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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.'
Nikkei Asia
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Nikkei Asia
Thailand faces heavier challenges under Trump tariffs
Thitinan Pongsudhirak is professor at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Political Science and a senior fellow at its Institute of Security and International Studies in Bangkok. Thailand is in deeper water compared with its peers in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs announced on April 2. Several policy missteps from an ill-advised deportation of Uyghurs to China and the reception of Myanmar's junta chief to the controversial arrest of an American academic have undermined Thailand-U.S. relations at a time when Bangkok needs to navigate and negotiate a tariff deal in Washington.
South China Morning Post
17-02-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Can Southeast Asia be part of a new world order amid US-China tug of war?
Southeast Asia can be part of a new international order if China plays its cards right amid a 'free fall in geopolitics' sparked by mounting uncertainty over the United States' regional role. Panel speakers at the 'China Conference: Southeast Asia' in Kuala Lumpur on Monday gave an overview of changing power dynamics and how this would affect the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). The experts noted how Asean members had been in limbo in recent weeks as they waited to see how far US President Donald Trump would go with his promise to widen tariffs, which he said would not only affect China but also other nations – especially those with large trade surpluses with America. But the tides appear to be shifting in Trump's second act in the White House. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor of international relations and senior fellow with the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University, at the 'China Conference: Southeast Asia' forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Monday. Photo: Nora Tam Asean has until recently had clear lines of engagement with China as the bloc's largest trading partner and with the US as a security bulwark for the region, according to Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor of international relations and senior fellow with the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University. Trump's focus on tariffs and US economic nationalism, however, raised concerns that the world's largest economy might no longer be interested in maintaining its presence in Southeast Asia, he warned.
South China Morning Post
29-01-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Malaysia's Anwar urges Asean not to ‘single out' Beijing over South China Sea
Published: 8:00am, 29 Jan 2025 Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, Anwar said that boundary disputes will always exist in Asia, noting that despite Malaysia's border issues with Singapore and other Southeast Asian neighbours, the country has maintained strong relationships. Despite facing maritime issues with China , Anwar emphasised the importance of improving ties, stating that, despite these disputes, Malaysia does not 'go to war' or 'threaten'. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political science and international relations professor at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand , said Anwar is downplaying the China challenge in Southeast Asia to better 'navigate choppy geopolitical waters' amid Trump's second presidential term. However, China's actions in Southeast Asia are fundamentally different from its past border disputes with neighbours like Vietnam , Pongsudhirak said. Asean member states appear intent to stand down on China until they see how the Trump 2.0 administration will deal with Beijing Thitinan Pongsudhirak, international relations expert 'Beijing is now in contention with regional neighbours over the entire South China Sea,' he said, adding that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is also 'treading softly', even recently joining the China-driven Brics group as a full member.
South China Morning Post
28-01-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Malaysia's Anwar urges Asean not to ‘single out' Beijing over South China Sea tensions at Davos
Advertisement Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, Anwar said that boundary disputes will always exist in Asia, noting that despite Malaysia's border issues with Singapore and other Southeast Asian neighbours, the country has maintained strong relationships. Despite facing maritime issues with China , Anwar emphasised the importance of improving ties, stating that, despite these disputes, Malaysia does not 'go to war' or 'threaten'. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political science and international relations professor at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand , said Anwar is downplaying the China challenge in Southeast Asia to better 'navigate choppy geopolitical waters' amid Trump's second presidential term. However, China's actions in Southeast Asia are fundamentally different from its past border disputes with neighbours like Vietnam , Pongsudhirak said. Asean member states appear intent to stand down on China until they see how the Trump 2.0 administration will deal with Beijing Thitinan Pongsudhirak, international relations expert
