By SOPHENG CHEANG, Associated Press Writer
AP
PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia - Cambodia and Thailand have massed troops on their disputed border region surrounding an 11th century temple -despite agreeing to hold talks next week to avoid military action.
The standoff - which entered its fourth day Friday - is the latest escalation in a long-standing conflict over land that surrounds Preah Vihear temple, which is similar in style to the more famous Angkor Wat in northeastern Cambodia.
The confrontation came to a head last week when UNESCO approved Cambodia's application for World Heritage Site status for Preah Vihear. Protesters in Thailand have decried their government's decision to endorse the application, saying it undermines Thai claims to the territory.
They have also accused Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej of bypassing Parliament and backing the UNESCO application in exchange for business contracts for the cronies of toppled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The Constitutional Court has ruled in the protesters' favor.
To some extent, the demonstrators appear to be playing to nationalist sentiment to gain support for their larger goal of unseating Samak, whom they accuse of being a proxy for Thaksin.
The border standoff began after three of the protesters crossed into Cambodia on Tuesday to visit the temple and were briefly detained.
Soon afterward, Thai troops deployed to the border. The army has been tightlipped about reasons behind the troop movements, saying only that it is protecting Thai sovereignty, though it's unclear why it thought it was threatened.
Cambodia has accused the Thai troops of crossing into its territory, but Thailand has publicly maintained otherwise.
However, a senior Thai military official acknowledged Wednesday that the troops are on "disputed" ground. He spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the situation.
The two countries' defense ministers are to meet next Monday to ease tensions. More than 400 Thai troops - up from 200 on Wednesday - are now facing down 800 Cambodian soldiers - up from 380 - Cambodian Brig. Gen. Chea Keo said.
The only clashes so far have been between Thai protesters and Thai villagers who resent their lands becoming ground-zero for a political battle.
One such clash took place Thursday about five miles (eight kilometers) from the temple in Sisaket Province, and about 10 people were injured, said Sisaket Governor Seni Jitkasem.
"It was a chaotic scene. People were beating one another with flag poles and kicking and punching," Seni said. "But the situation is now under control."
Earlier, hundreds of villagers blocked the anti-government protesters from marching to Preah Vihear, some shouting for them to "go home" and stop fomenting trouble. Police stood by a barricade blocking the road to the temple.
"We are Thais. We should be able to talk about this" to settle any differences, villager Ubondej Panthep said. "We don't want to provoke anyone to start shooting."
One protest leader, Pramoj Hoimook, said Cambodians have settled on Thai soil "and we want to correct that."
Samak condemned the Thai protesters for "trying to ignite a conflict." But he has not said anything about why the troops moved to the border.
___
Associated Press writers Sutin Wannabovorn and Ambika Ahuja in Bangkok, and Ker Munthit in Phnom Penh contributed to this report.
The standoff - which entered its fourth day Friday - is the latest escalation in a long-standing conflict over land that surrounds Preah Vihear temple, which is similar in style to the more famous Angkor Wat in northeastern Cambodia.
The confrontation came to a head last week when UNESCO approved Cambodia's application for World Heritage Site status for Preah Vihear. Protesters in Thailand have decried their government's decision to endorse the application, saying it undermines Thai claims to the territory.
They have also accused Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej of bypassing Parliament and backing the UNESCO application in exchange for business contracts for the cronies of toppled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The Constitutional Court has ruled in the protesters' favor.
To some extent, the demonstrators appear to be playing to nationalist sentiment to gain support for their larger goal of unseating Samak, whom they accuse of being a proxy for Thaksin.
The border standoff began after three of the protesters crossed into Cambodia on Tuesday to visit the temple and were briefly detained.
Soon afterward, Thai troops deployed to the border. The army has been tightlipped about reasons behind the troop movements, saying only that it is protecting Thai sovereignty, though it's unclear why it thought it was threatened.
Cambodia has accused the Thai troops of crossing into its territory, but Thailand has publicly maintained otherwise.
However, a senior Thai military official acknowledged Wednesday that the troops are on "disputed" ground. He spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the situation.
The two countries' defense ministers are to meet next Monday to ease tensions. More than 400 Thai troops - up from 200 on Wednesday - are now facing down 800 Cambodian soldiers - up from 380 - Cambodian Brig. Gen. Chea Keo said.
The only clashes so far have been between Thai protesters and Thai villagers who resent their lands becoming ground-zero for a political battle.
