Thailand returns two wounded Cambodian soldiers holds 18 of their comrades
Eighteen other Cambodian soldiers remain in Thai custody, with Cambodia demanding their immediate release under international humanitarian law, while Thailand states it is following legal procedures.
Both nations offer conflicting accounts of the soldiers' capture and continue to accuse each other of breaching the laws of war, including targeting civilians.
The recent fighting resulted in over three dozen deaths and displaced more than 260,000 people from their homes.
Despite a ceasefire, military representatives are scheduled to meet next week to discuss avoiding further clashes, though the underlying territorial claims will not be addressed.
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The Independent
7 hours ago
- The Independent
Thailand and Cambodia hold high-stakes border talks in Malaysia amid fragile ceasefire
Top defence officials of Thailand and Cambodia began talks in Malaysia on Monday to hold the ceasefire on the border, a week after the worst fighting broke out between the two Southeast Asian countries in decades. The meeting of the General Border Committee, a bilateral mechanism established between two neighbours to resolve border issues, will continue for four days, concluding with the meeting of the defence ministers of the two countries on Thursday. The defence ministers' meeting will be joined by observers from Malaysia, the US and China. The meeting was held in Kuala Lumpur at a neutral venue and was extended from one day to four days at the request of Thailand due to the sensitivity of the situation. Malaysia brokered a ceasefire with the help of delegations from the US and China on 29 July after five days of fighting killed 43 people and displaced hundreds of thousands on both sides of the border. Mostly civilians were killed in the border clashes that included artillery fire and jet fighter sorties after the two sides blamed each other for triggering the conflict. While the ceasefire holds, the Cambodian defence ministry on Sunday accused Thailand of violating the ceasefire agreement by using excavators and laying barbed wire in a contested border area. Thailand said both sides are maintaining their position without any significant movements, however, it accused Cambodia of reinforcement along the border. But "there are reports that the Cambodian side has modified their positions and reinforced their troops in key areas... to replace personnel lost in each area," said Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri, a Thai military spokesperson. Cambodia also demanded that Thailand release 18 of its captured soldiers as soon as possible. Thailand said in a statement that the group are being treated well as "prisoners of war" and will be released after "a complete cessation of the armed conflict, not just a ceasefire." The clashes, which began near the ancient Ta Moan Thom temple in Thailand's Surin province, quickly spread to other disputed areas. Cambodian officials accused Thailand of launching air strikes and dropping bombs on roads inside its territory. Thailand blamed Cambodia for laying new landmines – one of which injured a Thai soldier and prompted a swift military response, including the deployment of F-16 fighter jets.
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
Cambodian and Thai officials meet in Malaysia to iron out ceasefire details
Thai and Cambodia n officials met in Malaysia on Monday for the first round of cross-border committee talks since a tense ceasefire was brokered last week after five days of deadly armed border clashes that killed dozens and displaced over 260,000 people. The four-day General Border Committee meetings were initially due to be hosted by Cambodia, but both sides later agreed to a neutral venue in Malaysia, the annual chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which has mediated the halt in hostilities last month. The July 28 ceasefire followed economic pressure from President Donald Trump, who had warned the two warring nations that the U.S. would not conclude trade deals with them if the fighting persisted. Washington lowered tariffs on goods from the two countries from 36% to 19% on Aug. 1 following the truce. Monday's talks focused on ironing out details to avoid further clashes. Discussions of the decades-long competing territorial claims over the pockets of land near the shared border are not on the agenda. Thailand and Cambodia have been feuding neighbors for centuries, since both were mighty empires. In modern times, a 1962 ruling by the International Court of Justice awarding Cambodia the land on which the ancient Preah Vihear temple stands marked a new low point in relations, and other border territory remained claimed by both countries. Fighting erupted in 2011 at Preah Vihaer, after which the International Court of Justice in 2013 reaffirmed its earlier ruling, rankling Thailand. Relations deteriorated again sharply in May this year, when a Cambodian soldier was shot dead in a brief fracas in one of the disputed border zones, setting off diplomatic and trade sanctions, one against the other. Soon after two incidents last month in which Thai soldiers were wounded by land mines in disputed territory, for which Thailand blamed Cambodia, the two sides downgraded diplomatic relations and fighting broke out, each side blaming the other for starting the armed clashes. Thai Deputy Defense Minister Gen. Natthaphon Nakpanit is leading a delegation that includes representatives of all branches of the military, in addition to the police force and the ministries of foreign affairs, interior and defense, as well as the National Security Council. Thai military spokesperson Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri in Bangkok said the main session of the General Border Committee on Thursday would include observers from Malaysia, the United States and China. Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Seiha is leading Cambodia's delegation, accompanied by armed forces commander Gen. Vong Pisen. Despite the truce, tensions have persisted as both countries organized tours of the former battle areas for foreign diplomats and other observers to highlight damage allegedly caused by the other side. The two countries also continue to accuse each other of having violated international humanitarian laws with attacks on civilians and the use of illegal weapons.
Reuters
9 hours ago
- Reuters
Singapore launches economic review to map future amid trade and tech shifts
SINGAPORE, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Singapore is launching a broad review to secure the city-state's future as a trade and financial hub, announcing committees on Monday to look into areas such as competitiveness, artificial intelligence, and how restructuring would affect people. The economic strategy review will have five committees, each chaired by two government ministers and including members from the business, academic and social sectors, and they are due to publish their recommendations by mid-2026. "We must reinforce Singapore's competitive positioning as a key hub for trade and investment and remain relevant to the global economy," Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Gan Kim Yong said at a press conference. The review comes as U.S. tariffs and global trade tensions threaten the Southeast Asian nation's growth, where trade is three times the size of its gross domestic product. Singapore's exports to the U.S. remain subject to a 10% baseline tariff after U.S. President Donald Trump set new tariffs for dozens of countries, but authorities are still waiting for clarity on proposed sector-specific tariffs in areas such as pharmaceuticals. Last week, the central bank said the effective U.S. tariff rate on Singapore's exports rose to 7.8% in July from 6.8% in April on the back of steel and aluminium tariff hikes. The Monetary Authority of Singapore held its policy settings steady last week, adopting a wait-and-see approach to trade tensions after easing at its previous two reviews this year. While the economy grew at a better-than-expected annual rate of 4.3% in the second quarter, according to preliminary data, authorities have warned that growth is likely to slow as the impact of frontloading of orders to beat the U.S. tariffs tapers off.
