Thailand and Cambodia both claim land around the Preah Vihear temple [EPA]
A Cambodian commander said troops on both sides were on high alert [EPA]Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Al Jazeera
Cambodian officials say more Thai troops have crossed into their territory, raising tensions over in a disputed border region close to an historic temple.
The number of Thai troops swelled to about 200 on Wednesday, Seng Vuthy, a Cambodian border guard unit commander, said on the second day of alleged incursions.
"Both the Cambodian and Thai forces have their hands on their guns at all times," he said.
On Tuesday Cambodia's information minister said that some 170 troops and Thai civilians had crossed into Cambodian territory.
But Thai officials have denied any incursion, saying the troops have been deployed on its territory to protect their country's sovereignty and control Thai activists.
Major-General Kanok Netakawesana, a Thai army field commander in the region, said on Tuesday that his troops were on Thai soil close to the disputed area.
"We are not violating the territory of Cambodia. We have every right to deploy troops here to protect our sovereignty," he said, but declined to give the number of soldiers deployed.
A Thai foreign ministry spokesman, also denied any incursion, saying the relationship between the two countries remained normal.
The ministry said in a statement late on Tuesday that the troops were ensuring that any protests by Thai activists were being done "in an orderly manner".
The confrontation comes after the United Nations' culture body Unesco declared the 1,000 year-old Preah Vihear temple a World Heritage site last week.
The temple, which shares the Hindu-influenced style of the more famous Angkor complex in northwestern Cambodia, has been at the centre of a long-standing border row between the neighbours.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded Preah Vihear and the land it occupies to Cambodia, a decision that still rankles many Thais.
Both countries claim land around the temple, and Thai anti-government activists have revived nationalist sentiment over the issue, blaming the government for ceding Thai sovereignty by backing Cambodia's application to Unesco.
The activists and some government officials fear the temple's new status will jeopardise their country's claims to land adjacent to the site.
The Thai troop movements followed the arrest by Cambodia of three Thai citizens for crossing the border earlier on Tuesday. The three were returned to Thailand later in the day.
The dispute has already left one Thai soldier injured, when a mine went off while he was patrolling in the area.
Stretches of the Thai-Cambodian border are still strewn with land mines sown by various sides during the 1970-75 Cambodian civil war and the guerrilla conflict that followed the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979.
The number of Thai troops swelled to about 200 on Wednesday, Seng Vuthy, a Cambodian border guard unit commander, said on the second day of alleged incursions.
"Both the Cambodian and Thai forces have their hands on their guns at all times," he said.
On Tuesday Cambodia's information minister said that some 170 troops and Thai civilians had crossed into Cambodian territory.
But Thai officials have denied any incursion, saying the troops have been deployed on its territory to protect their country's sovereignty and control Thai activists.
Major-General Kanok Netakawesana, a Thai army field commander in the region, said on Tuesday that his troops were on Thai soil close to the disputed area.
"We are not violating the territory of Cambodia. We have every right to deploy troops here to protect our sovereignty," he said, but declined to give the number of soldiers deployed.
A Thai foreign ministry spokesman, also denied any incursion, saying the relationship between the two countries remained normal.
The ministry said in a statement late on Tuesday that the troops were ensuring that any protests by Thai activists were being done "in an orderly manner".
The confrontation comes after the United Nations' culture body Unesco declared the 1,000 year-old Preah Vihear temple a World Heritage site last week.
The temple, which shares the Hindu-influenced style of the more famous Angkor complex in northwestern Cambodia, has been at the centre of a long-standing border row between the neighbours.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded Preah Vihear and the land it occupies to Cambodia, a decision that still rankles many Thais.
Both countries claim land around the temple, and Thai anti-government activists have revived nationalist sentiment over the issue, blaming the government for ceding Thai sovereignty by backing Cambodia's application to Unesco.
The activists and some government officials fear the temple's new status will jeopardise their country's claims to land adjacent to the site.