One such clash took place Thursday about five miles (eight kilometers) from the temple in Sisaket Province, and about 10 people were injured, said Sisaket Governor Seni Jitkasem.
"It was a chaotic scene. People were beating one another with flag poles and kicking and punching," Seni said. "But the situation is now under control."
Earlier, hundreds of villagers blocked the anti-government protesters from marching to Preah Vihear, some shouting for them to "go home" and stop fomenting trouble. Police stood by a barricade blocking the road to the temple.
"We are Thais. We should be able to talk about this" to settle any differences, villager Ubondej Panthep said. "We don't want to provoke anyone to start shooting."
One protest leader, Pramoj Hoimook, said Cambodians have settled on Thai soil "and we want to correct that."
Samak condemned the Thai protesters for "trying to ignite a conflict." But he has not said anything about why the troops moved to the border.
___
Associated Press writers Sutin Wannabovorn and Ambika Ahuja in Bangkok, and Ker Munthit in Phnom Penh contributed to this report.
5 comments:
If things go on like this there is going to be another war in the region, but I think it's too early to talk about war. There are a number of things that the Cambodian government can do here to counter the blatant Thais' aggression, it's the economic and trades. If things worsen the Cambodian government should look at the agreement with the Thais airlines that fly the route Bangkok and Siem Riep……void this agreement, block entrance to Preah Vihear from the Thais side permanently, ban all Thais products to the Cambodian markets…….strengthen businesses with other nations in the region they are more than willing to replace the Thais products in this globalization age.
I think the Cambodian government should do this regardless of the outcome to show the Thais that they cannot bully Cambodia any time they want. This episode clearly demonstrates and shows the Thais' ambitions and intentions not just over the Preah Vihear issue, but the whole Cambodia. We have long suspected that they have been educated and fed their people and youth false histories and now we are starting to see the results. They never consider and respect us as their neighbour. I think this should be a wake up call to all Khmer.
There will be no war, but the Thai has lost credibility in the World Community. I guess they don't know that or the pretend not to be aware of it.
Cambodian, Thai soldiers reportedly draw weapons
1 hour ago
PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia (AFP) — Cambodian and Thai soldiers pointed their weapons at each other for the first time over a tense land dispute on their border, witnesses and officials said Friday.
More than 400 Thai troops and 800 Cambodian soldiers are stationed around a small Buddhist pagoda on the slope of a mountain leading to the ruins of 11th century Preah Vihear temple.
Witnesses said troops twice pointed their guns at each other during 10 tense minutes Thursday evening when 50 Cambodian troops entered the pagoda compound to protect food supplies for dozens of Cambodian monks.
"Our troops and Thai troops pointed their guns at each other. They were on alert," said Brigadier Chea Keo, commander-in-chief of the army at Preah Vihear .
"After that Cambodian military commanders and Thai commanders held talks for approximatly one hour. We solved our problems after talks with Thai commanders," he said. "The situation is stable now."
He said Cambodian troops agreed to stay outside the pagoda during the night to avoid confrontations.
The mood appeared to be less tense Friday morning as Cambodian soldiers went back inside the pagoda and were seen chatting and smiling with Thais.
But Cambodian Premier Hun Sen told his Thai counterpart Samak Sundaravej in a letter Thursday that the row was worsening and harming their relations.
Top officials from both countries plan to meet Monday to resolve the stand-off.
The troops are deployed in a small area claimed by both countries near the Preah Vihear temple.
Thai troops arrived after three Thai protesters illegally broke across on Tuesday vowing to reclaim the temple, which they say rightly belongs to them.
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.
Khmer ultra-nationalist
Folks, stop bullshitting, better spend whatever time you got left to say goodbye to your family, relatives, and friends.
There is not such thing called Issan province. It is the north-eastern region in Thailand. Are you Khmer from Si Sa Ket province? If so, go and help stop the demonstrators near the border. Can you speak Khmer? Your province is the poorest province in Thailand. You need our temple to economically survive. I understand that is why you want the temple badly. Don't worry, even though the temple belong to us, we will share with you in terms of tourists money. But first you have to stop the stupid Thais from claiming that the temple belongs to them. Use your brain, if you have one, to make sense of things nowadays. Things that happens centuries ago are histories. If you really want to talk about history, half of Thailand belongs to Khmer Kings. If you don't realize this, your brain may be of a side of a penut, which is smaller than those of monkies guarding the temple.
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