By Greg Mellen, Staff Writer
Long Beach Press Telegram (California, USA)
LONG BEACH - For the second time in as many days, members of the Cambodian community gathered at MacArthur Park on Sunday to protest what they see as recent incursions into their homeland by the Thai military.
About 30 members of various student groups in Long Beach chanted slogans in Khmer and waved placards written in Khmer and English urging Thailand to withdraw from a disputed border area near an 11th century Hindu temple.
Phang Bandeat, a local resident and protester, said the student groups were advocating for a peaceful solution to the recent disputes along the border that flared when Thailand sent troops to an area the two countries have been claiming for many years. Cambodia responded by sending troops of its own to the site of the Preah Vihear temple, which recently was named a World Heritage site.
"We want the United Nations to intervene to avoid a fight," Bandeat said.
On Saturday, about 50 to 100 community members also gathered to protest the Thai action.
Those groups staged a petition drive and took donations to provide humanitarian aid to residents in the area.
"We all want the same thing," said Sopheak Dos, a student at Long Beach City College.
The dispute revolves around a long-standing disagreement over 1.8 square miles of land along the northern Cambodian-Thai border. The disagreement was heightened when the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization accepted Cambodia's application for the World Heritage designation for Preah Vihear.
Thailand sent troops to the border July 15 after anti-government groups in Thailand claimed support for Cambodia's application undermined Thai claims to nearby land.
The World Heritage designation could be an important step in turning the remote hilltop temple into a tourist site.
Foreign ministers from both countries are reportedly meeting in the Cambodian city of Siem Reap, according to The Associated Press.
Cambodia uses a French colonial map to mark the border, while Thailand relies on a different map drawn up later with American assistance. A ruling by the International Court of Justice awarded the disputed temple to Cambodia in 1962.
Cambodia, which held national elections Sunday,had asked for United Nations intervention in the dispute but withdrew the request while it engages in talks with Thailand.
greg.mellen@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1291
HOW YOU CAN HELP
TO CONTRIBUTE: People interested in making donations for humanitarian aid to residents of the Preah Vihear area can send checks to the Cambodian Cultural Arts Association, P.O. Box 5001, Long Beach, CA 90805. For information, call Bunsorng Tay, 562-716-2506; Danny Vong, 562-760-9000; Peter Long, 562-572-7407; or Sweety Chap, 562-400-8233.
About 30 members of various student groups in Long Beach chanted slogans in Khmer and waved placards written in Khmer and English urging Thailand to withdraw from a disputed border area near an 11th century Hindu temple.
Phang Bandeat, a local resident and protester, said the student groups were advocating for a peaceful solution to the recent disputes along the border that flared when Thailand sent troops to an area the two countries have been claiming for many years. Cambodia responded by sending troops of its own to the site of the Preah Vihear temple, which recently was named a World Heritage site.
"We want the United Nations to intervene to avoid a fight," Bandeat said.
On Saturday, about 50 to 100 community members also gathered to protest the Thai action.
Those groups staged a petition drive and took donations to provide humanitarian aid to residents in the area.
"We all want the same thing," said Sopheak Dos, a student at Long Beach City College.
The dispute revolves around a long-standing disagreement over 1.8 square miles of land along the northern Cambodian-Thai border. The disagreement was heightened when the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization accepted Cambodia's application for the World Heritage designation for Preah Vihear.
Thailand sent troops to the border July 15 after anti-government groups in Thailand claimed support for Cambodia's application undermined Thai claims to nearby land.
The World Heritage designation could be an important step in turning the remote hilltop temple into a tourist site.
Foreign ministers from both countries are reportedly meeting in the Cambodian city of Siem Reap, according to The Associated Press.
Cambodia uses a French colonial map to mark the border, while Thailand relies on a different map drawn up later with American assistance. A ruling by the International Court of Justice awarded the disputed temple to Cambodia in 1962.
Cambodia, which held national elections Sunday,had asked for United Nations intervention in the dispute but withdrew the request while it engages in talks with Thailand.
greg.mellen@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1291
HOW YOU CAN HELP
TO CONTRIBUTE: People interested in making donations for humanitarian aid to residents of the Preah Vihear area can send checks to the Cambodian Cultural Arts Association, P.O. Box 5001, Long Beach, CA 90805. For information, call Bunsorng Tay, 562-716-2506; Danny Vong, 562-760-9000; Peter Long, 562-572-7407; or Sweety Chap, 562-400-8233.
17 comments:
Well done!! It show that eventhough we live so far from our land but our heart alway think to our country.
Yes, please do, Khmers!
I love you guys that you're very very far from Cambodia but your thoughts, blood and hearts are still here with us in Cambodia. I dont care if you cant speak Khmer or ever been to Cambodia; as long as you were born as Khmer.
