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The Sun
21 hours ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Five things to know about the Thai-Cambodia border spat
BANGKOK: A Thailand-Cambodia territorial row has ignited a political crisis in Bangkok, pushing the government there to the brink of collapse. Tensions flared between the Southeast Asian countries after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a border clash at the end of May. The audio of a diplomatic call between the two sides intended to sooth the spat was leaked on Wednesday -- its contents provoking widespread anger towards the Thai leader. Here are five things to know about the border causing friction between the neighbouring nations: Colonial hangover Thailand and Cambodia's 800-kilometre-long (500-mile) border was largely drawn during the French occupation of Indochina between 1863 and the mid-1950s. Thai political scientist Thitinan Pongsudhirak said that the mapping agreed between the French and the Kingdom of Siam -- encompassing Thailand's current territory -- remains the 'crux of the problem' today. In World War II, Siam gained certain Cambodian territories but was forced to hand them back to French rule in 1946. The 1979 overthrow of Cambodia's communist Khmer Rouge regime blurred the boundaries further as its last members fled to the border region for refuge. Dozens of kilometres remain contested and in 2008 military clashes erupted over a patch of land next to Preah Vihear, a 900-year-old UNESCO-recognised temple on the border. Sporadic violence from 2008 to 2011 led to the deaths of at least 28 people and displacement of tens of thousands. A new chapter The latest crisis erupted on May 28 when a Cambodian soldier was killed in an exchange of gunfire with the Thai army at the border, with both sides claiming they had acted in self-defence. The armies agreed to reposition their troops, and restrictions were imposed on border crossings. But peace-seeking talks stalled and Cambodia banned imports of Thai fruit and vegetables, and cut off internet routed through its neighbour. On Wednesday, a weekend phone conversation between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodia's former prime minister was leaked, with Paetongtarn accused of appeasing Phnom Penh and undermining the Thai army. One of her key coalition partners has backed out, leaving her government teetering on the brink of collapse. International adjudication Cambodia has asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to settle the border dispute. The UN tribunal granted Phnomh Penh sovereignty over the Preah Vihear temple in 1962 and over a small patch of land surrounding it in 2013, but Thailand does not recognise its jurisdiction. Prime Minister Hun Manet said earlier this month that Cambodia had filed a new complaint with the ICJ over four disputed areas, but Thailand has pushed to seek a solution through a nearly 30-year-old bilateral mechanism. Political scientist Thitinan said Cambodia's fresh complaints to the ICJ would likely lead to 'an unfriendly relationship for many years'. Domestic dynamics Analysts say the conflict reveals an uneasy mood in both nations. Cambodian political analyst Ou Virak said the country is 'desperate to stand up to what could be perceived as bullying by a bigger neighbour'. But he warned the 'nationalist flame can easily be ignited and is very difficult to put out'. In Thailand analysts say the conflict is being fanned by long-standing tensions between the Shinawatra political dynasty and the Thai army, which has staged a dozen coups and remains immensely influential in periods of democratic rule. The latest border flare-up 'has allowed the Thai military to stay on top of the civilian government,' said Thitinan. Diplomatic dressing-down The dispute looked set to continue, as Bangkok summoned Cambodia's ambassador to deliver a 'protest letter' over the leaked audio. 'This action taken by the Cambodian side is totally unacceptable,' said Thai foreign ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura. 'It breaches diplomatic etiquette, is a serious violation of trust and undermines relations between the neighbouring countries.'
Morocco World
2 days ago
- Politics
- Morocco World
Tensions Rise in Thailand-Cambodia Border Dispute
Officials from Cambodia and Thailand met in Phnom Penh on June 14 to discuss their conflicting territorial claims. This comes after a recent rise in regional tensions, and a violent clash that killed a Cambodian soldier on May 28. This meeting made little progress in terms of the disagreement between the two nations. On May 28, the two sides exchanged fire on an area referred to as the Emerald Triangle, as it is where the borders between Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos meet. Both sides said that they acted in self-defense and the tensions remain. Bangkok has since taken tighter control at all the country's border crossings and threatened to cut off electricity supplies to Cambodia. Cambodia responded stating that it was on 'Full Alert.' Hun Manet also announced that the country would stop buying Thai electric power, internet bandwidth and stop local television channels from displaying Thai films. Former leader and father of the Prime Minister Hun Sen gave an ultimatum to Thailand stating that unless the Thai government lifts the restrictions in 24 hours, he will 'implement throughout the border a ban on imports of fruit and vegetables.' The Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra stated that the country would not be bullied or threatened by Cambodian Pressure. Also, Shinawatra said this would damage the current diplomatic efforts to bring peace in the region. This comes after Cambodia sent the border crisis to the International Court of Justice at the Hague. With Hun Manet stating, 'Cambodia chooses a peaceful resolution based on international law through the ICJ mechanism for solving the border dispute.' Deputy Prime Minister Pak Sokhoon is seen holding a letter on social media which is reportedly for the Hague. Bangkok however, has consistently stated that it does not recognize the court's decision on the issue. Thailand has always stated its preference is to hold bilateral discussions to solve the conflict. There will be another meeting between the two countries at a conference in Thailand in September. Despite this, current tensions continue to rise and have the potential to destabilize the Southeast Asian region. This dispute dates back to the Indochina period of French colonial rule between 1887 and 1954, when the borders were put in place. Since independence, there has been consistent disagreement between the two sides on the 817km border. When Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot fell, he escaped the country into Thailand. In 2008, there was an outbreak of violence, which has continued sporadically since, resulting in the deaths of around 28 people.
