Cambodian and Thai officials meet in Malaysia to iron out ceasefire details
The July 28 ceasefire followed economic pressure from US 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. The talks this week will include finalizing details and scope of reference for an ASEAN monitoring team, Malaysian Chief of Defense Forces Gen. Mohamad Nizam Jaffar said Monday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kuwait Times
2 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
5 years after Beirut port blast, Aoun promises justice
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday vowed justice and accountability five years after a catastrophic explosion at Beirut's port, as the investigating judge finished questioning defendants, a judicial official said. Nobody has been held accountable for the August 4, 2020 blast—one of the world's largest non-nuclear explosions, which devastated swathes of the Lebanese capital, killing more than 220 people and injuring over 6,500. Authorities have said the explosion was triggered by a fire in a warehouse where tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer had been stored haphazardly for years after arriving by ship, despite repeated warnings to senior officials. Judge Tarek Bitar resumed his investigation this year as Lebanon's balance of power shifted following a war between Zionist entity and Hezbollah that weakened the Iran-backed militant group, which had spearheaded a campaign for Bitar's resignation. Aoun said the Lebanese state 'is committed to uncovering the whole truth, no matter the obstacles or how high the positions' involved. 'The law applies to all, without exception,' Aoun said in a statement. Monday has been declared a day of national mourning, and rallies demanding justice are planned later in the day, converging on the port. 'The blood of your loved ones will not be in vain,' the president told victims' families, adding: 'Justice is coming, accountability is coming.' After resuming work following a more than two-year impasse, Bitar has finished questioning defendants and suspects, a judicial official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Those questioned include former prime minister Hassan Diab, as well as military and security officials, while several former ministers did not appear for questioning, the official said. Bitar is waiting for some procedures to be completed, including receiving responses from several Arab and European countries following a request for 'information on specific incidents', the official added, without elaborating. The judge will then finalize the investigation and refer the file to the public prosecution for its opinion before he issues an indictment, the official said. President Aoun said that 'we are working with all available means to ensure the investigations are completed with transparency and integrity'. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, a former International Court of Justice judge, said on Sunday that knowing the truth and ensuring accountability were national issues, decrying decades of official impunity. Aoun and Salam took office earlier this year, in the wake of the Zionist-Hezbollah war, with both leaders pledging to uphold judicial independence. Officials named in the investigation had filed a flurry of lawsuits seeking to prevent it from going forward. Nobody is currently in custody over the case. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said in a joint statement on Monday that 'despite the resumption of the investigation, the road to justice remains littered with political and legal challenges'. They urged authorities to ensure a comprehensive, unobstructed investigation that establishes 'the facts and circumstances surrounding the explosion, encompassing the full chain of responsibility', whether domestic or international. Mariana Fodoulian from the association of victims' families said that 'for five years, officials have been trying to evade accountability, always thinking they are above the law.' 'We're not asking for anything more than the truth,' she told AFP. 'We won't stop until we get comprehensive justice.' — AFP
Arab Times
4 hours ago
- Arab Times
Bangladesh marks anniversary of Hasina's ouster with pledges for a stronger democracy
DHAKA, Bangladesh, Aug 5, (AP): Bangladesh 's interim leader Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday marked the anniversary of last year's student-led uprising by saying its spirit would build the future of the South Asian nation's democracy. Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate for his past work developing microcredit markets, spoke as the nation commemorated the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to neighboring India. But the event was held amid growing frustration over the interim administration's failure to restore order and bring political bickering under control. Yunus, flanked by senior leaders of major political parties, announced a road map aimed at national unity, democratic reforms and inclusive governance. A student group that led the anti-Hasina movement had formed a new political party, National Citizen Party, and campaigned for the declaration. Senior leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by former prime minister Khaleda Zia, and the Jamaat-e-Islami party were present Tuesday. Zia is Hasina's archrival, and her party is the main contender for power in the next election, expected early next year. The Yunus-led administration has banned the former ruling party, which had governed Bangladesh for 15 years since 2009. Hasina remains in exile. She faces trial for crimes against humanity over the hundreds of deaths during the student-led uprising. On Tuesday, leaders of the major political parties failed to agree on an exact schedule for the election. Yunus had said it would be held in April, but Zia's party wants it in February. The Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party say they have no objection to giving Yunus more time. The presence of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, the country's largest Islamist party, was especially visible Tuesday on the streets of the capital, Dhaka. The supporters of its student wing carried the flags of Bangladesh and Palestine. Bangladesh is at a crossroads, with bickering political parties struggling to find a way forward with inclusive politics.
Arab Times
5 hours ago
- Arab Times
Pakistanis hold anti-India rallies to mark 6th 'versary of revocation of Kashmir's special status
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan, Aug 5, (AP): Chanting anti-India slogans, hundreds of people rallied Tuesday in Pakistan-administered Kashmir to mark the sixth anniversary of India's revocation of the disputed region's semi-autonomous status. The rallies came nearly three months after Pakistan and India exchanged military strikes over a mass shooting in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Islamabad, a charge Pakistan denied. The confrontation raised fears of a potential nuclear conflict before global powers defused the crisis. The protesters denounced the Aug 5, 2019, revocation of Kashmir's special status by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded the restoration of statehood for the Himalayan region, which has been split between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety. The region has sparked two wars between the nuclear-armed neighbors since 1947, when the nations gained independence from Britain. The main protest Tuesday in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, drew hundreds of members of civil society and political parties. Mazhar Saeed Shah, a leader of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference - an alliance of pro-freedom Kashmiri political and religious groups - at the rally urged the international community to help ensure Kashmiris are granted the right to self-determination, as called for in UN resolutions decades ago. Similar anti-India demonstrations were held in Islamabad, where Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar reaffirmed Pakistan's moral and diplomatic support for Kashmiris seeking what he called "freedom from India's illegal occupation.' Meanwhile in Srinagar in Indian-controlled Kashmir, supporters of India's opposition Congress party rallied to demand that the government restore the statehood of the disputed region.
