Thailand and Cambodia to Hold Talks on Deadly Border Conflict in Malaysia
Talks are scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. local time (0700 GMT) on Monday, with acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai leading the Thai negotiating team, the government announced in a statement on Sunday night.
Malaysia, which chairs the ASEAN regional cooperation forum, has informed the Thai government that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet would also be attending the talks, the statement said.
Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have intensified since the late-May killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief border skirmish. Border troops on both sides were reinforced amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand's fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse.
Hostilities resumed on Thursday and, within just four days, escalated into the worst fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours in more than a decade.
The death toll has risen above 30, including 13 civilians in Thailand and eight in Cambodia, while authorities report that more than 200,000 people have been evacuated from border areas.
Monday's talks come after Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim last week proposed a ceasefire and U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the two leaders had agreed to work on a ceasefire.
CALLS FOR PEACE
Bangkok and Phnom Penh have each accused the other side of sparking last week's hostilities.
Cambodia's Defence Ministry said Thailand had shelled and launched ground assaults on Sunday morning at a number of points along the border. The ministry's spokesperson said heavy artillery was fired at historic temple complexes.
'For me, I think it is great if Thailand agreed to stop fighting so both countries can live with peace,' Phnom Penh university student Sreung Nita told Reuters.
The Thai army said Cambodian forces had fired shots into several areas, including near civilian homes, on Sunday, and were mobilising long-range rocket launchers.
'The situation remains tense and Cambodian troops may be preparing intensified military operations to inflict maximum damage in the final stages before negotiations,' the army said in an update.
In the Thai province of Sisaket, Reuters reporters heard shelling throughout Sunday and said it was unclear which side of the border it was on.
A government health clinic about 10 km (6 miles) from the border had shattered windows, collapsed walls and exposed wiring. Local media reported it was hit by artillery on Saturday, two days after the building and surrounding neighbourhood was evacuated.
Only a few men remained to look after their homes, camping near a makeshift bunker they had dug for protection. Intermittent sounds of artillery fire could be heard in the distance.
'It's great that America is insisting on the ceasefire because it would bring peace,' Sisaket resident Thavorn Toosawan told Reuters.
Thailand and Cambodia have bickered for decades over undemarcated points along their 817-km (508-mile) land border, with ownership of the ancient Hindu temples Ta Moan Thom and the 11th century Preah Vihear central to the disputes.
Preah Vihear was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962, but the situation worsened in 2008 after Cambodia attempted to list it as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Skirmishes over several years brought at least a dozen deaths.
Cambodia said in June it had asked the International Court of Justice to resolve its disputes with Thailand. Bangkok says it has never recognised the court's jurisdiction and prefers a bilateral approach.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nikkei Asia
a few seconds ago
- Nikkei Asia
Australia widens teen social media ban to YouTube
SYDNEY (Reuters) -- Australia said on Wednesday it will add YouTube to sites covered by its world-first ban on social media for teenagers, reversing an earlier decision to exempt the Alphabet-owned video-sharing site and potentially setting up a legal challenge. The decision came after the internet regulator urged the government last month to overturn the YouTube carve-out, citing a survey that found 37% of minors reported harmful content on the site, the worst showing for a social media platform. "I'm calling time on it," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement highlighting that Australian children were being negatively affected by online platforms, and reminding social media of their social responsibility. "I want Australian parents to know that we have their backs." The decision broadens the ban set to take effect in December. YouTube says it is used by nearly three-quarters of Australians aged 13 to 15, and should not be classified as social media because its main activity is hosting videos. "Our position remains clear: YouTube is a video sharing platform with a library of free, high-quality content, increasingly viewed on TV screens. It's not social media," a YouTube spokesperson said by email. Since the government said last year it would exempt YouTube due to its popularity with teachers, platforms covered by the ban, such as Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, have complained. They say YouTube has key similarities to their products, including letting users interact and recommending content through an algorithm based on activity. The ban outlaws YouTube accounts for those younger than 16, allowing parents and teachers to show videos on it to minors. "Teachers are always curators of any resource for appropriateness (and) will be judicious," said Angela Falkenberg, president of the Australian Primary Principals Association, which supports the ban. Artificial intelligence has supercharged the spread of misinformation on social media platforms such as YouTube, said Adam Marre, chief information security officer at cyber security firm Arctic Wolf. "The Australian government's move to regulate YouTube is an important step in pushing back against the unchecked power of big tech and protecting kids," he added in an email. The reversal sets up a fresh dispute with Alphabet, which threatened to withdraw some Google services from Australia in 2021 to avoid a law forcing it to pay news outlets for content appearing in searches. Last week, YouTube told Reuters it had written to the government urging it "to uphold the integrity of the legislative process". Australian media said YouTube threatened a court challenge, but YouTube did not confirm that. "I will not be intimidated by legal threats when this is a genuine fight for the well-being of Australian kids," Communications Minister Anika Wells told parliament on Wednesday. The law passed in November only requires "reasonable steps" by social media platforms to keep out Australians younger than 16, or face a fine of up to A$49.5 million. The government, which is due to receive a report this month on tests of age-checking products, has said those results will influence enforcement of the ban.