SBS Australia
4 days ago
- General
- SBS Australia
SBS50: The radio program helping rebuild a community with a painful past
SBS50: The radio program helping rebuild a community with a painful past Published 16 June 2025, 4:41 am It's been 50 years since the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, took control of Cambodia in 1975, following a five year civil war. Australia accepted several thousand Cambodian refugees from the late 1970s to the mid 1980s. As SBS marks its 50th anniversary, some say the broadcaster's in-language programs helped them feel at home in Australia. This story was produced in collaboration with SBS Khmer.
SBS Australia
4 days ago
- General
- SBS Australia
'Safe and free': Cambodians on finding sanctuary in Australia 50 years since the Khmer Rouge
Seda Douglas (left) and her mother, Touch Liv, fled Cambodia during the genocidal reign of Pol Pot in 1975. Credit: SBS It's been 50 years since the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, took control of Cambodia in 1975, following a five-year civil war. Australia accepted several thousand Cambodian refugees from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. As SBS marks its 50th anniversary, some say the broadcaster's in-language programs helped them feel at home in Australia. Drawings by Phiny Ung's late husband Bun Heang are a capsule of their shared memories — illustrating the struggle of life after the Khmer Rouge seized power in Cambodia, which they renamed Kampuchea. Under its leader, Pol Pot, more than two million Cambodians are estimated to have been killed between 1975 and 1979 as the communist regime tried to create a so-called 'classless' society. It has been estimated that the Khmer Rouge murdered almost a quarter of the population through mass executions, torture, starvation and forced labour. "That was the time when everybody in the city had to be evacuated and that's when our life changed completely ... it turned upside down," Ung said. "There's no comfort in the loss, but the one thing that eased me a little bit, is that I'm not the only one." Forced to flee Cambodia, Ung arrived in Australia with her husband and young daughter in 1980 and was later able to sponsor her mother and remaining siblings to join them in their new home. "When I arrived, I just felt safe and free, those are the two words that I can come up with, I don't feel under threat with anything at all, at least I am human, I am treated as human," she said. Australia accepted several thousand Cambodian refugees from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. According to the 2021 Census, there are currently just over 39,000 Cambodian-born people living in Australia. For Seda Douglas and her mother, Touch Liv, the memories of what happened in Phnom Penh in 1975 are still raw. "They said if you want to survive, you must leave the village, your family is not safe," Douglas said. Douglas's five siblings and her father were killed by the Pol Pot regime. Liv said: "When my five children died. I did not even see their faces for the last time. I was in the forest, did the farming in Boeung Sdor, in the bushes." I did not see my husband, I did not see my children until they died, I still could not see them for the last time. Touch Liv The two women arrived in Australia in 1983 with Douglas' surviving brother. "I don't normally celebrate my birthday but I celebrate the day that I arrived in Australia because I was given an opportunity to restart my life and I did it well," Douglas said. To assist the growing Cambodian community, the SBS Khmer program first started broadcasting in 1979 — and continues to serve as a vital source of news and information. Douglas went on to work with SBS Khmer in the 1980s. "We wanted to hear what's going on in Australia, the government, but mainly we were concerned about what's going on in Cambodia because we left the country by force not by choice," she said. For Ung, the anniversary is painful, but a portrait, painted by her late-husband while the pair were still in Cambodia, holds a special memory. "He just found three or four colours in the sea of rubbish that he can mix and match. I sat for him a few hours a day," she said. Ung had to leave the painting behind when she fled, but in 1989 she was reunited with her aunt in Cambodia. To her surprise, she was also reunited with the portrait as well as her father's sword, a family heirloom. "It's so much of a souvenir ... it's the love in our relationship, husband and wife." Your stories have shaped SBS for half a century. Together, we're just getting started. Join us as we celebrate 50 years of belonging on our SBS50 portal and SBS50 content hub . Share this with family and friends Independent news and stories connecting you to life in Australia and Khmer-speaking Australians. Ease into the English language and Australian culture. We make learning English convenient, fun and practical.
New York Times
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘Meeting With Pol Pot' Review: Snapshots of Totalitarianism
The films of the Cambodian director Rithy Panh, known for his documentaries ('The Missing Picture'), are haunted by his childhood years living under the brutal rule of the Khmer Rouge. 'Meeting With Pol Pot,' his new dramatized feature, approaches the topic from the outside looking in. In 1978, the journalist Elizabeth Becker — then a correspondent for The Washington Post, later a reporter and editor at The New York Times — was part of a group of Westerners allowed into Cambodia, which had been sealed off since the Khmer Rouge took power in 1975. 'Meeting With Pol Pot,' billed as 'freely inspired' by Becker's 1986 book, 'When the War Was Over,' centers on a fictionalized version of that delegation. It begins with three French journalists flying into Cambodia; from the start, when they don't land where they expected, something is off. Alain (Grégoire Colin), who trumpets his friendship with Pol Pot from their time as student activists in Paris, insists that they are privileged to visit and should follow the rules. The writer Lise (Irène Jacob) and the photojournalist Paul (Cyril Gueï) are more skeptical: Lise wonders where the intellectuals are and why the civilians remain eerily silent. Paul wanders off on his own to get the real story, rather than the show that the regime is clearly putting on. Panh powerfully interweaves real footage of starvation and mass death — sometimes projecting it behind the characters or matching it to Paul's eyeline. He also brings back the main conceit of 'The Missing Picture,' which used clay figurines to depict certain events. What remains hidden is crucial in Panh's movies. When Alain and Pol Pot have their long-deferred reunion, the dictator's face is kept in shadow. Meeting With Pol PotNot rated. In French and Cambodian, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 52 minutes. In theaters.
