AFP
Cambodia has asked the United Nations to intervene in its border dispute with Thailand, a Thai official said on Saturday, the fifth day of a tense stand-off between the neighbours.
More than 600 Thai troops and well over 1,000 Cambodian soldiers are stationed around a small Buddhist pagoda on the slope of a mountain leading to the ruins of an ancient temple at the centre of the territorial dispute.
"The Thai ambassador to the UN has reported to the Thai government that Cambodia has filed a complaint with the UN over the dispute between Thailand and Cambodia," Thai government spokesman Wichianchote Sukchotrat told AFP.
He said Cambodia wanted the UN to intervene and the Thai government would study the complaint before sending a letter to UN officials.
Military commanders from both sides said they were seeking to calm the soldiers to ensure that violence does not erupt ahead of peace talks planned for Monday.
The confrontation began when three Thai protesters illegally broke across on Tuesday vowing to reclaim the Preah Vihear temple, which they say rightly belongs to them.
US, Chinese, French and Vietnamese embassy staff flew to the disputed territory on Saturday, adding to diplomatic pressure to end the confrontation.
They toured the area and took photographs but did not speak to either side and declined to talk to reporters.
"They came here because they don't want to see a confrontation between the troops of both countries. It is useless for both countries if any armed conflict happens," Sao Sokha, commander of Cambodia's military police said of the officials.
Cambodian and Thai top brass briefly met in the small Buddhist pagoda at the centre of the stand-off Saturday morning to discuss disarming troops stationed there.
"The order from the top is to do whatever it takes to avoid a gunfight. I was talking with him (Thai army Colonel Chay Huay Soongnern) to tell him that the armed forces on the frontlines should stash their weapons away," said Srey Dik, Cambodian army commander overseeing operations.
The standoff nearly erupted into violence late Thursday, when witnesses said troops twice pointed their guns at each other.
The atmosphere was less tense Saturday evening, as some Cambodian and Thai troops put down their weapons and chatted.
Despite that, dozens more black-clad Thai troops were observed crossing into the border area during the day, carrying food along with their rifles.
Cambodian military officials said more than 100 additional Thai troops arrived Saturday, but refused to say how many Cambodian forces had been added to the standoff.
A heavy machine gun could be seen just beyond the border gate on the Thai side earlier Saturday, while a heavy gun faced Thai troops from the Cambodian side.
Cambodian troops, who have been banned from drinking wine to avoid any shooting, are positioned around the area and also stationed with Thais inside the pagoda, which sits on the slope of a mountain leading to the ruins of the 11th century Preah Vihear temple.
The Cambodian commander reiterated his country's claim to own the border territory, including the ancient temple site, and said other countries supported it.
"They recognise the facts. The truth is that Cambodia is the owner of the land here according to the 1904 French-Siam map," he said.
The mood among Cambodians worsened Friday evening when they got word of a letter from Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen saying the addition of Cambodian troops had caused the situation to "deteriorate".
The World Court in 1962 determined the Preah Vihear ruins belong to Cambodia, even though the most accessible entrance lies in Thailand.
The issue has taken on national importance in both countries.
Cambodia is preparing for general elections on July 27, while Thailand has recently been rattled by anti-government protests, driven in part over the handling of the land dispute.
More than 600 Thai troops and well over 1,000 Cambodian soldiers are stationed around a small Buddhist pagoda on the slope of a mountain leading to the ruins of an ancient temple at the centre of the territorial dispute.
"The Thai ambassador to the UN has reported to the Thai government that Cambodia has filed a complaint with the UN over the dispute between Thailand and Cambodia," Thai government spokesman Wichianchote Sukchotrat told AFP.
He said Cambodia wanted the UN to intervene and the Thai government would study the complaint before sending a letter to UN officials.
Military commanders from both sides said they were seeking to calm the soldiers to ensure that violence does not erupt ahead of peace talks planned for Monday.
The confrontation began when three Thai protesters illegally broke across on Tuesday vowing to reclaim the Preah Vihear temple, which they say rightly belongs to them.
US, Chinese, French and Vietnamese embassy staff flew to the disputed territory on Saturday, adding to diplomatic pressure to end the confrontation.
They toured the area and took photographs but did not speak to either side and declined to talk to reporters.
"They came here because they don't want to see a confrontation between the troops of both countries. It is useless for both countries if any armed conflict happens," Sao Sokha, commander of Cambodia's military police said of the officials.
Cambodian and Thai top brass briefly met in the small Buddhist pagoda at the centre of the stand-off Saturday morning to discuss disarming troops stationed there.
"The order from the top is to do whatever it takes to avoid a gunfight. I was talking with him (Thai army Colonel Chay Huay Soongnern) to tell him that the armed forces on the frontlines should stash their weapons away," said Srey Dik, Cambodian army commander overseeing operations.
The standoff nearly erupted into violence late Thursday, when witnesses said troops twice pointed their guns at each other.
The atmosphere was less tense Saturday evening, as some Cambodian and Thai troops put down their weapons and chatted.
Despite that, dozens more black-clad Thai troops were observed crossing into the border area during the day, carrying food along with their rifles.
Cambodian military officials said more than 100 additional Thai troops arrived Saturday, but refused to say how many Cambodian forces had been added to the standoff.
A heavy machine gun could be seen just beyond the border gate on the Thai side earlier Saturday, while a heavy gun faced Thai troops from the Cambodian side.
