Latest news with #PhnomPenh
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Cambodia bans fruit imports and soap operas from Thailand as border dispute sours
Cambodia has banned imports of fruit and vegetables from Thailand, the latest escalation in a series of retaliatory actions sparked by a long-running border dispute between the South-east Asian neighbours. Tensions flared in May when troops briefly exchanged fire at a contested area of the border, killing a Cambodian soldier. The incident has led to a surge in nationalist sentiment and tit-for-tat actions by both governments. Thailand has imposed border restrictions with Cambodia in recent days, while Cambodia has banned Thai films from TV and cinemas, closed a border checkpoint, and cut internet bandwidth from Thailand. Both countries have shortened visas stays for visitors for one another's citizens. A ban on imports of Thai fruit and vegetables to Cambodia came into effect on Tuesday. This follows an ultimatum by Cambodia's former leader Hun Sen, who ran the country for almost four decades before handing over to his son in 2023, who said those imports would be blocked unless Thai border restrictions were lifted. On Wednesday, tens of thousands of Cambodians, carrying national flags and pictures of the country's leaders, took to the streets of Phnom Penh for an official rally to support the government's stance. The deputy prime minister, Hun Many, brother of the prime minister, told the crowd 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 resolve the border dispute. However, Thailand does not accept the court's jurisdiction and has said it prefers to solve the matter through direct negotiations. The long-running dispute dates back more than a century, to when France, which occupied Cambodia until 1953, first mapped the land border. The dispute has, over the years, has repeatedly fanned nationalist sentiments in both countries. In 2003, rioters torched the Thai embassy and Thai businesses in Phnom Penh after a Thai celebrity allegedly questioned the jurisdiction over Cambodia's World Heritage-listed Angkor Wat temple. Tensions flared most recently in 2011 when an estimated 28 people were killed, and tens of thousands displaced by fighting at the border. The Thai and Cambodian armies both said they acted in self-defence in May's exchange of fire. Cambodia has asked the ICJ to rule on four areas of the disputed border. This includes Mom Bei or Chong Bok, an area where the borders of Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos meet, and which was the site of last month's clash, as well as three ancient temples. 'The royal government of Cambodia will undertake this task with strong determination and high responsibility to protect our territorial integrity and the best interest of the Cambodian people,' prime minister Hun Manet said in a statement earlier this week. Hun Manet has added that he wanted to maintain 'peace and good cooperation' with Thailand. Cambodia has previously referred the dispute to the ICJ, and in 1962, the court ruled that Preah Vihear, an 11th century Hindu temple, was Cambodian, though it did not rule on the area surrounding it. Cambodia sought a clarification of the ruling in 2011, and in 2013, the ICJ verdict stated that an area next to the temple was also Cambodia. Thailand's prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, has said the government is committed to protecting Thailand's sovereignty, and ensuring peace along the border. She has criticised 'unprofessional communication', in an apparent reference to frequent social media statements by the former leader Hun Sen.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Leaked call between Thai PM and Cambodia ‘strongman' stokes tensions
BANGKOK, Phnom Penh: Relations between Thailand and Cambodia suffered a major blow on Wednesday after a leak of a telephone conversation between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and influential former Cambodian Premier Hun Sen that could further escalate tensions. Ties between the two neighbors are at their worst in more than a decade after a row over border territory that has sparked fears of a military confrontation following a sharp rise in nationalist rhetoric and the mobilization of troops on both sides of their frontier. The leaked June 15 phone call, which has been confirmed as authentic by both Hun Sen and Paetongtarn, shows the Thai premier telling Hun Sen, whom she called uncle, that she is under domestic pressure and urging him not to listen to 'the opposite side' which includes a prominent Thai military commander at the border. 