02 July 2007
By San Suwith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Thailand’s Khav Sot newspaper indicated that its reporter from Kantharalak district, Sisaket province, said that the situation in Preah Vihear on Saturday afternoon is very desolated because there was no tourist crossing over to visit the temple. This situation is due to the presence of about 200 Cambodian soldiers armed with light and heavy guns who are spread out all over the place near the temple, after rumors were spread that the Thai soldiers plan to cross the border and take over the Preah Vihear temple back.
The Thai newspaper said that Preab Tan, the Preah Vihear provincial governor, issued an order to Ros Heng, the border gate post director, to expressly prevent the access of the temple to uniformed Thai officials, whether they are policemen, soldiers, or government officials.
A merchant who climbed the stairs up to the temple located on the Thai side told the Thai reporter that the reason Cambodia installed its troops on Preah Vihear mountain was because on Wednesday 27 June, a group of Thai army trainees from Ubon Ratchathani provinces visited the temple, they took pictures of the temple, and took notes of the different features of the temple. Their visit lasted until late in the evening, and they caused confusion among the Cambodian soldiers and police officers stationed there who thought that the Thai soldiers plan to re-enter and occupy the temple.
Colonel Thania Keatisan, the commander of the Thai black-clad soldiers stationed in Kantharalak district, Sisaket province, said that he observed that the number of Cambodian troops around the temple is more than usual, and he told his soldiers stationed at the base of the mountain to warn tourists about the situation in the temple. He said that he did not close the gate.
The Thai colonel claimed that if tourists still want to climb to see the temple, no one will prevent them, they are asked to be careful only.
The Siamese colonel said that he reported the situation to his superior so that the situation can be resolved officially by high ranking officials from both sides.
The Thai newspaper said that Preab Tan, the Preah Vihear provincial governor, issued an order to Ros Heng, the border gate post director, to expressly prevent the access of the temple to uniformed Thai officials, whether they are policemen, soldiers, or government officials.
A merchant who climbed the stairs up to the temple located on the Thai side told the Thai reporter that the reason Cambodia installed its troops on Preah Vihear mountain was because on Wednesday 27 June, a group of Thai army trainees from Ubon Ratchathani provinces visited the temple, they took pictures of the temple, and took notes of the different features of the temple. Their visit lasted until late in the evening, and they caused confusion among the Cambodian soldiers and police officers stationed there who thought that the Thai soldiers plan to re-enter and occupy the temple.
Colonel Thania Keatisan, the commander of the Thai black-clad soldiers stationed in Kantharalak district, Sisaket province, said that he observed that the number of Cambodian troops around the temple is more than usual, and he told his soldiers stationed at the base of the mountain to warn tourists about the situation in the temple. He said that he did not close the gate.
The Thai colonel claimed that if tourists still want to climb to see the temple, no one will prevent them, they are asked to be careful only.
The Siamese colonel said that he reported the situation to his superior so that the situation can be resolved officially by high ranking officials from both sides.
7 comments:
Indeed, "confusion among the Cambodian soldiers and police officers stationed there who thought that the Thai soldiers plan to re-enter and occupy the temple" is the very cause of another incident which could have ended up in a tragedy again.
Why such confusion? Because we Cambodian people are living in fear, we are deeply convinced that Thailand and Vietnam have plans to invade Cambodia, occupy our temples and kill all of us. Fear is a powerful tool to control populations and make them act violently. Lack of education, poor understanding of neighbouring countries and paranoid media are strong contributors to this fear of the Siam neighbour.
I wish we had more education to appreciate such situations, more wisdom to react to them, and a better understanding of geopolitics. If Thailand really had invaded Preah Vihear Temple, they would have been blamed by the international community and forced to hand it back to Cambodia, as declared by the International Court of Justice in 1962. All the countries of the world know that Preah Vihear Temple is in Cambodia, so there is no need to be so stressed about a possible invasion, which will not happen. I repeat: "Thailand will not invade Cambodia, neither will Vietnam. We are safe from military invasion."
You know what? Ok, if it happens, that they really invade Cambodia, then I'll offer all the readers of this blog a milk-shake at Lucky Burger!
(Yeah, I take no risk on that bet)
After Thai pull a tricks and Cambodia do not bite the bait ,now Thai playing cool ,good work Cambodia this is typical Thai,if it can't win they are your friend but not for ever like we thought, they'll find the way around to destroy us. Common Cambodian with the world banks we can make the resort ,entrance and hight way to Peah Viheah place, if the government is so weak and broke let the private company auction and handle it ? If Cambodia still need Thai's nose for respirator
we'll be running to this circle.
