Thailand and Cambodia’s border clashes in December 2025 represent a serious increase in their long-standing territorial dispute. This flare-up was ignited by mutual accusations of ceasefire violations and led to airstrikes, ground assaults, and severe civilian suffering. The conflict has its roots in unclear colonial maps concerning the Preah Vihear temple. The fighting resumed after a fragile U.S.-brokered truce from July fell apart amid landmine incidents and ongoing skirmishes. As of December 19, the fighting continued without resolution, displacing thousands and drawing international condemnation.
Tag: Cambodia
Thailand’s Brewing Political Crisis Tests Institutional Tensions
Thailand’s political instability is becoming worse. The Constitutional Court dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra for unethical behaviour in a leaked phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen, which angered citizens and heightened mistrust across all political parties. The chat, which was leaked amid a border crisis, contained language that was perceived as overly respectful, which infuriated the public and led to a prompt court ruling.
Strengthening ASEAN’s Response: Reassessing the Five Point Consensus on Myanmar
On 24 April 2021 the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting was convened at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, with the view to reach a consensus on the situation in Myanmar apart from other issues such as community building efforts, recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and other pressing issues of common interest to all ASEAN Member States. On the situation in Myanmar, the leaders agreed on the Five Point consensus (FPC). As the FPC marks the three-year anniversary on 24 April 2024, it is pertinent to reflect on the developments of each of these provisions. Over the period of three years, these provisions have often been criticised as mere diplomatic efforts which provide an ideal solution on paper but aren’t able to respond to the situation on the ground.