(AP/The Mekong Times)
A tense military standoff between Cambodian and Thai troops at Preah Vihear temple continued into the night yesterday with a Cambodian government official describing an incursion by Thai troops into the area as a violation of Cambodia’s sovereignty.
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said that Cambodian soldiers had detained around 170 Thai civilians and troops near the border, and would not release them until they sign an agreement acknowledging that the nation’s sovereignty had been breached.
“We will not allow them to leave Cambodian territory until the Thai armed forces signs an agreement to acknowledge that they really entered Cambodia territory,” he said. “The incursion into Preah Vihear is violation of Cambodian sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
UNESCO declared Preah Vihear temple, the center of a long-standing quarrel between Cambodia and Thailand, as a World Heritage Site last week, sparking mass celebrations in Cambodia but angry disappointment amongst some Thai groups.
“Confrontation is occurring between Thai troops and our Cambodian troops, but there is no shooting yet,” said Hang Soth, the director-general of the national authority for Preah Vihear temple. “Our troops have been ordered to be on alert but not to fire first.”
He added that around 40 Thai troops still “control” an overlapping area of the nation’s borders, and that they will not pull out of the region until they have an order from their commander.
Hang Soth said the Thai troops had demanded Cambodians who filmed and took pictures of them on Cambodian soil return the footage before they return.
Hang Soth said the Cambodian authorities are negotiating with the Thai soldiers to encourage them to return to Thailand, but would not reveal details of the talks.
The incident has claimed at least one casualty. A land mine explosion sheared the right leg off a Thai soldier patrolling in the area, said Thai Army Deputy Spokesman Col. Sirichan Ngathong.
Maj. Gen. Kanok Netakawesana, a Thai army field commander in the region, said in a telephone interview that his troops were on Thai soil close to the disputed area. He declined to give the number of soldiers deployed.
“We are not violating the territory of Cambodia. We have every right to deploy troops here to protect our sovereignty,” Kanok said.
Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat denied any incursion, saying the relationship between the two countries remained normal.
“The two governments understand each other,” Tharit said.
The Thai troop movements followed the arrest by Cambodia of three Thai citizens for crossing the border earlier Tuesday.
Hang Soth said a Thai Buddhist monk, a woman and a man apparently managed to evade a checkpoint on the Thai side and crossed through a jungle border into Cambodia earlier Tuesday.
They were immediately stopped by guards, Hang Soth said, adding that the trio were released to Thai authorities Tuesday afternoon, “so I don’t understand why Thai troops still had to enter Cambodia. They want to provoke us.”
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said that Cambodian soldiers had detained around 170 Thai civilians and troops near the border, and would not release them until they sign an agreement acknowledging that the nation’s sovereignty had been breached.
“We will not allow them to leave Cambodian territory until the Thai armed forces signs an agreement to acknowledge that they really entered Cambodia territory,” he said. “The incursion into Preah Vihear is violation of Cambodian sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
UNESCO declared Preah Vihear temple, the center of a long-standing quarrel between Cambodia and Thailand, as a World Heritage Site last week, sparking mass celebrations in Cambodia but angry disappointment amongst some Thai groups.
“Confrontation is occurring between Thai troops and our Cambodian troops, but there is no shooting yet,” said Hang Soth, the director-general of the national authority for Preah Vihear temple. “Our troops have been ordered to be on alert but not to fire first.”
He added that around 40 Thai troops still “control” an overlapping area of the nation’s borders, and that they will not pull out of the region until they have an order from their commander.
Hang Soth said the Thai troops had demanded Cambodians who filmed and took pictures of them on Cambodian soil return the footage before they return.
Hang Soth said the Cambodian authorities are negotiating with the Thai soldiers to encourage them to return to Thailand, but would not reveal details of the talks.
The incident has claimed at least one casualty. A land mine explosion sheared the right leg off a Thai soldier patrolling in the area, said Thai Army Deputy Spokesman Col. Sirichan Ngathong.
Maj. Gen. Kanok Netakawesana, a Thai army field commander in the region, said in a telephone interview that his troops were on Thai soil close to the disputed area. He declined to give the number of soldiers deployed.
