Moral clarity or strategic paralysis? ASEAN is caught in Gaza dilemma
When Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urged closer ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) coordination on June 7 to help halt Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza, it was more than just diplomatic rhetoric -- it was a clarion call for collective regional conscience. Beneath the rhetoric, however, lies a rather confused regional bloc torn between competing instincts: solidarity versus strategy, moral posture versus economic pragmatism.
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Nikkei Asia
41 minutes ago
- Nikkei Asia
Thailand, Cambodia agree to unconditional ceasefire
From left, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet, Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai shake hands after announcing a ceasefire in the five days of cross-border fighting between Cambodia and Thailand that has killed 34 people. (Photo by Pool/Reuters) NORMAN GOH, ANANTH BALIGA and APORNRATH PHOONPHONGHIPHAT KUALA LUMPUR/PHNOM PENH/BANGKOK -- Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an unconditional ceasefire in their five-day cross-border conflict over disputed ownership of temples and other territory that has killed at least 34 people and displaced more than 270,000. After more than two hours of talks in Malaysia, hosted by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai announced hostilities would end at midnight on Monday.
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Thai, Cambodian Leaders Agree to Ceasefire after Five Days of Battle
PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, July 28 (Reuters) – The leaders of Cambodia and Thailand agreed to a ceasefire on Monday effective midnight, in a bid to bring an end to their deadliest conflict in more than a decade after five days of fierce fighting. Amid an international effort to quell the conflict, the Thai and Cambodian leaders held talks in Malaysia hosted by its Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the current chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, where both sides agreed to halt hostilities and resume direct communications. Anwar said when opening a press conference alongside the Thai and Cambodian leaders that there would be 'an immediate and unconditional ceasefire with effect from midnight tonight. This is final.' The Southeast Asian neighbours accuse each other of starting the fighting last week, before escalating it with heavy artillery bombardment and Thai air strikes along their 817-km (508-mile) land border. Anwar had proposed ceasefire talks soon after a long-running border dispute erupted into conflict on Thursday, and China and the United States also offered to assist in negotiations. U.S. President Donald Trump called both leaders at the weekend urging them to settle their differences, warning he would not conclude trade deals with them unless they ended the fighting. The tension between Thailand and Cambodia has intensified since the killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief skirmish late in May. Both sides reinforced border troops amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand's fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse. 'Today we have a very good meeting and very good results… that hope to stop immediately the fighting that has caused many lives lost, injuries and also caused displacement of people,' Hun Manet said, expressing appreciation to Trump and to China for its efforts in participating in the process. 'We hope that the solutions that Prime Minister Anwar just announced will set a condition for moving forward for our bilateral discussion to return to normalcy of the relationship, and as a foundation for future de-escalation of forces.' Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who had earlier expressed doubts about Cambodia's sincerity ahead of the negotiations in Malaysia, said Thailand had agreed to ceasefire that would 'be carried out successfully in good faith by both sides'.
Nikkei Asia
3 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
Thailand, Cambodia agree unconditional ceasefire
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet, Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai shake hands after announcing a ceasefire in the five days of cross-border fighting between Cambodia and Thailand that has killed 34 people. (Photo by Pool/Reuters) NORMAN GOH, ANANTH BALIGA and APORNRATH PHOONPHONGHIPHAT KUALA LUMPUR/PHNOM PENH/BANGKOK -- Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an unconditional ceasefire in their five-day cross-border conflict over disputed ownership of temples and other territory that has killed at least 34 people and displaced more than 270,000. After almost three hours of talks in Malaysia, hosted by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai announced hostilities would end at midnight on Monday.