The Diplomat
an hour ago
- The Diplomat
Southeast Asia's Transshipment Dilemma in the China-US Trade War
The United States' tightening of export controls on advanced technologies, led by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)'s Entity List and Foreign Direct Product Rule, aims to curb Chinese access to sensitive U.S. technologies. Yet these tools are increasingly circumvented through Southeast Asia, where Chinese firms exploit jurisdictional loopholes by routing goods through affiliates in open economies such as Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Cambodia. In addition, Chinese companies facing higher tariff rates have resorted to routing their goods through countries in Southeast Asia. These transshipments are a topic of increasing concern for Washington, as evidenced by their special mention in trade deals reached with Vietnam and Indonesia. While these evasion tactics challenge U.S. trade policy enforcement, they pose a deeper risk to Southeast Asia's long-term economic integrity, regulatory autonomy, and strategic positioning between the United States and China, the region's two largest trade partners. Southeast Asia's success relies on the continued openness of trade, but that very openness is now under stress as external regulations collide with free trade norms. Southeast Asian countries must now navigate the complex task of maintaining economic prosperity and neutrality, while preventing their jurisdictions from becoming conduits for regulatory evasion. Recent events highlight the extent of the challenge. Between April and July of this year, Vietnam intercepted over 2,000 shipments falsely labeled 'Made in Vietnam' but traced to Chinese factories. Vietnamese firms were also cited by BIS for transshipping AI-capable chips from U.S. suppliers to blacklisted Chinese entities. Malaysian tech hubs such as Penang and Johor have been flagged for similar rerouting practices. Meanwhile, in 2024, the U.S. Commerce Department ruled that solar modules assembled in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam with Chinese inputs violated U.S. trade laws. Policy responses from impacted countries indicate the increasing recognition and concern of effects on regional economies. Singapore, for instance, has introduced stronger disclosure requirements, tightened enforcement against shell companies, and improved cooperation with multilateral initiatives like the Financial Action Task Force. Malaysia has escalated audits under its Strategic Trade Act and is investigating how shell firms enable transshipment schemes. While these moves are not a concession to U.S. pressure, they are a strategic response rooted in the understanding that weak oversight carries long-term risks to sovereignty and reputation. In response to these policies, Chinese leaders have strengthened diplomatic engagement with Southeast Asian countries to deepen economic ties to the region and position China as a champion of free trade. For Southeast Asian countries, the core issue is not just about complying with external demands but also involves building resilience and frameworks for regulation. If the region becomes a default route for the circumvention of global controls, it could erode trust with major trade partners, provoke unilateral countermeasures, and compromise the predictability that has made Southeast Asian economies attractive to investors. Moreover, such dynamics threaten to reduce the region's autonomy in shaping future trade and technology governance frameworks. At the same time, Southeast Asian states must carefully navigate their deep and complex economic ties with China. Many regional supply chains are integrated with Chinese production. Any moves perceived as aligned with U.S. restrictions risk provoking economic retaliation. Therefore, the challenge is not to choose sides but to assert a coherent trade strategy that can adapt to external pressure while maintaining credibility. This balancing act is especially critical as broader trends reshape Indo-Pacific trade dynamics. U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, new industrial policies, and rapidly accelerating free trade agreements are altering what trade integration looks like. The question is not whether Southeast Asia should align more with U.S. or Chinese policy frameworks. It is whether the region can lead in building a trade architecture that upholds both openness and integrity. That means pushing for export control mechanisms that are not externally imposed but co-developed – ones that reflect Southeast Asian priorities in innovation, data governance, and strategic autonomy. As the Indo-Pacific enters an era that prioritizes technology and trade, countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Vietnam are increasingly central to determining the new status quo. Strengthening regulatory clarity, improving cross-border coordination, and safeguarding the region's neutrality are investments in long-term regional strategy. By continuing to address these challenges on their own terms, Southeast Asian nations can help define a new model of trade resilience that resists being a pawn of great power competition and instead reflects the region's own values of openness and balanced diplomacy.
Japan Today
2 hours ago
- Japan Today
Thailand accuses Cambodia of second ceasefire violation in two days
Soldiers load supplies onto a vehicle after a relief donation ceremony in Oddar Meanchey province on the day military negotiations are set after the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand agreed to a truce effective midnight Monday, ending their deadliest conflict in more than a decade after five days of fierce fighting, in Cambodia, July 29, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Thailand's military accused Cambodian forces on Wednesday of breaching a ceasefire agreement at three separate locations along the disputed border, warning that continued aggression could compel Thai forces to respond more decisively. The allegations come less than two days after both governments agreed to a ceasefire brokered in Malaysia, which came into effect at midnight on Monday, aimed to stop fighting and prevent escalation of their deadliest conflict in more than a decade following five days of intense fighting that has killed at least 43 people and displaced over 300,000 civilians on either side. The truce came after a sustained push from Malaysian Premier Anwar Ibrahim and U.S. 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% on their goods in the U.S., 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 instructed his trade team to restart tariff talks. On Wednesday, Thailand said Cambodian forces fired on positions in northeastern Thailand's Sisaket province on Cambodia's northern border. "Cambodian forces used small arms and grenade launchers, prompting Thailand to respond in self-defence," Thai army spokesman Major-General Winthai Suvaree told reporters. "This was the second incident since the agreement and reflects a behaviour that does not respect agreements, destroys de-escalation efforts and hampers trust between the two countries." Cambodia rejected the allegations, saying it was committed to the ceasefire and called for observers. "Cambodia strongly rejects the ceasefire accusations as false, misleading and harmful to the fragile trust-building process," Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Chum Sounry told reporters at a press conference, adding the government supports a monitoring mechanism and independent observation. The ceasefire, which also agreed to halt troop movement, paves the way for a high-level military meeting that includes defence ministers on August 4 in Cambodia. There have been no reports of any exchange of heavy artillery fire but also no reports of troop withdrawals by either side. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