Koun Khmer Anukbal
You all know, I am Khmer Phnom Penh but i love Khmer Krom and land more than anything too. Eventhough the current government never have the Khmer Krom in the history to teach the younger generation but i manage to do some research and know alot. And I always think KHMER KROM Land is our. KHMER KROM (Ordinary and Monks) you doing the right thing. Please keep up the good job. KHMER SAMAKI KHMER CHHNEAH!
1:23PM,WOW TO YOUR HIGHT EDUCATION!
READ MORE AND STUDY MORE ABOUT WOLD HISTORY AND ASK SUPPER POWER LIKE USA, ENGLAND, CHINA, ESPECIALLY FRANC TO EASE ON THEIR DEFEND POLICY!
SAVE YOU BET TO BUY BOOK OF WORLD HISTORY AND FUTURE STRATERGY!
OK TO BEPARANOISE THAN TO BE TOO LAT!
1:23 am!!! I am proud of your high education!!!
I have some questions to ask you
1. Why the hell Thai soldiers get into the Preah Vihear in Uniform? Visiting with arms?
2. How do you define the meaning of "Invasion" in the new modern world? Do you expect them to bring their troop and attack Cambodia before you can call it invasion? Is it what you mean?
This is not the first time thai soldiers do this. They is a WIN-DRAW game they play. They kick our ass "Like illegally crossing border by their soldiers with arms for exemple", they will look to our reaction. If we react,... They will say ohh do not worry we just want to check somethings, we will solve this peacefully at diplomatic level...But if you dont react... they will just take over and occupy the area and mark a new border, creat a new white zone...
They either win or draw...and we always loose or draw...
I think it is time to play the same game to them.... Just do the same thing...
Have a good day...
Dear Anonymous from 12:36PM,
1. I agree with you that it was probably not wise for group of Thai army trainees to cross the border in uniform, and that should have been politely highlighted by both the Thai border guards and the Cambodian border guards. I can only suspect that border guards on both side failed to highlight this point to the undelicate trainees, as it seems they had access to the whole temple.
Now, let's highlight that the group was made of trainees, not fully trained soldiers, and as so, unexperienced and probably overly proud to show off to the public that they are serving their country. They probably were unaccustomed to the very sensitive context of Preah Vihear Temple. You know, young military trainees often act stupidly just for the show...
Now, an intersting fact is that wearing a uniform and carrying a weapon are two different things, and it seems clear in the above article that Thai trainees were NOT carrying weapons. They just had poor dressing taste, and ignored basic rules of courtesy while visiting a foreign country, but it's not rare for Cambodian people to wear military-style cloth too, is it?
2. Well, I guess that like me you've been up in Preah Vihear. Unless you come with your camping gear, there is no place to stay up there, just stones, rain, cold and landmines. So I'm using the term Invasion in the same way most of the Cambodian people consider it, the same way the Cambodian police and army were fearing it: an unauthorized and possibly violent intrusion into Cambodia's territory by foreign army personel, followed by a continuous unauthorized occupation of the area, probably with military support, against the principles of sovereignty of Cambodia. Now, if the land is sold or given by Cambodian authorities to foreign nationals, either you call it legal foreign investment, either you call it treason and you ask for the arrest and judgment of Cambodian governmental staff who sold illegally Cambodian public land to foreigners. In which case, the target shouldn't be the foreigner, but the Cambodian people who are selling Cambodia appart.
As I said earlier, the international community recognized in 1962 that the 800 meters of Preah Vihear Temple, from the Market to the southern Sanctuary, belonged to Cambodia. Any attempt by Thailand to claim more land than defined in 1962 will turn them into the bad guys to the eyes of the international community. Now, if Cambodia decides to play it tough with Thailand, the result will be escalating tension between the countries, the closing of most of the borders with Thailand, and dire economic consequences for Cambodia. Do you imagine Siem Reap without tourists from Bangkok and Poipet? Do you imagine all the markets empty from Thai goods, fruits and vegetables? Please remember that Cambodia is far from being self-sufficient in food and agriculture (see the article in Phnom Penh Post from late June on this topic). Escalating tension between Cambodia and Thailand would hit Cambodia's tourism very hard, and possibly lead to hundreds of thousands of jobs being lost.
Having a meeting with Thai authorities to discuss the management of the temple area, mark the boundary and define basic rules of border crossing (of uniformed men, for example) is for me the only diplomatic and peaceful issue to the ongoing crisis.
But as I said earlier, the choice is yours...
Sucker! Stop bull shitting!
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