Cambodian troops, who have been banned from drinking wine to avoid any shooting, are positioned around the area and also stationed with Thais inside the pagoda, which sits on the slope of a mountain leading to the ruins of the 11th century Preah Vihear temple.
The Cambodian commander reiterated his country's claim to own the border territory, including the ancient temple site, and said other countries supported it.
"They recognise the facts. The truth is that Cambodia is the owner of the land here according to the 1904 French-Siam map," he said.
The mood among Cambodians worsened Friday evening when they got word of a letter from Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen saying the addition of Cambodian troops had caused the situation to "deteriorate".
The World Court in 1962 determined the Preah Vihear ruins belong to Cambodia, even though the most accessible entrance lies in Thailand.
The issue has taken on national importance in both countries.
Cambodia is preparing for general elections on July 27, while Thailand has recently been rattled by anti-government protests, driven in part over the handling of the land dispute.
13 comments:
On another news, a visitor commented about the delay of the Hun Sen administration not asking for help from the United Nations body. Now the Cambodians did. I am so happyyyyyyyyyy. I have not realized that it is best go by the rule of law. Hmmm. I think in this new world order, we must operate the way the new world is set up and use its resources to the fullest. This clearly shows that Ah Nan Chao Siems are still the barbarians that have not yet learned to adjust to the modern world. We Cambodians have continued to move on with the rest of world pretty well. Soon we will outgrow ah Nan Chao Siems in all aspects. I want to give my shoutout to the Khmer army commander Srey Dik (what a name it sounds in English. ahhah) for defending the Khmer territory from Ah Nan Chao Siems. I especially like his words: "...a heavy gun faced Thai troops from the Cambodian side. ...Other countries
recognise the facts. The truth is that Cambodia is the owner of the land here according to the 1904 French-Siam map," he said."
Bravo Commander Srey Dik!!!!!!!! May the ancient Khmer warrior spirits be with you!
article in Cambodge soir:
The thais made A symboloique retreat of ten meters from the pagoda.
a sign that they want to appease the tension. around 1000 soldiers on each side face to face. The road leading to the site is filled with thai troops.
Despite all the show of friendliness the ancestral hatred remains.
an ex khmer rouge RACF soldier declares to the villagers: dont worry.We know what war is. They might have better uniforms but we have fought half our lives.They haven't.
Plus their M16 is worthless in the jungle whereas a AK47 is deadly.
End of quotation.
the combat continues we must pursue relentlessly the ouster of thai from our territory.
Wow 2:32. I was rather mesmerized by your translation. I especially like your usage of the words "symbolic retreat"..."ancestral hatred"..."better uniforms"..."fought half our lives"..."M16 is worthless in the jungle"..."AK47 is deadly".
Long Live Khmer people. Down to hell to all ah aggressive Nan Chao Siems.
thanks 3,08
French vocabulary is very rich and french loce dramatic prose.
long live our khmer nation
Vive la nation khmer
Who give a fuck about if the Khmer Phrea Vihear temple is more accessible from the Thaicong side?
A new accessible entrance can be built from the Khmer side!
The Thaicong leaders need to stop dreaming about getting a piece of Khmer Phrea Vihear temple!
Hello there 5:08,
I like your statement: "A new accessible entrance can be built from the Khmer side!" I categorically agree with you on that point. In fact, we have been building a road to Preah Vihear from the Khmer side already. The last time I read, even India wants to operate cable car services as well. It is like going to the Alps. However, I keep reading and hearing from the Thai media that repeatedly say "ONLY ACCESSIBLE" from the Thai side and on and on over and over again. That is quite annoying.
Hello there 5:08,
I like your statement: "A new accessible entrance can be built from the Khmer side!" I categorically agree with you on that point. In fact, we have been building a road to Preah Vihear from the Khmer side already. The last time I read, even India wants to operate cable car services as well. It is like going to the Alps. However, I keep reading and hearing from the Thai media that repeatedly say "ONLY ACCESSIBLE" from the Thai side and on and on over and over again. That is quite annoying.
The UN must stay out of Khmer's affair because this is not a threat to the International Community. It is just a simple dispute between Khmer in Issan Province and the Monkey in Cambodia.
yes, cambodia; this is the right thing to do by asking for UN to intervene so they can deal with thailand's real violation of the international law, the franco-siamese treaty of 1904 - 1907, and the icj verdict of 1962 that enforce or demand that thailand must respect this treaty, period. thailand has no rights on preah vihear and the surrounding so-called "disputed" area. that area is not theirs in accordance to the 1904 - 1907 treaty and the icj verdict.
Hey Thai monkey, are you afraid that the UN will rule in favor of khmer? If you are so sure about yourself why not let the UN come in?
Don't forget that it was the thais who brought this upon themselves. Thais get ready for more international backlash over your idiotic nationalistic ideologies.
Afraid of the corrupted UN? You got to be out of your mind, 7:15. Where did you learn such a thing, UCLA, Berkley,..., Yale?
no a thai university LOL LOL LOL
heheh no matter what, when our expereince in warfare is still fresh.
Khmer Defenders of the Motherland are GREATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT. Let's go, Khmer Defenders. Hip Hip Horray for the Khmer Defenders of the Motherland. Ah Nan Chao Siems, we Khmer will dance with you in hell!!!!!! All the Khmer people in Thailand, you all must stand up and get rid of all these Nan Chao Siems once and for all. Send them all Siem hellish creatures back to their hell and shitholes in Nan Chao. Reclaim your Khmerhood and Khmerhumanity. Amen.
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