The Thai troop movements followed the arrest by Cambodia of three Thai citizens for crossing the border earlier on Tuesday. The three were returned to Thailand later in the day.
The dispute has already left one Thai soldier injured, when a mine went off while he was patrolling in the area.
Stretches of the Thai-Cambodian border are still strewn with land mines sown by various sides during the 1970-75 Cambodian civil war and the guerrilla conflict that followed the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979.
15 comments:
Mr. Hun Sen must sent the troop more this border!!
Hun Sen must spend all cost including diplomacy by calling back our khmer ambassador from Bankok, complaint to ASIAN, UN, ICJ and fighting to protect our land from A Siam thief!! if you do like this, you will become a hero of Cambodia. My vote for you if you follow this idea.
Now our country faces the biggest problem with A Siam thief. Please all khmer people joint with us to make demonstration infront of Thai Embassy to protest this problem!!
Boycott the thai production!!
Down A saim!!
khmer neak snea ha cheat,
boycotting thais?
who gives a shit, you idoit khmers!
From here on out, we should seek import goods from China and Vietnam, and boycott all import goods from Thailand.
I agreed!
Yes, the prime minister of Cambodia, Hun Sen, should recall the Cambodian ambassador from Thailand, and kick the Thai ambassador out of Cambodia. Plus, we need to cut all future trades and other import goods.
yeah, great i hope you are in power enough to make a decision.
do you think thais give a damn if you want to boycott? c'mon...
A Pler 12:38 p.m, I hope your country will divide into 3 part : one is southern part for Pattani people, one of central part for PAD and other one of northern part for PPP... now A siam troop just got their sin by explosive mine, has ha... their sin is coming like this. Has ha....
Go to hell A Siam thief 12:38p.m and all siam thief.
You thais should worry about the boycott because the booming cambodian economy consume a lot of thai products.
Your political bickering and threat of a coup detat are putting off international investors.
They will instead invest in cambodia and laos and vietnam.
Think about it before you open your big mouth.
Remember United Khmer People,
Don't forget Khmer Isan, Khmer Surin, Khmer Krom, and Koh Tral. Must return back to Mother Land. Vote for me 2033 Thank You
What an idiot? They are in Issan Province, and they claimed Thai incursion?
Landmines are good for their minds, if they won't changing their from encroaching in our land.
Next time, we'll have to shoot them.
Mr. Hun Minister, we're humbly and respectfully asking you to authorize our troops to shoot to kill. And please no more hostages or prisoners. Please understand that these Thais are encroaching into our torritorial areas, and we need to do something. Again, we need you to give us a green light to shoot and kill the intruders.
Now why isn't that an issue a few month back when Vietnamese board guards/soldiers enter Cambodia territory illegally?
we did not see any arrest? they are free to come and go as they will...is Hun Sen 1 eye mean he can only see encroachment from Thailand but not Vietname due to the benefits his Hanio bosses gift M$$ at the expenses of Cambodia Territory since 1980?
Give us Koh Pors(snake island), we will send troops from Hanoi to help you to pull Thai troops back. hehehe
From Vietnamese commander
Let's plan more land mines...
LOL to 6:00PM
SEE? stupid khmers can't leave their old habits --stupid and cruel as usual. no wonder you were slaughtered like having a chicken flu during the khmer rouge period.
so sad to hear that a new generation of khmers never behaves different from POL POT at all.
you hate him but you love his style of killing. very great indeed khmers, i salute you.
not to mention that if you want to run PVH as a tourist spot, if you stupidly do as you suggested, i can only see that it's the way the fools do and think. salute to you khmer
Sadly, these landmines were manufactured in the whore country (Thailand). Now, one of its soldiers became the lastest victim of their ignorance and arrogance.
9:49 PM
Just fire the first shot, and will take care of the rest.
Khmer soldier really want to have a joint military exercise with Thai rangers.
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