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Cambodian villagers carry their belongings as they leave the area near the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple at the border between Thailand and Cambodia
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Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Cambodia and Thailand clash over Preah Vihear temple on the disputed border
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Cambodia and Thailand clash over Preah Vihear temple on the disputed border
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Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has warned that the fighting poses a threat to regional stability. He said the latest clash was sparked after Thai soldiers crossed the border in search of a slain comrade, and Cambodians opened fire to repel them. "We need the United Nations to send forces here and create a buffer zone to guarantee that there is no more fighting," Hun Sen said, adding that the situation kept deteriorating and the two sides were no longer listening to each other. Hun Sen sent a letter to the U.N. Security Council on Sunday calling for an emergency meeting to help end the fighting.
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Cambodia and Thailand clash over Preah Vihear temple on the disputed border
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Vihear temple on the disputed border
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Thai and Cambodian troops clashed for a fourth straight day on Monday over a disputed border area surrounding a 900-year-old mountaintop temple. Several hours of shelling and machine gun fire subsided at around 11am (0400 GMT), creating an uneasy peace in the contested area around the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple claimed by both Southeast Asian neighbours.
Cambodian soldiers rest at the Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province
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Sunday, February 6, 2011
Cambodia on brink of war with Thailand
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Cambodia has appealed for the United Nations Security Council to diffuse an "imminent state of war" on its border with Thailand.
Since last week the two countries have ranged hundreds of troops and artillery against one another.
At the centre of the dispute is the 900-year-old ruined temple of Preah Vihear, spectacularly perched on a frontier hilltop, and 1.8 sq miles of disputed jungle at its base.
In a letter to the UN, the Cambodian premier Hun Sen, said: "Thai behaviour gravely threatens peace and stability in the region."
He also accused Thailand of "defying all principles of international law".
On the Thai side of the border children were today performing air-raid drills at school.
If the situation escalates shells will fly overhead from the artillery batteries newly installed in fields down the road.
Preah Vihear is no stranger to conflict. In a strong defensive position it was one of the last places in Cambodia to fall to the genocidal Khmer Rouge in the 1970s, and they held out there until a peace deal only 10 years ago.
Besides gorgeously carved stones, the area is also scattered with land mines and bunkers.
Yet Mr Boonmee Buaton, headman of Pulaong village next to the temple, describes harmonious relations between the communities on either side.
"We're friends, we're neighbours, we've been doing business together for ever," he said.
Like many other observers, he blames radical Thai nationalists and anti-government protesters with ulterior motives for fermenting the crisis.
"The local people don't agree with the protesters coming here," he said. "It's only going to create a war. After they come here and mess everything up they are going to go home and we have to stay."
The crisis started last Tuesday when three protesters from Thailand were arrested in disputed territory by Cambodian soldiers.
They were quickly released, but the Thai army began pouring into the area and the deployment was matched by troops from the other side. In their tensest moments they have levelled their weapons at one another.
But the true source of the crisis, analysts say, is the determination of conservative opposition groups to exploit almost any cause to topple the Thai government elected just six months ago.
According to physical geography, Preah Vihear appears to be in Thailand, on Bangkok's side of the border and with access principally from Thailand.
Yet a 1908 map, drawn up by Cambodia's French colonialists, showed the area in Cambodia. In 1962 the International Court of Justice ruled that the map was valid.
Thailand reluctantly returned the temple to Cambodia. Yet it continued to occupy 1.8 square miles of adjoining territory that the 1908 map also shows in Cambodia.
Earlier this year, when Thailand supported Cambodia's application to list Preah Vihear as a UN World Heritage Site, the opposition cried foul.
They accused the government of somehow ceding territory, although the UN said the listing had no territorial implications.
Nevertheless, the foreign minister resigned over the affair and there are plans to impeach the entire cabinet.
Now Thai soldiers have even re-occupied the temple itself, rubbing shoulders there with Cambodian troops, according to a Thai officer of the edge of the zone, which has been closed to civilians.
Incongruously, a group of monks still lives there, receiving alms from both sides every morning, he said.
With the seemingly stronger legal case Cambodia is seeking international intervention, while Thailand prefers to address the matter "bilaterally".
Negotiations between the Thai army chief and Cambodian defence minister failed to make any progress on Monday.
At an army post of the edge of the exclusion zone, cluttered with radios and camouflage-wrapped log books, a Thai major told TheTelegraph that his soldiers are reluctant to fight. Many of them know their adversaries personally.
"We're all friends," he said. "We don't want to fight each other. It is just up to the governments to decide what the direction will be."