The Siams are now intruding our territory.
Your so doing really shows them we really unite to protect our land. Pls spread the words and do more to bring back what belongs to us.
Go with Joint Development to save the Temple!
the khmer government is kissing the thai's king's ass
now they will give in and go for joint development
traitors will give in
this is a sad day for cambodia, people need to protest against the ruling party leaders.
No need to joint development with the dishoney nation. We can joint development with UNESCO only.
Go home A Siam Thief!!!
Cambodia make you ashamed with UNSC and ICJ!!!
Well, you can invest and develop the temple yourself, but if you should lose the temple later to the Thai, then you can kiss all your investment and development goodbye.
Secondly, Joint development will make investors feel more secure because they don't have to worry about the Thai take everything from them in the future.
4:00 PM
Joint development will benefit only Thai. Go to hell a siem.
No, it will benefit everyone in Issan Province.
Dear compatriots,
BRAINLESS RAVEN HUN XEN HAS FALLEN INTO THE FOX SIAM TRAP.
HE STARTS TO RENEGOCIATE WITH SAMAK.
WE MUST KNOW WHEN HUN XEN NEGOCIATES , HE ALWAYS NEGOCIATES FOR HIS OWN INTEREST BUSINESS, NEVER FOR OUR COUNTRY.
MORE HE NEGOCIATES, MORE WE LOSE OUR LAND.
KHMER PEOPLE OUTSIDE OR INSIDE THE COUNTRY MUST MAKE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT THAT ANY NEW LINE DRAWING OF THE MAP BY ANY NEW GOVERNMENT WON'T BE ACCEPTABLE AND WILL BE CONSIDERED AS A TREASON TO KHMER PEOPLE AND THAT GOVERNMENT MUST BE FORCED TO STEP DOWN.
STAND UP TOGETHER TO INVADER SIAM!
To Hun Xen,
Joint developpment means TREASON to Khmer people!
No, Join Development means jobs, jobs, and jobs for Khmers, and PM Hun Sen will get re-elected again.
NEVER JOINT DEVELOPMENT WITH THE THIEF SIAM!
Khmer government should never leave Siam invest in Preah Vihear.
We should close the Preah Vihear Khmer Temple border for ever.
All tourists who want to visit our Khmer Temple should go though Siam Reap or Phnom-Penh or from Khmer territory. That will benefit our country PROSPERITY and khmer people BUSINESS
JOINT DEVELOPMENT WITH SIAM MEANS TREASON!
CAMBODIA: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!
Friday, 25 July 2008
Op-Ed by Chanda Chhay
There are many ways to deal with a thug. But, there is only one proper way to deal with a misbehaving, neighboring nation. That is to stand firm and be fair with it, and, if necessary, deprive it of what it wanted most.
It is as clear as daylight that the 4.6 square kilometer of so-called disputed land around the Khmer Temple of Preah Vihear was not what Thailand wanted. What it really wanted is a guaranteed access to Prasat Preah Vihear—the main attraction and an economic lifeline for the arid Si Saket province of Thailand. Without Preah Vihear, the surrounding areas would be just like any other part of the Dangrek Mountain ranges—rocks and trees.
The flagrant incursion of Thai armed forces onto the sacred ground of Preah Vihear has been going on long enough. The Thai government should know better by now that it could only defy words of condemnation or warning, but it could not defy international norms and laws. By the same token, the Cambodian government should know that the muddled head Thai leaders wanted to turn every legal and internationally-recognized document pertaining to the sovereignty of Cambodia upside down and subject Cambodia to the whim of their myopic thoughts.
So, what is Cambodia to do in order to deal with the situation? One very simple and effective solution to this problem is to publicly announce to the international community and to Thailand, in particular, that the access to Preah Vihear from Thailand is no longer open due to the difficulty in preventing illegal trespassing and thefts to the temple’s artifacts, which is now a World Heritage site. As proprietor of the temple, Cambodia has an obligation and a right to safeguard it. If Thailand, as a good neighbor, wanted to offer assistance and collaboration in protecting this World Heritage site, it MUST recognize and respect the treaties of 1904 and 1907 regarding the common border of Cambodia and Thailand. Period!
Preah Vihear is not a political football to be kicked around and see who will win or lose. It has suffered neglect and abuses by humans long enough. It is now time for us to restore and preserve it for posterity. This current crisis is perhaps the best opportunity for us to look beyond the tourist dollars and to give Preah Vihear what it deserves most: Restoration and research on the site, so that humankind could have a better understanding of its history and functionality.
Chanda Chhay
Washington, DC (USA)
Letter to King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand
There are so many good writings lately on the internet about our Khmer built Temple Preah Vihear. I am collecting these writings. We all should keep writing ! I know the Thai newspapers, The Nation and The Bangkok Post kept printing so much bias news and editorials. Us Khmer should write more not only to counter the bias, but also to expose truths that the Thais hate to hear.
