Tuesday, July 29, 2025 - Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an "immediate and unconditional ceasefire" after five days of fighting at their border killed at least 33 people and displaced tens of thousands.
"This is a vital first step to a de-escalation and a
restoration of peace and security," said Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar
Ibrahim, flanked by his Thai and Cambodian counterparts, as he announced that
hostilities would end at midnight.
Thailand initially rebuffed his offer to mediate but agreed
after US President Donald Trump said tariff negotiations would not proceed
until "fighting STOPS".
Tensions over the century-old border dispute had ramped up
in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash.
Thailand imposed restrictions on citizens and tourists
heading into Cambodia via land, while Cambodia banned some imports from
Thailand, including fruits, power, and internet services. Local Cambodian
outlets reported that hundreds of thousands of workers had returned from
Thailand since May.
The situation escalated last week, after a Thai soldier lost
his leg in a landmine explosion. Thailand closed some of its border crossings
with Cambodia, expelled their ambassador and recalled its own.
Both sides exchanged gunfire early last Thursday, with each
claiming the other had triggered the conflict.
Many of the casualties on the Thai side have been civilians
in villages hit by rockets, according to Thailand's army. Cambodia said 13
people had been killed so far on its side, including eight civilians.
Shells and rockets continued to land in both countries even
as the peace talks were underway in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.
Anwar said Malaysia and other members of the regional bloc,
Association of South East Asian Nations, or Asean, were on hand to help monitor
the ceasefire.
Both sides will need to agree to pull their armies, which
have now been greatly reinforced, back from the border, and to accept some kind
of independent monitoring, to prevent further clashes.
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet described it as a very
good meeting that he hoped would immediately stop the fighting. Cambodia has
been pushing for a ceasefire since Friday, as its outgunned forces have been
driven back by the Thai military.
Acting Thai PM Phumtham Wechayachai spoke briefly, promising
to honour the ceasefire.
Leader of the United Kingdom's Conservative Party, Kemi
Badenoch, has vowed that doctors' strikes will be banned under a Conservative
government
The Tory party leader today announced she would
amend the law to bar the protests as she insisted the British Medical
Association (BMA) is 'out of control'.
It comes following 11 strikes in the past 18 months, which
Ms Badenoch said had resulted in patients dying.
Her comments were made on GB News amid the ongoing
five-day series of strikes by resident doctors in support of a pay claim.
Urging Sir Keir Starmer to take similar action, Ms
Badenoch said: 'The BMA has become militant, these strikes are going too far,
and it is time for action.
'Doctors do incredibly important work. Medicine is a
vocation – not just a job. That is why in government we offered a fair deal
that supported doctors, but protected taxpayers too.
'These strikes will have a significant economic effect, but
they will also mean cancelled operations, worry for families of the sick, and
suffering for those who are unwell. We know that previous strike action by
doctors even led to some patients losing their lives.
'That is why Conservatives are stepping in, and setting out
common sense proposals to protect patients, and the public finances. And we are
making an offer in the national interest – we will work with the Government to
face down the BMA to help protect patients and the NHS.'
Police, the military, and prison officers are banned from
taking strike action under the 1992 Trade Union and Labour Relations
(Consolidation) Act in the UK. The Conservatives would amend this to include
doctors.
0 Comments