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Saturday, February 5, 2011
U.S. Urges Cambodia- Thailand to Exercise Restraint on Border Issue
7:26 AM
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CAMBODIA, PHNOM PENH, FEB 01, 2011-Derek Mitchell, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense, Asian and Pacific security affairs on Monday urged Cambodia – Thailand to exercise restraints over border issues between the two countries and especially area near the 11th century Khmer Preah Vihear temple.
Derek told the media briefing at the US embassy in Phnom Penh after concluding his three- day visit here: “Actually, I raised the issues with Tea Banh (Cambodian defense minister) about the situation there and I asked the questions. It happened. While I am in Manila before coming here, I heard about the border issues (between the two countries)”. He replied the questions from the reporters.
“The US position I think is very quite consistence on this. We call for all both sides to exercise restraint to deal with peaceful manner. And lower tension over the situation… so that it is the most important thing and here is the Cambodian perspective.” He told the media.
“It is not a real specific topic or on the agenda during my visit but it is useful for us to be engaged…we have to talk, he said.
The tension of border issues between the two countries occurred again after Thai PM told Thai media that Cambodia has to move the flag and destroyed the pagoda nearby the temple. Cambodia rejected the comments and called that comment “unacceptable and insulting demand” because the flag and the pagoda near the temple are in Cambodia territory.
Cambodian and Thai Foreign Ministers have plan to meet on bilateral cooperation committee at Siem Reap Province, home of Angkor Wat temple on February 3-4 this year.
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U.S. Urges Cambodia- Thailand to Exercise Restraint on Border Issue
7:26 AM
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CAMBODIA, PHNOM PENH, FEB 01, 2011-Derek Mitchell, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense, Asian and Pacific security affairs on Monday urged Cambodia – Thailand to exercise restraints over border issues between the two countries and especially area near the 11th century Khmer Preah Vihear temple.
Derek told the media briefing at the US embassy in Phnom Penh after concluding his three- day visit here: “Actually, I raised the issues with Tea Banh (Cambodian defense minister) about the situation there and I asked the questions. It happened. While I am in Manila before coming here, I heard about the border issues (between the two countries)”. He replied the questions from the reporters.
“The US position I think is very quite consistence on this. We call for all both sides to exercise restraint to deal with peaceful manner. And lower tension over the situation… so that it is the most important thing and here is the Cambodian perspective.” He told the media.
“It is not a real specific topic or on the agenda during my visit but it is useful for us to be engaged…we have to talk, he said.
The tension of border issues between the two countries occurred again after Thai PM told Thai media that Cambodia has to move the flag and destroyed the pagoda nearby the temple. Cambodia rejected the comments and called that comment “unacceptable and insulting demand” because the flag and the pagoda near the temple are in Cambodia territory.
Cambodian and Thai Foreign Ministers have plan to meet on bilateral cooperation committee at Siem Reap Province, home of Angkor Wat temple on February 3-4 this year.
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Two convicted Thais to Appeal Next Week: Lawyer
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PHNOM PENH, Feb. 3 (Xinhua)-- Two convicted Thais, Veera Somkwamkid and his secretary Ratree Pipatanapaiboon, will appeal next week, said a defense lawyer on Thursday.
Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday sentenced Veera Somkwamkid, Thailand Patriot Network core member, to 8 years in jail and fined 1.8 million riels (450 U.S. dollars) and Ms. Ratree Paiputana Paiboon, known as Veera's secretary, to 6 years in jail and fined 1.2 million riels (300 U.S. dollars).
Both Veera and Ratree denied the charges, claiming that their arrests on Dec. 29, 2010 by Cambodian troops were made on Thai territory.
"They will file a complaint to the Court of Appeal against the verdict of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court next week," said Pich Vicheka, one of the defense lawyers for the two on Thursday.
The two convicted Thais are among the seven Thais arrested on Dec. 29, 2010 by the Cambodian border protection troops for illegal entry into Cambodian territory in Banteay Meanchey province.
On Jan. 21, the other five were convicted by Phnom Penh Municipal Court to nine months in jail and fined 1 million riels ( 250 U.S. dollars) each for illegal entry and unlawful entry into the military base, but given a suspended sentence, so they were freed to return home since then.
The Cambodian-Thai border has never been fully demarcated. And the two sides have had border conflict just one week after Cambodia's Preah Vihear Temple was registered as World Heritage Site in July 2008.
Since the conflict started, military standoff has been on and off along the two countries' border and several military clashes have already happened with recorded small causalities from both sides.
Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday sentenced Veera Somkwamkid, Thailand Patriot Network core member, to 8 years in jail and fined 1.8 million riels (450 U.S. dollars) and Ms. Ratree Paiputana Paiboon, known as Veera's secretary, to 6 years in jail and fined 1.2 million riels (300 U.S. dollars).
Both Veera and Ratree denied the charges, claiming that their arrests on Dec. 29, 2010 by Cambodian troops were made on Thai territory.
"They will file a complaint to the Court of Appeal against the verdict of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court next week," said Pich Vicheka, one of the defense lawyers for the two on Thursday.
The two convicted Thais are among the seven Thais arrested on Dec. 29, 2010 by the Cambodian border protection troops for illegal entry into Cambodian territory in Banteay Meanchey province.
On Jan. 21, the other five were convicted by Phnom Penh Municipal Court to nine months in jail and fined 1 million riels ( 250 U.S. dollars) each for illegal entry and unlawful entry into the military base, but given a suspended sentence, so they were freed to return home since then.
The Cambodian-Thai border has never been fully demarcated. And the two sides have had border conflict just one week after Cambodia's Preah Vihear Temple was registered as World Heritage Site in July 2008.
Since the conflict started, military standoff has been on and off along the two countries' border and several military clashes have already happened with recorded small causalities from both sides.
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Cambodia-Thai troops exchange fire near ancient temple
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PHNOM PENH, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Clash between Cambodian and Thai troops near the 11th century temple was still on at 4:30 p.m. on Friday and the Cambodian troops have arrested 5-6 Thai troops, said military sources.
"Now, we have arrested 5-6 Thai troops and some raised hands to defect," said a soldier standby at the area of Preah Vihear temple. "Thai side has asked us to do negotiation."
Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh told Xinhua through phone on Friday that "We have warned them not to enter our territory, but they still violated and entered, so we opened fire to defend our territory."
He added that heavy weapons including rockets, machine guns, mortars and artillery have been used in the exchange of fire.
"It's too early to report about the deaths and wounds in the clash," said Tea Banh.
The clash started at 3:15 p.m. on Friday afternoon as Thai bulldozers tried to clear the way at the border and enter Cambodia territory and Cambodian troops prevented them from moving into Cambodia at Beehive area in front of Preah Vihear temple, but they did not listen to, "so military clash happened to protect our territory," said the soldier.
The incident was the latest in a long-festering dispute over the cliff-top Preah Vihear temple.
The incident coincided with the visit of Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya in Cambodia to attend the 7th meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation.
The re-tension between Cambodia and Thailand over the border happened on Jan. 27 after Thailand asked Cambodia to remove a national flag over Wat Keo Sikha Kiri Svarak pagoda near Preah Vihear temple, claiming that the pagoda is on the disputed area, but the Cambodian side rejected it.
Cambodia has the Preah Vihear temple enlisted as World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008. Just a week after the enlistment, Cambodia and Thailand had border conflict over the Thai claim of ownership of 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub next to the temple, triggering a military build-up along the border, and periodic clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers have resulted in the deaths of troops on both sides. Enditem
"Now, we have arrested 5-6 Thai troops and some raised hands to defect," said a soldier standby at the area of Preah Vihear temple. "Thai side has asked us to do negotiation."
Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh told Xinhua through phone on Friday that "We have warned them not to enter our territory, but they still violated and entered, so we opened fire to defend our territory."
He added that heavy weapons including rockets, machine guns, mortars and artillery have been used in the exchange of fire.
"It's too early to report about the deaths and wounds in the clash," said Tea Banh.
The clash started at 3:15 p.m. on Friday afternoon as Thai bulldozers tried to clear the way at the border and enter Cambodia territory and Cambodian troops prevented them from moving into Cambodia at Beehive area in front of Preah Vihear temple, but they did not listen to, "so military clash happened to protect our territory," said the soldier.
The incident was the latest in a long-festering dispute over the cliff-top Preah Vihear temple.
The incident coincided with the visit of Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya in Cambodia to attend the 7th meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation.
The re-tension between Cambodia and Thailand over the border happened on Jan. 27 after Thailand asked Cambodia to remove a national flag over Wat Keo Sikha Kiri Svarak pagoda near Preah Vihear temple, claiming that the pagoda is on the disputed area, but the Cambodian side rejected it.
Cambodia has the Preah Vihear temple enlisted as World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008. Just a week after the enlistment, Cambodia and Thailand had border conflict over the Thai claim of ownership of 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub next to the temple, triggering a military build-up along the border, and periodic clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers have resulted in the deaths of troops on both sides. Enditem
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Cambodian Soldiers.
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