'He 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, referring to the general. Paetongtarn later told reporters her conversation with Hun Sen was part of a negotiation tactic and she has 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. Hun Sen said the leak came from one of the 80 politicians he shared the audio recording with. Self-styled strongman Hun Sen was Cambodia's premier for nearly four decades and has maintained a high public profile since handing over power in 2023 to his son, Prime Minister Hun Manet. The two governments had until recently enjoyed warm ties, helped by the close relationship between Hun Sen and Thailand's former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, Paetongtarn's influential father. Both former leaders are still active in politics. Fierce rhetoric The leak could put that relationship in jeopardy and will add to speculation in Thailand that Paetongtarn and the powerful Thai military are at odds on how to respond to the border crisis with Cambodia. Cambodia's rhetoric has become more fierce in the past week, with Hun Sen blaming Thai 'extremists' and the Thai army for stoking tensions, saying Paetongtarn's government was 'unable to control its military the way our country can.' The billionaire Shinawatra family has a troubled history with the army, with two of its governments ousted by generals in coups in 2006 and 2014. Lt. Gen. Boonsin Padklang, commander of Thailand's Second Army Area overseeing the eastern border, on Wednesday told local media that Paetongtarn had called him to explain the leak. 'I don't have any issue, I understand,' Boonsin said. The weeks-long standoff followed a brief border skirmish on May 28 that left a Cambodian soldier dead. Both countries have called for calm while vowing to defend their sovereignty over contested stretches of a 820-km (510-mile) land border, parts of which are undemarcated. Attempts to settle the issue have failed, with Cambodia on Sunday delivering on its vow to seek resolution at the International Court of Justice, the jurisdiction of which Thailand says it does not recognize. On Wednesday, Cambodia's defense ministry said Thailand had again violated its sovereignty with drone flights, trench digging and troop deployments, which Bangkok rejected. Thousands of Cambodians joined a state-organized march in the capital Phnom Penh on Wednesday to support the government, shouting slogans, waving national flags and holding portraits of Hun Manet and Hun Sen. 'Cambodia's land! We won't take others' land, we keep our land!' some chanted.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Why Cambodia and Thailand continue to fight over border and what happens next
Thousands of people gathered in Cambodia 's capital Phnom Penh for a march to show their solidarity with the government and military over an ongoing border dispute. The march comes as tensions have escalated between Thailand and Cambodia following the death of a Cambodian soldier in May during a brief exchange of gunfire in a disputed border area. The two Southeast Asian neighbours have contested sovereignty over various undemarcated points along their 817km land border for more than a century. This long-standing dispute has seen Thailand impose border restrictions on Cambodia, with the country declaring it would stop import Thai fruit and vegetables. This is what you need to know about the latest dispute between the two Southeast Asian neighbors. What was the latest conflict about? The recent dispute was triggered in May after armed forces of Thailand and Cambodia briefly fired at each other in a relatively small 'no man's land' constituting territory along their border that both countries claim as their own. Both sides have said they acted in self-defense. One Cambodian soldier was killed. While the countries said afterwards they have agreed to de-escalate the situation, Cambodian and Thai authorities continue to implement or threaten measures short of armed force at each other, keeping tensions high. Thailand has added restrictions at the border such as limiting crossing times and barring Thai casino tourists and workers from crossing into Cambodia. Cambodia has banned Thai movies and TV shows, stopped the import of Thai fruits and vegetables and boycotted its neighbor's international internet links and power supply. How long have the two fought over land? Border disputes are long-standing issues that have caused periodic tensions between the two neighbors. Thailand and Cambodia share more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) of land border. The contesting claims stem largely from a 1907 map drawn under French colonial rule that was used to separate Cambodia from Thailand. Cambodia has been using the map as a reference to claim territory, while Thailand has argued the map is inaccurate. In February, Cambodian troops and their family members entered an ancient temple along the border in one of the disputed areas and sang the Cambodian national anthem, leading to a brief argument with Thai troops. The most prominent and violent conflicts broke out around the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) awarded sovereignty over the area to Cambodia and that became a major irritant in relations. Cambodia went back to the court in 2011, following several clashes between its army and Thai forces which killed about 20 and displaced thousands of people. The court reaffirmed the ruling in 2013, a decision that still rattled Thailand. What happens next? Similar to the Phear Vihear area, Cambodia is seeking a ruling again from the ICJ over several disputed areas, including where the deadly clash happened. Thailand has said it doesn't accept the jurisdiction of the ICJ and that any conflicting border claims between the two should be solved by the existing bilateral mechanism, including a joint committee which was established in 2000 as a technical means to discuss the survey and