20/08/2026

THURSDAY | AUG 20, 2026

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Thailand seeks new path to end southern insurgency

China completes first stage of work at reef has completed the first phase of construction on Antelope Reef in the Paracels archipelago, building a man-made island in the South China Sea that analysts say will form part of its largest military base. Satellite images reviewed by Reuters show the reclaimed feature in outline for the first time, with barges and dredgers having left after at least six months of work in the busy waterway. The completion shows the South China Sea as an increasingly militarised arena of competition between China and the United States and its allies, as both sides jostle for advantages that could prove critical in any future conflict over Taiwan. “The northern part of the South China Sea would be particularly important in a Taiwan conflict scenario, so Antelope is ideally placed,” said Ben Lewis, founder of the open-source data platform PLATracker. Construction of buildings has started in the southeast corner of the island, including a helicopter pad, in the July 19 images taken by Vantor, a commercial provider of satellite images. China’s Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. China has yet to acknowledge construction of a new military base, while state media have said Antelope will serve civilian needs such as weather forecasting and scientific research. Regional security analysts and military attaches say it is more likely to strengthen China’s military hold on the northern part of the vital waterway. The images show a reclaimed island nearly 6km long, with a straight line of coast longer than 3km that some analysts see as a potential runway. A wharf stretching 680m fronts a deep water harbour, with one Vantor image showing a coast guard ship alongside. The construction work was “modest”, Chinese South China Sea scholar Ding Duo said in an opinion piece published in the official China Daily in June. “Rather than militarisation, the purpose is peaceful and constructive – making the waters safer for everyone who depends on them,” Ding wrote. – Reuters HONG KONG: China

ensure its security agencies are aligned, if Thai authorities are looking to pivot after years of focusing on violence reduction, said Rungrawee Chalermsripinyorat, a lecturer at Prince of Songkla University who studies the conflict. “It has to be prepared to make political concessions,” she said. Thanut said he envisages an approach where BRN representatives, or people trusted by the movement, can work with Thai officials and experts to explore decentralisation and other governance arrangements. Restrictive security measures, including village cordons, searches and checkpoints, that could stoke resentment within local communities and fuel the insurgency, also need to be reviewed, he said. “We’ve been fighting for years. They cannot defeat the state, and we cannot eliminate them completely,” Thanut said. “So let’s talk.” – Reuters

“From the discussions I’ve had, I think I’ve found what is at the heart of it: an appropriate form of governance.” This way, Thanut said, he seeks to turn the BRN from an adversary into a potential partner in addressing demands from communities across Thailand’s deep south, including the provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat that were once part of the independent Malay sultanate of Patani. Amnesty, pardons and sentence reductions for suspected insurgents with outstanding warrants or in custody were being considered, Thanut said. Such proposals have been discussed previously, but have not yielded concrete measures. The BRN, fighting a guerilla war to secure independence for the three southern provinces, did not respond to a request for comment. Bangkok needs to demonstrate that negotiations can deliver meaningful political change and

concessions for a reduction in violence. Thanut Suvarnananda, head of Thailand’s National Intelligence Agency who was appointed by the government in April to lead the peace process, said he wants to move away from a transactional approach. “My principle is not ‘deal or no deal,’” he told Reuters in a rare media interview, underlining the traditional approach and pointing to previous confidence-building measures that yielded limited results. “If they stop shooting, what does Thailand have to give them in return? We (cannot) fall into the same trap as the past 10-plus years. “Why don’t we reopen the discussion and talk about what form of governance would actually be appropriate for the southern border region?” he said, indicating Bangkok’s willingness to be more accommodating to self administration mechanisms than in the past.

“The relations between our countries are developing swiftly,” Min Aung Hlaing said, addressing Putin through an interpreter. “Thanks to Russia’s and your personal support we’ve achieved many results on the international stage,” he said. “Myanmar is a reliable partner for Russia in southeast Asia.” Putin said the two countries were “actively cooperating on the international stage” and that “work needs to be done on the economic front”. “Your visit has a very full programme, so I’m sure there’ll be a chance to discuss all these questions,” Putin said. At an earlier meeting with the Myanmar president, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Moscow was “moving forward with implementing the agreements on the construction of a small-capacity nuclear power plant in Myanmar”. Russia’s Energy Ministry said a memorandum of understanding was signed aimed at boosting cooperation between the two countries in the areas of electricity and the oil and gas industry. Putin said there were good prospects for supplies of Russian BANGKOK: Thailand is ready to shift its approach to a slow-burn insurgency in its deep south and revitalise a peace process, its chief negotiator said. Any such move could mark a return to addressing the political roots of a conflict that has killed more than 7,800 people since 2004, when the latest round of the insurgency led mainly by the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) flared in Thailand’s southernmost provinces. In the latest violence in the region, five security personnel were killed in an attack last month. Since talks began in 2013, the peace process has repeatedly stalled amid changing governments in Bangkok, internal divisions on both sides and a focus on trading o Amnesty, pardons being considered

Putin hosts Myanmar president at Kremlin MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday hosted Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing at the Kremlin.

Putin greeting Min Aung Hlaing during their bilateral meeting at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow on Tuesday. – AFPPIC

Kremlin last year, an occasion marked by Min Aung Hlaing gifting Russia six elephants and an agreement for Russia’s state nuclear power corporation to build a small-scale nuclear plant in Myanmar. – AFP/Reuters

Myanmar and Russia signed a five year military cooperation pact in February, although few details were released. Min Aung Hlaing has visited Russia several times as Myanmar’s leader. He and Putin held talks in the

liquefied natural gas to Myanmar, including for onward transit to other countries. Its statement, which gave no further details, was published on the Russian state messenging platform Max.

Cambodian opposition leader’s daughter explains ‘special envoy’ role PHNOM PENH: The daughter of Cambodia’s opposition leader Hun Sen at the weekend, while she also met Hun Manet last week.

affairs”, with an emphasis on economic development and “safeguarding Cambodia’s territorial integrity”. Hun Manet said Kem Monovithya would help with diplomacy abroad. “I ask that people look beyond politics and judge this by the nature of the role and my actions,” Kem Monovithya said. – AFP

Cambodia National Rescue Party, Kem Sokha was pardoned and released from house arrest in May but is still banned from running for office. “This role has nothing to do with my father, the opposition or the ruling party,” she told AFP in an email. Her appointment followed a meeting between her, Kem Sokha and

equal to a government minister, just months after her father Kem Sokha was pardoned. Kem Sokha was sentenced to 27 years in prison in 2023 after being convicted of trying to topple the government of ex-leader Hun Sen – Hun Manet’s father. The leader of the court-dissolved

“Political differences are one thing; our responsibility to Cambodia is another,” she said. Cambodia’s ruling family has a history of co-opting opponents. Kem Monovithya said her new position would focus on “international

defended her new role in the government that once detained her father, telling AFP yesterday it had “nothing to do” with him. Kem Monovithya was appointed on Monday as a “special envoy” to Prime Minister Hun Manet with a rank