Latest news with #borderConflict
New York Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Thai-Cambodian Conflict Tears at Remnants of a Once-Proud Empire
Nearly a millennium ago, the patch of mountainous jungle in what is now northwestern Cambodia was a thriving center of the Khmer civilization, then one of the world's most advanced and artistic empires. Today, Oddar Meanchey Province, on the forested border with Thailand, is home to some of the poorest people in a poor country. It is also a battlefield, as soldiers from the two Southeast Asian nations skirmish over disputed land that cuts through ancient temple complexes carved by the Khmer Empire. Clashes in recent days have claimed lives of civilians and soldiers in both countries. Jingoism is flaring. And at the center of the conflict, largely unnoticed by the prime ministers and generals directing the border war, are a people and a shared cultural heritage that predates modern notions of nation-states. Some residents of the area have relatives on the other side of the border. On Friday, with rocket attacks intensifying and military drones flying overhead, Chhin Sochulsa, his wife and their four children fled their home near Ta Moan Thom temple (known in Thailand as Ta Muen Thom) for an emergency encampment sheltering thousands of displaced Cambodians. Their home is now a piece of tarp hitched to their tractor, hammocks slung for sleep. One son is sick, and there is not enough food, he said. Already in debt, as many Cambodians are because of a microfinance crisis, Mr. Chhin Sochulsa worries about the farm animals he left behind in the war zone. 'I don't know exactly why the clash is happening,' he said. 'The situation is miserable.' The dispute over the border has simmered for decades, and control over the area has shifted through the centuries. The Khmer Empire extended over parts of what are now the countries of Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Its influence reached southern China, too. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Al Arabiya
5 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Trump says he is seeking a ceasefire between Thailand, Cambodia
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he was calling the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand to press for a ceasefire as fighting along the border continued into a third day. 'The call with Cambodia has ended, but expect to call back regarding War stoppage and Ceasefire based on what Thailand has to say. I am trying to simplify a complex situation!' Trump wrote on his social media platform, adding that the call to Thailand's leader 'is being made momentarily.'
News.com.au
24-07-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Two killed as hostilities break out between Thailand and Cambodia
Warning: Graphic At least two Thai civilians have been killed and two more injured after Cambodian shelling struck a village near the border. Military clashes have erupted between the neighbouring Southeast Asian nations. A livestream from Thailand's side showed residents fleeing their homes and sheltering in a concrete bunker as explosions echoed nearby. Images filtering through show bloodstained floors and soldiers being airlifted after reportedly being injured by landmines. Thailand's military fired into two Cambodian provinces in response, according to former Cambodian premier Hun Sen. The ex-leader, who ruled for nearly four decades, took to Facebook urging calm while calling on Cambodians to trust their armed forces and government. Meanwhile, Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai says the nation will 'do our best to protect our sovereignty'. 'The situation requires careful handling, and we must act in accordance with international law,' he said. Thailand's embassy in Phnom Penh has advised its citizens to leave Cambodia 'as soon as possible' unless they have urgent reasons to stay. Both militaries accused the other of sparking the conflict, with gunfire exchanged along a long-disputed stretch of their border. Roughly 40,000 civilians from 86 Thai villages have been evacuated to safer areas, a Thai official reported. Thai army's deputy spokesman Colonel Richa Suksuwanont claimed Cambodia used heavy weaponry, including BM21 rocket launchers, it its attack. But Cambodia's defence ministry has hit back, saying Thai troops carried out an unprovoked incursion, forcing Cambodian forces to respond in self-defence.
Bloomberg
09-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Foreign Banks Sell Record Indian Sovereign Debt as Tensions Rise
Foreign banks sold a record amount of Indian government bonds Thursday, as a growing border conflict with Pakistan weighs on investor sentiment. They sold a net 106.3 billion rupees ($1.2 billion) of the debt, a high according to data from the Clearing Corp. of India Ltd. going back to 2006.