Here's the letter to Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand, a.k.a "The King That Never Smile" . The letter was forwarded to my mailbox this morning. Although it's not my kind of language in writing, but I agree the content is very good coming from our irate compatriot.
-Vanak.
Phnom Penh
===================
F@#$%g Adulyadej � Thai King!!!
Your current country is a robbed territory from Khmer empire during the late 13th century, and your late ancestors including yourself for this generation of your reign, you have always managed your fucking Thai guys for invasion and capture of our territory, especially along Cambodian-Thai border without shame during the past years.
We think that, you know very well that your country is part of ex-Khmer Empire, even your royal family persons had been part of sub-Khmer kings in the past.
Despite the fact that, you look never keeping yourself as Khmer blood. We heard that your family persons are speaking Khmer language in your royal house every day, isn't it?, what's that mean?, who are you today?, and where are you from? you are part of Khmer, right? if you do not admit, it's no problem.
Besides, in name of top leader, and an umbrella of your Thai shit nations, you should educate your citizens about the true history that your current Thailand was part of Chakkraphop Khmer (Khmer Empire), and in contrary, you have never advised your subordinates to publish the true history, that's why most of your fucking Thais became ultra-confused, dumb, deaf, blinded, forceful, furious, silly, anarchic, etc.
We are here fed up with your ignorance, your arrogance. If you were a real Buddhist, you should do good things to all human beings in the globe especially Khmer people (your origin), and you must not be silly like for the past years and today!!. Of course, you are a good guy for your countrymen in term of social development performance, be an umbrella over your nations, etc. but you are very very very bad guy for Khmer nations because you just a traitor to Buddhism, you just a fake Buddhist � in such a case, you would be sentenced to [10,000 years] in the hell in your imminent next life.
Besides, we have been also doubtful about your face, why you have never smiled in your life?, what's happening to you guy? you look so worried all the time, that is because of you have been a big thief to Khmer nations?, and you are afraid of going to the hell? please tell the Khmer public in your TV screen(s)!!!
Be realized, that past years of 20th century of Khmer tragedy was part of the consequence of your silly ambition. We believe in our Premier, he is a credible conqueror, he is no longer keeping quiet over your shit actions over Preah Vihear Temple and your shit actions over border line of Khmer territory, he is not a coward, he will show you of his grasp in short coming day(s).
We, Khmer citizens, now in trouble with you guy, with your people, because of your silly management, because of the consecutive invasions of your shit Siamese black clad troops under your direct order. Hundreds square kilometers of soils along Khmer-Thai border are illegally captured by your Thai authorities, and you must not say that you did not realize about that!! You are too much!!
Historically speaking, Malay , Burma , and China were in the joined border with Campuchea, i.e. these three countries were the neighbours with us, and it is not with current Thailand . People in the world learnt clearly about that except your Thai shit guys. Generally, Thai guys, especially your black clad ones, in term of attitude, are
very rude,
very furious,
very arrogance,
very show-off,
very stupid,
Your black clad killed many Khmer civilians/workers for these decades, and they have been looking down the neighbour countries. You and your guys considered yourselves that your country is the super power for the South East Asia , but this is just a big miscalculation of your piggy heads. For years, your Thai guys made enemies with all the neighbours, i.e. with Cambodia , with Laos , with Malay, with Burma , and with Islamic citizens in your robbed south provinces territory, etc. You must realize that all people around your country have never satisfied with your Thai guys.
We have always recalled our mind about your bad Thai guys attitude, and [..... you must be part] of
a) ex-killing field 1975-1979 in Cambodia (..., ..., ...),
b) massive killing of Khmer civilians/refugees in the year 1979-1983 along Dang Rek mountain, i.e. you had managed your Thai guys to transport thousands of Khmer citizens/refugees back to be killed by the landmines at the base of Dang Rek mountain especially an area adjacent to Preah Vihear Temple without the knowledge of The United Nations,
c) killing of hundreds of Khmer civilians along the border for these three decades+
d) thievery of our Khmer cultural heritage/artifacts for these three decades+,
e) invasions activities onto Khmer territory,
f) cause of the ruins of Khmer temples all over the country.
- These happenings must be under your shit account!!!
- You and your shit Thai guys must pay all the price back before the last resort of your life!!!
______________________________________________________________________________
@ P Penh, 24 July 2008, from Mr. 1000armsman, tel 010-123-123
cc: Embassies in Phnom Penh Media
Thanks you writer,
For expressing your feeling and truth to this neighbor of ours.
Please this letter and pass it around. The truth should be made known to all.
There should be no agreement of anykind with the thai!
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