Moeung Sonn, president the Khmer Civilization Foundation, holds up a map showing the Cambodian-Thai border around Preah Vihear temple. Officials on both sides of the line are calling for calm after an apparent incursion by Thai soldiers into Cambodia near the disputed 11th-century World Heritage Site. (Photo: Heng Chivoan)Wednesday the 16th of July 2008
Written by Kay Kimsong
The Phnom Penh Post
Senior Cambodian officials are calling for calm a day after Thai soldiers crossed the border near Preah Vihear temple amid a growing ownership row over territory surrounding the 11th-century Hindu ruins, which last week were designated a World Heritage Site.
Nearly 600 Thai and Cambodian troops remain at a Buddhist pagoda on the Cambodian side of the border, government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told reporters Wednesday, adding however, that tensions had lowered since the Thai troops first breached the border.
"We've called for both sides to be calm. There are no tanks or guns pointed at each other," he said, adding that a joint committee had been formed to resolve how the Thai soldiers should be withdrawn.
"We are not considering this a Thai military invasion because we want to solve the situation peacefully," Khieu Kanharith said, explaining that Prime Minister Hun Sen had ordered that no force be used against the Thais.
The incident is the latest flare-up over Preah Vihear, which some Thais claim belongs to Thailand, despite a 1962 ruling by the World Court in favor of Cambodia's sovereignty.
The border around the temple, however, remains disputed, and Khieu Kanharith said demarcation talks would be held after the Thai soldiers had left Cambodian soil.
Thailand had repeatedly opposed Cambodia's efforts to have the temple listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site until this year, when Preah Vihear was successfully inscribed on July 7.
The designation sparked jubilant celebrations across Phnom Penh, but in Thailand, bruised nationalism remains unappeased, and the government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej is suffering from the fallout.
On July 10, Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama stepped down after the Constitutional Court ruled that he had acted illegally in signing an agreement supporting Cambodia’s bid to have Preah Vihear temple listed as a World Heritage Site without the permission of parliament.
Thai nationalists have vowed to continue protesting over the temple, with some groups saying they would storm Preah Vihear.
Moeung Sonn, president of the Khmer Civilization Foundation, which was established as the most recent tensions over the temple rose, demanded that the Thai government compensate any villagers around the temple for damage caused by Thai soldiers to their property.
He also called for the withdrawal of the Thai troops.
Nearly 600 Thai and Cambodian troops remain at a Buddhist pagoda on the Cambodian side of the border, government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told reporters Wednesday, adding however, that tensions had lowered since the Thai troops first breached the border.
"We've called for both sides to be calm. There are no tanks or guns pointed at each other," he said, adding that a joint committee had been formed to resolve how the Thai soldiers should be withdrawn.
"We are not considering this a Thai military invasion because we want to solve the situation peacefully," Khieu Kanharith said, explaining that Prime Minister Hun Sen had ordered that no force be used against the Thais.
The incident is the latest flare-up over Preah Vihear, which some Thais claim belongs to Thailand, despite a 1962 ruling by the World Court in favor of Cambodia's sovereignty.
The border around the temple, however, remains disputed, and Khieu Kanharith said demarcation talks would be held after the Thai soldiers had left Cambodian soil.
Thailand had repeatedly opposed Cambodia's efforts to have the temple listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site until this year, when Preah Vihear was successfully inscribed on July 7.
The designation sparked jubilant celebrations across Phnom Penh, but in Thailand, bruised nationalism remains unappeased, and the government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej is suffering from the fallout.
On July 10, Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama stepped down after the Constitutional Court ruled that he had acted illegally in signing an agreement supporting Cambodia’s bid to have Preah Vihear temple listed as a World Heritage Site without the permission of parliament.
Thai nationalists have vowed to continue protesting over the temple, with some groups saying they would storm Preah Vihear.
Moeung Sonn, president of the Khmer Civilization Foundation, which was established as the most recent tensions over the temple rose, demanded that the Thai government compensate any villagers around the temple for damage caused by Thai soldiers to their property.
He also called for the withdrawal of the Thai troops.
14 comments:
KICK THE THAIS OUT.
Don't Spark the War. We have to solve the problem by LAW and to persuade the world of Stading Illegally in Cambodia soil.
"We are not considering this a Thai military invasion because we want to solve the situation peacefully," Khieu Kanharith said, explaining that Prime Minister Hun Sen had ordered that no force be used against the Thais.
Off course, you fool Khmers surely can't call this an invasion because the land is the OVERLAPPING AREAS and actually Thailand has a long document backed up that it is actually the land of SIAM... while Khmers have nothing but waving ICJ 1962 or FRANCE's MAP which is drawn later than the document that Thailand has.
That's why CAMBODIA GOVERNMENT wants to end this peacefully because they know very well that the stupid thoughts that they installed in the Khmer people's brains can fight back at themselves if the situation escalates.
You, foolish & arrogant Khmers
Lets go back before 1100 AD when thailand was not a country, since international law does not count in your standards.
Stupid thais, think before you talk.
"The Thai troops could leave the Cambodian territory only after they signed documents to admit their incursion," local newspapers Wednesday quoted him (Khieu Kanharith)as saying.
=The Thaicong army is weak because they try to use the Thaicong protesters as human shield! Why would the fucken Thaicong army want to go to war by hiding among the Thaicong protesters? Why?
The fucken Thaicong army is cheaper than a terrorist by hiding themselves among the unarmed Thaicong civilians and hoping that Cambodian soldiers would shoot the unarmed Thaicong civilians so that the Thaicong army can claim their righteousness!
Fuck all you Thaicong mother fucker and you are cheaper than a terrorist for putting your unarmed civilian in harm way! And it is no wonder the Muslim militants in Southern Thailame will target any Thaicong civilians because this is how the Thaicong army behaves by hiding among their population!
There is no such thing as overlapping area according to the world map of 1904 and 1907 ruled by the world court! I suggest the fucken Thaicong army get the hell out along with their sorry arse Thaicong unarmed civilians who are being use as human shield!
Fear no Thaicong!
WE want thai blood!
Let them come!
just send me your beautiful sisters, i'll come for you 11:23PM
The land’s around Preah Vihear temple definitely is belonging to the Cambodia.
No one build the temple without lands around, it does not make any sense.
Alex, Sunland, California, USA
True, but it was the Khmer in Issan Province who built the temple on their land. There were no wild monkey living on that cliff for centuries, and since the French invasion in the early 1900's to date, there were no more than 1,000 monkeys living in that area. Thus, what make you think that the temple belongs to the wild greedy monkey in Cambodia?
Khmers living in Issan were commoners in the Khmer Empire. They could not possibly build the temple. Khmers kings built the temple.
I built the temple, sucker because I AM A KING.
9:09AM...Of course you are the king of those slaves under my Thai King. That is why we thai took all your ISan land and use you as slave of fight for the temple. Good job.
I will use my tai bo to kick you thai king the testicles.
Then I take back my temple.
LOL
My land, my temples are in my blood. i won't let you dog thais invade my belove properities.
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