ground to identify and assist eligible contributors and their families. We must be present to lift those who have fallen. "We want the first knock on the door of a grieving family to come not from a debt collector, but from Perkeso, delivering social justice in their time of need," he said. Speaking about the congress, now in its third edition, Azman said it was more than just a physical gathering. "It is a manifestation of unity among various agencies in our mission to eradicate hardcore poverty and to build an inclusive and sustainable social protection network. "With the theme 'Social Synergy Programme: Culture or Process?', this congress invites us to reflect critically — is Social Synergy merely an administrative process governed by models and guidelines, or has it evolved into a culture of inter-agency collaboration rooted in values of humanity, empathy and care?" he said. During the event, Perkeso also signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with three strategic partners, believed to strengthen its mission of building a comprehensive, inclusive and sustainable social protection system. The signing, held in conjunction with the Social Synergy Congress today, involved the Penang Regional Development Authority (Perda), the Darul Ta'zim Family Development Foundation (YPKDT), and One Hope Welfare & Charity. The partnership between Perkeso and the three organisations covers cross-agency referral of aid recipients, targeted data sharing and matching, as well as the empowerment of human capital through skills development and socio-economic support.