“We are not violating the territory of Cambodia. We have every right to deploy troops here to protect our sovereignty,” Kanok said.
Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat denied any incursion, saying the relationship between the two countries remained normal.
“The two governments understand each other,” Tharit said.
The Thai troop movements followed the arrest by Cambodia of three Thai citizens for crossing the border earlier Tuesday.
Hang Soth said a Thai Buddhist monk, a woman and a man apparently managed to evade a checkpoint on the Thai side and crossed through a jungle border into Cambodia earlier Tuesday.
They were immediately stopped by guards, Hang Soth said, adding that the trio were released to Thai authorities Tuesday afternoon, “so I don’t understand why Thai troops still had to enter Cambodia. They want to provoke us.”
25 comments:
Thai arrogance must be broken once and for all. Every thing will then be normal and peaceful. It is their arrogance that compels them to do stupid provokative thing. Will deaths ensue this centuries old arrogance?
The Khmer in Issan will not allows any monkey from Cambodia to get away with their temple and land.
The khmer and laos in issan will not let a tai speak for them.
Well, Khmer and Lao in Issan has representative in government who will speak for them. The Thai doesn't speak for everyone in Thailand.
So let these khmer and thai representative issue a statement against the listing of preah vihear. In the meantime i recommended you not say anything with references to these people.
what is the rihgt you ,khmer and lao of isan, have got from the tai? you can't do all what you want,you still don't know that,you can use your very own language at home only,NOT OFFICIALLY,RIHGT?)ปัญญาอ่อนจริงๆ
These Khmers and Loas in Issan are slaves to our Thai King. They have no right in thai policy.
6:13, they did issue a statement. They want joint development or the cliff and the temple will be lowered down to Cambodia.
Please post your references 7:00am and make sure these representives are credible khmer and laos representatives not ones that are back by the thai governemnt.
6:59am, thank you for clarifying that khmer issan are not the ones fighting for preah vihear since they are the slaves of the thai king. You just answered the thai troll who keeps telling khmer to give preah vihear back to khmer issan.
7:05, just search KI Media.
I just did i cant find any 7:14am.
Well, ask someone in KI to help you. I don't know what happen to all the news that sunk below the bottom.
Khmer Issan were the slave of Khmer in Cambodia and now they become the slave of Thai and Chinese
Khmer Issan?...Well A desguised fanatic Thai claimed to be khmer issan..hehehehe..Well, my khmer brothers, finally we have a thai claimed to be a khmer..well,just ignores that guy, he just wanna provoke us just like thai soldier are doing..I really can't imagine if a Khmer soldier their can't keep their calm and pull the trigger of B40 Rocket Launcher to those thais..heheheh
THAI WERE AFRAID OF THE KHMER ROUGE COMBATIVE SPIRIT AND NEVER DARE TO FIGHT THEM!! THAILAND HAS A LOT OF AIRCRAFTS, SHIPS, ARMOURED VEHICLES, TROOPS, WEAPONS, ETC. BUT THEY FAIL TO CONTROL THEIR SOUTH REGION.
WILL THEY DARE TO ATTACK CAMBODIA?!!!!
THE ANSWER IS NO: THEY ARE TOO COWARDS FOR THAT. WHAT HAPPEN NOW IS JUST SHOW OFF. WE, KHMER, DON'T HAVE MUCH WEAPON BUT WE HAVE THE COURAGE AND HERITAGE OF BLOODY KHMER ANGKOR SPIRIRT WITH US. PLEASE COME, YOU WILL SEE..... MYANMAR, LAOS, MALAYS HATE THAI SO MUCH BECAUSE OF THEIR ARROGANCE. EVEN IF THEY INVADE US, ALL THE SURROUNDING COUNTRIES AROUND THAILAND WILL PROFIT TO KICK THEIR ASS !!! THAIS KATOEUY AND PROSTITUES ARE ONLY GOOD IN BARKING!!! THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIGHT LIKE REAL SOLDIERS!!!!!!!!!!
