07/06/2026

theSun on Sunday JUNE 7, 2026

WORLD 7

Thailand to join UN arbitration process

Rescuers call off search for duo in Laos cave VIENTIANE: Rescuers called off their search yesterday for two men trapped in a semi-submerged cave in Laos for more than two weeks, as the site became unstable and survival hopes faded. Seven villagers became trapped in the cave in central Xaysomboun province on May 20 when flash floods blocked their exit as they hunted bats for food and searched for gold in old mining areas, state media said. Rescue teams located five of the men alive a week later, with one extracted by divers on May 29 and four guided out the following day after water was pumped from the flooded cavern. The two others remained missing despite an intensive search by Laos and international rescue teams. Lee Kian Lie, a Malaysian cave diver who joined the operation on May 28, told AFP it was at an “end” as the risks of continuing outweighed the slim chances of the men’s rescue. “We were so close,” Lee said. “The water in the cave was already manageable, but the cave entrance started to become unstable.” “To continue the operation is high risk,” he added. “They will continue to manage the water by pumping and digging at possible resurgence points to let the water flow out faster. Perhaps a miracle will happen. “Everyone tried. We tried. I am sorry for the family.” Lee described the mission as the most dangerous rescue operation he had experienced, saying the team faced flooding, unstable cave structures, tight restrictions and poor air quality. – AFP Chinese ships approach key islands TAIPEI: Taiwan said yesterday that a Chinese coast guard ship and a survey ship had carried out the first coordinated operation to “provoke” Taiwan, in waters around strategically located islands in the South China Sea. The Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands, a national park towards the northern end of the South China Sea and lightly defended by the coast guard, have emerged as a new pressure point in China’s military and quasi-military operations around Taiwan in an effort to assert Beijing’s sovereignty claims. The islands between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong are seen by some security experts as vulnerable to Chinese attack due to their distance, more than 400km, from Taiwan island. Taiwan’s coast guard said in a statement that along with a Chinese coast guard ship that had approached the islands on Friday, a Chinese oceanographic survey vessel approached the islands yesterday. “This is the first observed instance of Chinese coast guard and survey vessels acting in coordination to provoke Taiwan,” it said. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to a request for comment. “These acts are highly provocative ... causing trouble across the region,” Taiwan National Security Council Secretary General Joseph Wu said on X. – Reuters

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Bangkok halts other border talks with Cambodia

Cambodia’s choice. “Cambodia hopes that the Thai government will engage with this process in good faith,” he said. Despite joining the mediation, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Bangkok would not hold any other two way talks, including those to manage and resolve land border issues. “We will use Unclos, which means from now ߑ on there will be no more talks ... or other forms of cooperation,” he added. “We will not discuss the restoration of relations yet.” All border gates between Thailand and Cambodia would stay closed, he said. Ties have been on edge after two rounds of intense border clashes last year killed nearly 150 people and displaced at least 300,000 on both sides but a December ceasefire still holds. Cambodia’s choice of compulsory conciliation, in which a five-member panel makes non-binding recommendations, will not improve overall ties between the two countries, said Sihasak, who is also Thai deputy prime ߑ minister. – Reuters

BANGKOK: Thailand said it will join a UN arbitration process chosen by Cambodia to resolve a festering maritime boundary dispute, but put on hold for now other two way efforts to settle their contested borders. Cambodia launched a compulsory conciliation process on Tuesday under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) after Bangkok decided last month to unilaterally end a 2001 framework pact for talks on a disputed ߑ maritime belt. For more than 25 years, both have claimed about 26,000 sq km of sea in the Gulf of Thailand, estimated to hold nearly 12 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and large volumes of oil, for a total value of US$300 billion (RM1.2 trillion). Thailand will send two representatives to the UN-backed negotiations, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said on Friday, but expressed dismay at Cambodia’s move to also use the talks to tackle questions of resource sharing. “I told my Cambodian colleagues, ‘Why

don’t we give talks a chance? Six months or something’,” ߑ he said. “If we cannot make progress, then we can agree on the next step, which of course includes compulsory conciliation, but it also includes voluntary conciliation.” Sihasak said Cambodia made public its decision to use the compulsory conciliation process on Tuesday, before officially notifying Thailand. “And since June 2, we’ve not had any discussion informally, formally with the Cambodian side.” A spokesperson for the Cambodian government denied Sihasak’s assertion that Thailand had not been notified ahead of the announcement. They shared images of a timestamped email and paper copy of the notification that they said had been delivered on Tuesday morning. Reuters could not immediately independently verify the notices. In response ߑ to Reuters’ queries, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said two-way efforts to resolve the dispute

Students protesting in New Delhi yesterday over alleged irregularities in major examinations. – AFPPIC

Hundreds of students join exam-leak protest NEW DELHI: Hundreds of young students gathered in New Delhi yesterday for the first street protest by the satirical “Cockroach People’s Party” over alleged irregularities in recent major examinations. Carrying paper cockroach masks and pamphlets, the protesters called for the resignation of Education Minister “How is it that exam papers get leaked in this country? How is this right?” said Raj, 16. Protesters were led by Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old Boston University graduate who arrived in New Delhi from the United States yesterday.

for the opposition Aam Aadmi Party, told supporters at the rally. “Cockroaches don’t ever fear, they never die either,” said Dipke, as others shouted in unison. The movement emerged after India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant reportedly likened young people who criticised the government to “cockroaches” and “parasites” during a court hearing, sparking outrage among the youth. Kant later said his comments were taken out of context. CJP’s popularity has soared, using the slogan “a political front for the youth, by the youth, for the youth”. – AFP

His parody party – “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP), a play on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – has won millions of followers on social media since its launch last month. “The youth of the country will no longer fear anyone, they will fight,” Dipke, a former political communications strategist

Dharmendra Pradhan, who has faced criticism over the irregularities, including question paper leaks and technical glitches. “We want accountability from the government,” said Utkarsh Raj, a medical college aspirant.