Latest news with #HunManet
The Star
8 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Hun Manet urges Malaysia, Cambodia to bolster tourism synergy
FILE PHOTO: High-rise buildings are seen past a tourist boat sailing along the Mekong river in Phnom Penh on September 4, 2023. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet urged both governments to explore opportunities to bolster tourism between the two countries. - AFP PHNOM PENH: Malaysia and Cambodia plan to collaborate and explore untapped potentials in tourism, which is a key revenue-generating sector for both countries. During a meeting with Malaysia's Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet urged both governments to explore opportunities to bolster tourism between the two countries. "Both sides (need) to explore opportunities for sub-national tourism cooperation, such as city-to-city and province-to-province partnerships and to further promote mutual understanding and cultural exchange,' Manet told the visiting minister during the meeting at the Peace Palace on Thursday (June 19), reported state media Agence Kampuchea Presse. Tiong was leading a delegation to promote Visit Malaysia 2026 to the Cambodian market. Both ministers acknowledged the importance of tourism in fostering economic development and regional connectivity. Tiong also made a courtesy call to Senate President Hun Sen at the Senate Palace in Phnom Penh. The former prime minister echoed the need for Cambodia and Malaysia to explore the untapped potential of tourism, for example, by increasing direct flights to Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, reported the state media. - Bernama
CNA
17 hours ago
- Politics
- CNA
Commentary: Thailand and Cambodia share a border. They also share old wounds
SINGAPORE: In a rare breach of diplomatic norms, Cambodia's former leader Hun Sen on Wednesday (Jun 18) released a recording of a private phone call with Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on social media, escalating political tensions surrounding a long-running border dispute. In the 17-minute audio, Ms Paetongtarn refers to Mr Hun Sen as 'uncle' and urges him to ignore the Thai general overseeing the army in the border area whom she described as being on 'the opposite side'. The remark has fuelled speculation about her relationship with the military, a politically sensitive issue given the army's role in ousting members of her family from power – her father Thaksin in 2006 and his sister Yingluck in 2014. Ms Paetongtarn has since apologised and defended her remarks as a 'technical attempt to calm the country', insisting there is no conflict with the Thai military. Further muddying the waters is the personal history between the two political families. Mr Thaksin and Mr Hun Sen - who is now president of Cambodia's Senate and the father of Cambodia's current Prime Minister Hun Manet - are long-time friends. That neither moved to defuse the situation has prompted speculation about domestic issues in both countries. PERSONAL TIES, POLITICAL STRAIN The two countries appear to have been taking their relations for granted, says Dr Pavin Chachavalpongpun of Kyoto University's Centre for Southeast Asian Studies. 'During good times, leaders would be willing to put aside history, but when a regime becomes vulnerable or encounters domestic challenges, sometimes it is easy and convenient and even legitimate to bring back the wounds of history to divert domestic attention,' Dr Pavin told me. Thailand and Cambodia share an 820km land border, parts of which are still not demarcated, and parts of which include ancient temples that both sides have contested for decades. On May 28, a Cambodian soldier was killed in an exchange of gunfire between both nations' troops at a disputed spot between Cambodia's Preah Vihear province and Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani province, reigniting tensions. The incident triggered the most serious crisis between Cambodia and Thailand in years, with both sides making bristling statements and beefing up troops while scrambling to convene a two-day meeting of their Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) in Phnom Penh – which ended with no conclusion on Jun 15. For Ms Paetongtarn, the crisis is an early test of leadership. Installed last year through a fragile coalition, she inherited both the Shinawatra name and its baggage. Her statement following the JBC - that Thailand 'will not tolerate maltreatment, accusations or threats from any party' - was widely seen as an effort to project firmness. But the leaked phone call and the perception that she had undermined her own army's authority has complicated that stance. She is now facing mounting calls to resign. The conservative Bhumjaithai Party, the second largest in the alliance, pulled out of the coalition on Jun 18, saying Ms Paetongtarn had "damaged the sovereignty and well-being of the country and Thai Army". GRIP OF SHARED HISTORY No one expects a dramatic escalation. 'Neither country can afford a war,' former Thai foreign minister Kasit Piromya told me. But no one expects easy or speedy resolution either, as the issues involved are complex and complicated by domestic nationalism. In fact, like the famed stone ruins of Angkor's Ta Prohm held in place by the tentacles of giant strangler figs, Thailand and Cambodia seem unable to decisively shake off the grip of the perceived wounds of their ironically shared history. Both countries have their own narratives to suit their mutual sense of victimhood and injustice - Cambodia through memories of the glory of its Angkor period lost to colonisation and encroachment by neighbours, and Thailand through a nostalgic view of its own imperial past, particularly the Ayutthaya era. Border disputes are particularly difficult to resolve to both parties' satisfaction because they often represent the legacy of historical conditions that no longer exist, a former Thai ambassador told me. Each side has its own popular narrative formed over decades or centuries, which can metastasize with each retelling until it becomes part of the national identity, spawning chauvinistic memes that later generations with no direct memory of the grievances may nevertheless accept on faith, he said. Any agreements on the border would mean both countries would need to give up some territory, and that would be difficult for their governments to sell to their public. The best one can hope for is that pragmatism wins over emotions. Politics should be removed from efforts to resolve border disputes, governments and opinion leaders should refrain from stoking the flames of nationalism, and quiet diplomacy allowed to take its course. All this is, of course, easier said than done. 