demarcation of the land border. Cambodia nevertheless said it has submitted the case to the ICJ, and insisted that it would no longer discuss these areas under the two countries' bilateral mechanism. Tensions have soared as they engaged in a war of words that appeared intended to mollify nationalistic critics on both sides of the border. Bickering neighbors The ill feeling between the two neighbors is not just about overlapping border claims, but also deep-seated cultural enmity that has its roots from centuries ago, when they were large and competing empires. In more modern times, bad feelings have lingered, as Cambodia's development, hindered by French colonialism and, in the 1970s, the brutal rule of the communist Khmer Rouge, has fallen well behind Thailand. Both have fought over claims on cultural products ranging from boxing, mask dancing, traditional clothing and food.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
A look at soaring border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Tens of thousands of people gathered in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh on Wednesday for a march to show their solidarity with the government and military, amid soaring tensions with neighboring Thailand following a border row that erupted last month. Here's what to know about the latest dispute between the two Southeast Asian neighbors.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
A look at soaring border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand
Tens of thousands of people gathered in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh on Wednesday for a march to show their solidarity with the government and military, amid soaring tensions with neighboring Thailand following a border row that erupted last month. Here's what to know about the latest dispute between the two Southeast Asian neighbors. What was the latest conflict about? The recent dispute was triggered in May after armed forces of Thailand and Cambodia briefly fired at each other in a relatively small 'no man's land' constituting territory along their border that both countries claim as their own. Both sides have said they acted in self-defense. One Cambodian soldier was killed. While the countries said afterwards they have agreed to de-escalate the situation, Cambodian and Thai authorities continue to implement or threaten measures short of armed force at each other, keeping tensions high. Thailand has added restrictions at the border such as limiting crossing times and barring Thai casino tourists and workers from crossing into Cambodia. Cambodia has banned Thai movies and TV shows, stopped the import of Thai fruits and vegetables and boycotted its neighbor's international internet links and power supply. How long have the two fought over land? Border disputes are long-standing issues that have caused periodic tensions between the two neighbors. Thailand and Cambodia share more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) of land border. The contesting claims stem largely from a 1907 map drawn under French colonial rule that was used to separate Cambodia from Thailand. Cambodia has been using the map as a reference to claim territory, while Thailand has argued the map is inaccurate. In February, Cambodian troops and their family members entered an ancient temple along the border in one of the disputed areas and sang the Cambodian national anthem, leading to a brief argument with Thai troops. The most prominent and violent conflicts broke out around the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) awarded sovereignty over the area to Cambodia and that became a major irritant in relations. Cambodia went back to the court in 2011, following several clashes between its army and Thai forces which killed about 20 and displaced thousands of people. The court reaffirmed the ruling in 2013, a decision that still rattled Thailand. What happens next? Similar to the Phear Vihear area, Cambodia is seeking a ruling again from the ICJ over several disputed areas, including where the deadly clash happened. Thailand has said it doesn't accept the jurisdiction of the ICJ and that any conflicting border claims between the two should be solved by the existing bilateral mechanism, including a joint committee which was established in 2000 as a technical means to discuss the survey and demarcation of the land border. Cambodia nevertheless said it has submitted the case to the ICJ, and insisted that it would no longer discuss these areas under the two countries' bilateral mechanism. Tensions have soared as they engaged in a war of words that appeared intended to mollify nationalistic critics on both sides of the border. Bickering neighbors The ill feeling between the two neighbors is not just about overlapping border claims, but also deep-seated cultural enmity that has its roots from centuries ago, when they were large and competing empires. In more modern times, bad feelings have lingered, as Cambodia's development, hindered by French colonialism and, in the 1970s, the brutal rule of the communist Khmer Rouge, has fallen well behind Thailand. Both have fought over claims on cultural products ranging from boxing, mask dancing, traditional clothing and food. —— Jintamas Saksornchai reported from Bangkok
