The military junta that controls Myanmar nominally transferred power to an interim government on Thursday ahead of a planned election in December and January. A state of emergency that was due to expire Thursday after seven extensions was lifted, Zaw Min Tun, a government spokesman, told state media. The decree had given legislative, judicial, and executive powers to Min Aung Hlang as head of the ruling military council. But state media reported late Thursday that martial law and a state of emergency would be imposed in more than 60 townships…
Category: RFA
Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand attacked amid border tensions
As border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia erupted to five days of fighting before a ceasefire was declared, reports of Cambodian migrant workers being beaten by Thai gangs were on the rise. Thai government and police officials have both issued public statements condemning the attacks on Cambodian migrant workers. RFA Khmer service’s Poly Sam speaks with Bangkok-based rights and labor activist Phil Robertson of Asia Human Rights Labour Advocates (AHRLA) about what’s being done. Below is a transcript of the interview for RFA Perspectives: cambodia-migrant-workers-attacked-thailand This image made from video…
Thai, Cambodian militaries chart path forward after deadly border fight
BANGKOK, Thailand – Military leaders from Thailand and Cambodia met on Tuesday to agree on details of a ceasefire, brokered amid pressure from the U.S., that halted five days of deadly skirmishes along their disputed border. Regional military commanders along the 800-kilometer border agreed to halt gunfire, refrain from moving troops and establish direct bilateral communications, according to a Thai army spokesman and a spokesperson from the Cambodian defense ministry. cambodia-thailand-ceasefire Thai soldiers hold flowers received from supporters at army headquarters in Bangkok, July 29, 2025. (Chalinee Thirasupa/Reuters) Acting Thai…
Cambodia, Thailand agree to a truce in border conflict
BANGKOK, Thailand – Thai and Cambodian leaders on Monday agreed to an “unconditional” ceasefire that would end five days of fierce fighting in a disputed border area that has killed at least 35 people and displaced more than 200,000 others. The truce, which is scheduled to take effect at midnight local time, came during negotiations hosted by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia, the current chair of the ASEAN regional bloc. The meeting came amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who warned over the weekend that the border conflict…
Photos: Civilians displaced on both sides of Thai and Cambodian border conflict
Cambodia and Thailand traded accusations Saturday of fresh attacks as deadly border clashes entered a third day, leaving at least 33 people dead and more than 168,000 displaced, as international pressure mounted on both sides to reach a ceasefire. As of Saturday, Thailand said seven soldiers and 13 civilians had been killed in the clashes, while in Cambodia five soldiers and eight civilians had been killed, said Defense Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata. cambodia-thailand-fighting-border Juam, 50 sits next to her dog “Krati” inside a temporary shelter in Sisaket province,Thailand, July 26,…
Thailand expels Cambodian ambassador, recalls its envoy in border fight
Thailand is recalling its ambassador from Phnom Penh and expelling Cambodia’s envoy as an investigation into landmine explosions ratcheted up a long-running border dispute. The Thai Foreign Ministry downgraded its diplomatic relations with Cambodia and lodged a formal protest after an investigation by the Thai military allegedly found evidence that Cambodia had laid new landmines in a disputed border area, Phumtham Vejjayachai, the acting prime minister, said in a statement on Wednesday. The government has also ordered the closure of all border checkpoints under the jurisdiction of Thailand’s Second Army,…
China begins building mega-dam in Tibet
China has started to build a massive dam on Tibet’s longest river, a move approved by the central government in December despite concerns by India, Bangladesh and Tibetan rights groups about its impacts on residents and the environment. The structure is expected to cost more than 1 trillion yuan (US$137 billion). Once completed, it would be the world’s largest hydropower dam, generating 300 billion kilowatt-hours of power annually, about three times the power of China’s Three Gorges Dam, Xinhua, a state-run news agency, reported last year. Operations are expected to…
Cambodia targets workers in crackdown on scam centers
Cambodia’s government on Friday said that at least 2,000 people have been arrested in a crackdown ordered this week by prime minister Hun Manet on scam centers — prison-like compounds that aid groups say run on the work of human trafficking victims. Images and videos released by state-controlled media showed people running from alleged scam-center sites, Cambodian troops inspecting seized electronic equipment and groups of detainees in plastic wrist ties. Officials said detained workers included Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Indian nationals. cambodia-scam-center This July 17, 2025, image distributed by Cambodian…
Taiwan holds annual live-fire, air raid drills that simulate Chinese attack
Air-raid sirens blared in Taipei and other cities in northern Taiwan on Thursday, part of annual drills testing the country’s response to a potential invasion by China. Video: Air raid sirens wail as Taiwan simulates Chinese missile attackPolice stopped personal vehicles and public buses and directed pedestrians into shelters, such as basements and subway stations. Some shops and restaurants pulled down shutters and turned off lights, moves aimed to reduce their visibility during a potential nighttime attack. The drills also involved simulating wartime aid distribution and a mass-casualty event. Earlier…
Innovative Chinese dissident uses cryptocurrency to fund his activism
To skeptics, a meme coin is a fast way to make a cheap buck. For exiled activist Li Ying, it’s been a way to bankroll a pro-democracy community that’s challenging Chinese censorship and authoritarian rule. Li, 32, is better known by his handle on the social media platform X: “Teacher Li is not your teacher.” He’s built a following of more than 2 million by posting news that Chinese authorities don’t want people to see. Last December, he branched out to launch $Li, a form of cryptocurrency modeled after his…