'For all the cooperation frameworks in the region, Thailand and some of its neighbours are still in the trust-building phase,' said the former Thai ambassador who spoke with me on condition of anonymity. 'Our proximity means we have a long history together. It also means we need to set aside our feuds and grudges if we are to have a future together.' Nirmal Ghosh, a former foreign correspondent, is an author and independent writer based in Singapore. He writes a monthly column for CNA, published every third Friday.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Thailand's government on brink of collapse after key coalition party withdraws support following leaked call
Political leaks are usually damaging but rarely bring a government to the brink of collapse. A leaked phone call has done just that in Thailand. The chat between Thailand's prime minister and a former Cambodian leader comes as the relationship sours over a border dispute that has stemmed from the death of a soldier. Here's how a soldier's death and a leaked phone call have brought a government to its knees. Late last month, a Cambodian soldier was killed in a skirmish in a contested zone known as the "Emerald Triangle", where the borders of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos meet. Both the Thai and Cambodian armies said they acted in self-defence. The dispute dates back to the early 20th Century and the drawing up of the 800-kilometre frontier during the French occupation of the region. Parts of the border are not defined, with three temples also forming part of the dispute. Cambodia on Sunday asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to rule on the dispute. It has repeatedly called on Thailand to join the proceedings, but Bangkok does not recognise the ICJ's jurisdiction. The killing of the soldier by Thai forces prompted a mobilisation of forces on both sides of the border. Both countries called for calm while also vowing to defend their sovereignty. Thailand tightened border controls with Cambodia, prompting former Cambodian leader Hun Sen — father of current prime minister Hun Manet — to speak out. He blamed Thai "extremists" and the Thai army for stoking tensions and said the Thai government was "unable to control its military the way our country can". When Thailand did not reinstate normal border activity, Cambodia banned imports of fruit and vegetables along with all Thai drama from TV and cinemas, closed a popular border checkpoint and cut internet bandwidth from its neighbour. Both sides had held meetings at the weekend to try and diffuse the situation. Thailand said progress had been made to de-escalate tensions. But after Hun Sen's remarks on Monday, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said her country would not be bullied or threatened, and warned that "unofficial" communication would harm diplomatic efforts. Ms Paetongtarn has faced criticism over her diplomatic response to the crisis, which contrasts with the military's tough rhetoric. Thailand's prime minister came to power in 2024 as head of an awkward coalition made up of the Pheu Thai party and a group of conservative, pro-military parties whose members have spent much of the last 20 years battling against her father, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The phone call between Thailand's prime minister and Hun Sen was leaked to the media on Wednesday, but was held on Monday. Hun Sen said the leak came from one of the 80 politicians he shared the audio recording with. In the conversation, Ms Paetongtarn is heard discussing the border crisis and complains about the bad publicity she was facing as a result. She called Hun Sen "uncle" and urged him not to listen to "the opposite side", including a prominent Thai military commander at the border. "He [the Thai general] just want to look cool and saying things that are not useful to the nation, but in truth what we want is peace," she told Hun Sen through a translator in the leaked audio clip. Ms Paetongtarn later told reporters her conversation with Hun Sen was part of a negotiation tactic and she had no problem with the Thai army. "I won't be talking privately with him [Hun Sen] anymore because there is a trust problem," she said. Lieutenant General Boonsin Padklang, commander of Thailand's Second Army Area overseeing the eastern border, on Wednesday told local media that Ms Paetongtarn had called him to explain the leak. "I don't have any issue, I understand," General Boonsin said. However, the damage was done and the reaction to the call was swift. The second-biggest member of the Thai government's ruling alliance, the conservative Bhumjaithai party, pulled out of the coalition on Wednesday. In a statement, it said Ms Paetongtarn had "damaged the sovereignty and well-being of the country and Thai Army". Thailand's ruling coalition lost 69 active members immediately, leaving Ms Paetongtarn's Pheu Thai party with barely enough votes to form a majority. If any other coalition partner withdrew, it would put Thailand on course for another election. The last poll was barely two years ago in 2023. ABC/wires
The Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Cambodian govt musters support from huge crowds in Thai border row