LONG LIVE KHMER PEOPLE AND THE KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA!!!!!
What? you expect the Thai to come to rescue you monkeys who stole lands and temple from Khmer People in Issan Province? Sorry, but no can do.
Khmer Issan were the slave of Khmer People in Cambodia and now they become the slave of Thai and Chinese
Look at the World Book of Encyclopedia and search on the internet for the word Khmer Empire. Thai people will think to themselves"What the fuck.......where's Thailand. How come it didn't exist back then. You should realize that the world know that you guys, thais, are a bunch of thief who has the blood of invading and stealing land and culture from it's neighbor. Thais or Siem is like leech, which is a parasatic animals. As a matter of facts, the world know that you got your culture and writing from Khmer. Accept the facts; don't be a bunch of ignorants, fool!!!!!
With my knees on the earth, tears dropping from my sun-like eyes and hands praying, I ignorantly and humbly beg the people who may concern to answer the follow questions:
1. Why can’t the government solve the problems of teachers consciously demanding money from students by all sorts of methods, which forces students to drop out of school? And why have quality exams been RARELY CONDUCTED? (Bribery, Students CHEATING etc)
2. Why can police traffic only punish and fine only low-class people rather than blood suckers of their own people who drive luxurious-too expensive cars on the streets? (Bribery for their police superior, ineffectiveness of law reinforcement etc)
3. Why when scandals related to briberies or crimes skeptically committed by high-ranking officers never investigated or results of interrogations never released or no one ever received state penalty for the crimes that benefit only a bunch or string of their family? (Instead THEY are promoted or just transfered to another post-so TRANSPAREN and such GOOD GOVERNANCE!BRAVO!)
4. Why corruption laws been drafted for so long and have never been passed as laws? (SORRY MR. I’M RUNNING BUSSINESS TO MAKE PROFIT NOT FOR GOVERNMENT OR BULLSHIT MY POOR PEOPLE!)
5. Why can’t the government wipe out the SO-WELL-KNOWN AND WIDESPREAD CORRUPTION OR BRIBERY FROM ITS SYSTEM?
IS IT WORKING TO SUPPORT-TO MAINTAIN THE COUNTRY SUSTAINABLE GROWTH OR JUST ITS BUNCH OR STRING OF FAMILY TO COME?
6. HAS THE GOVERNMENT EVER THOUGHT OF DEFENDING OR MAINTAINING THIS LONG-TIME-TORN APART COUNTRY TO LAST PROSPEROUSLY AFTER THEIR GENERATION? OR LEAVE A HEALTHY, WELL-DISCIPLINED AND READY-TO-COMPETE NATION AFTER THEIR REIGN?
I honestly and humbly beg you to answer not only for me but also for this POOR NATION!
GODD BLESSES CAMBODIA!
From SOM BAN TE ...
NO WORRIES GUYS!!!!!!! according to Statistics Thai will be all born gays, lesbianss and lady boysss and those cant do anything but fucking with dogsssss! ahhhaha laday boyssssss!!!!!
We better protect our land mine dogs.
THAI WERE AFRAID OF THE KHMER ROUGE COMBATIVE SPIRIT AND NEVER DARE TO FIGHT THEM!!
As I can recall, it's your Khmer parents or grandparents that were afraid of Khmer Rouge to death and asked for help from us, wasn't it?
You Khmers are real snakes.
I am a Khmer living in Issan region and a Thai citizen. I do agree with those Khmers living Preah Vihear Province. I think Preah Vihear Temple belongs to people living in Preah Vihear province. No body else who does not live in Preah Vihear province has a rights on deciding the ownership of the temple. Keep in mind the Preah Vihear Province do exist. It is in northern region of Cambodia. But, Issan do not exist. Only the region does. But, mostly Loas people live there. We khmers are small numbers compare to others in the region. I hope this is clear to my brother who claims to be Khmer Issan in Issan province. You don't represent all the Khmers living here. So, stop using the name Issan.
Thailand is abusing its power of the smaller Cambodia. You would not see Thailand behave like this with Vietnam.
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