People taking part in a solidarity march organised in support of the Cambodian government's actions in its recent border dispute with Thailand, in Phnom Penh on June 18, 2025. - AFP PHNOM PENH: Tens of thousands of Cambodians took to the streets of Phnom Penh on Wednesday (June 18) for an official rally to support the government's actions in its recent border dispute with Thailand. A massive crowd led by Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many -- Prime Minister Hun Manet's youngest brother -- joined a "Solidarity March" to support Cambodia's government and troops stationed on the border with Thailand. Flourishing Cambodian flags and portraits of Hun Manet and his father, former leader Hun Sen, supporters marched to the Independence Monument in the heart of the capital. One Cambodian soldier was killed on May 28 as troops exchanged fire in a disputed area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos meet. The Thai and Cambodian armies both said they acted in self-defence. Cambodia has asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to help resolve the border dispute in four areas -- the site of last month's clash and three ancient temples. Cambodian leaders have repeatedly said the move was to prevent further military clashes. Hun Manet said Tuesday evening that he wanted to maintain "peace and good cooperation" with Thailand. "Filing a complaint at the ICJ to resolve the dispute peacefully is our best option to keep friendship and good cooperation with Thailand," he said. Cambodia on Tuesday banned imports of Thai fruit and vegetables after Bangkok refused to lift border crossing restrictions imposed in recent days. Cambodia has also banned Thai dramas from TV and cinemas, closed a popular border checkpoint, and cut internet bandwidth from Thailand. Hun Manet said Tuesday that a return to normality depended on the Thai authorities. "The ball is in the hands of (the) Thai side, Thai military," he added. Thailand says it wants a negotiated solution and has urged Cambodia to stop "unofficial" communication -- an apparent reference to fiery interventions by Hun Sen, who stepped down in 2023 but still wields great influence. The border row dates back to the drawing of the countries' 800-kilometre (500-mile) frontier in the early 20th century during the French occupation of Indochina. Cambodia has previously sought help from the ICJ in a territorial dispute over a border temple. In 1962, the court ruled that the disputed Preah Vihear temple belonged to Cambodia, and in 2013, the ICJ awarded an area next to the temple to Cambodia as well. Thailand said it did not accept the court's jurisdiction. Violence sparked by the dispute has led to at least 28 deaths in the region since 2008. - AFP
The Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Cambodians rally over Thai border spat as leaders row over leaked call
A massive crowd joined a 'Solidarity March' to support Cambodia's government and troops stationed on the border with Thailand. - Photo: AFP PHNOM PENH: Tens of thousands of Cambodians took part Wednesday (June 18) in a government rally over a border spat with Thailand, as a leaked phone call between leaders triggered a fresh row. A massive crowd led by Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many -- Prime Minister Hun Manet's youngest brother -- joined a "Solidarity March" to support Cambodia's government and troops stationed on the border with Thailand. Singing patriotic songs and flourishing Cambodian flags and portraits of Hun Manet and his father, former leader Hun Sen, supporters marched to the Independence Monument in the heart of the capital. One Cambodian soldier was killed on May 28 as troops exchanged fire in a disputed area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos meet. Despite weekend talks between the two sides, the stand-off shows little sign of abating, and on Wednesday a new spat blew up after a recording of a call on Sunday between Hun Sen and Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was leaked online. Paetongtarn accused Hun Sen of deliberately leaking a private conversation and said he had damaged trust between the two sides. "It is clear now that his intention was to gain domestic popularity, without caring about the effect on international relations," she told reporters in Bangkok. "We talked for peace without realising that it would be used as part of his plan to boost his popularity." Carrying Cambodian flags and portraits of Mr Hun Manet and his father, former leader Hun Sen, supporters marched to the Independence Monument in the heart of the capital. - Photo: AFP Hun Sen stepped down in 2023 after ruling Cambodia with an iron fist for nearly four decades, but he still wields considerable influence with his son's government. He insisted he had not leaked the nine-minute recording that was posted online, but said he had shared it with "approximately 80 individuals" including lawmakers, party officials and members of the armed forces. Later Hun Sen posted the full 17-minute recording on his official Facebook page. In the recording posted online, the two leaders discuss restrictions imposed on border crossings after the border clash, as well as troop deployments. - Fruit and veg ban - Hun Many told the crowd in Phnom Penh that the march was "an encouragement and additional energy for the government and our forces." "When the country faces a threat or any insult, the Cambodian people will not stay still, we will stand up in united spirit," he said. Cambodia has asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to help resolve the border dispute in four areas -- the site of last month's clash and three ancient temples. The standoff has led to Cambodia on Tuesday banning imports of Thai fruit and vegetables after Bangkok refused to lift border crossing restrictions imposed in recent days. People taking part in a solidarity march in Phnom Penh to suport the Cambodian government's actions in its recent border dispute with Thailand, on June 18. - Photo: AFP And last week Cambodia banned Thai dramas from TV and cinemas, as well as closing a popular border checkpoint, and cutting internet bandwidth from Thailand. Hun Manet said Tuesday evening he wanted to maintain "peace and good cooperation" with Thailand. "Filing a complaint at the ICJ to resolve the dispute peacefully is our best option to keep friendship and good cooperation with Thailand," he said. Thai foreign ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura reiterated Bangkok's view that the two sides should resolve the matter together, rather than at the ICJ. "Thailand remains to committed to use the bilateral mechanism to resolve border issues with Cambodia with sincerity and in good faith," he told reporters. "This is in line with an international norms and practices." The border row dates back to the drawing of the countries' 800-kilometre (500-mile) frontier in the early 20th century during the French occupation of Indochina. Violence sparked by the dispute has led to at least 28 deaths in the region since 2008. - AFP
