Original reports from Cambodia and Washington
17 July 2008
The security situation along the disputed border at Preah Vihear temple is "worsening," Prime Minister Hun Sen said in a letter to his Thai counterpart Thursday, as troop levels on both sides increased.
More than 400 Thai soldiers and 800 Cambodian soldiers are now deployed along the border, following the arrest of three Thai protesters at Preah Vihear temple and the alleged incursion of more than 40 Thai troops at a pagoda claimed by Cambodia, government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told reporters Thursday.
Hun Sen said in his letter to Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej Thursday the number of increased troops near Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda, near Preah Vihear temple, meant "the situation is worsening."
"The deteriorating situation is very bad for the relations between our two countries, and, therefore, I would like to ask Your Excellency to take measures to ease the tensions and order the Thai troops to withdraw from the area," he wrote.
The border is disputed by both countries on the land surrounding the cliff-top temple, which was added to Unesco's World Heritage list on July 7 and is claimed by Cambodia.
The World Heritage inscription was cause for celebration in Cambodia, but it sparked protests in Thailand, leading to the resignation of Thailand's foreign minister and closure of the entrance to the temple on the Thai side.
As the leaders of the two nations communicated Thursday, the actual situation on the border was quiet, and troops there said they have been ordered not to fire on the Thais unless fired upon first.
Thailand and Cambodia have meanwhile agreed to a special meeting July 21 over tensions along the border, in "a spirit of neighborliness," according to a Thai Foreign Ministry statement.
"In the meantime, the armed forces of both sides are in close contact," the statement said.
Cambodia Defense Minister Tea Banh told VOA Khmer Wednesday the situation can be resolved through negotiation.
More than 400 Thai soldiers and 800 Cambodian soldiers are now deployed along the border, following the arrest of three Thai protesters at Preah Vihear temple and the alleged incursion of more than 40 Thai troops at a pagoda claimed by Cambodia, government spokesman Khieu Kanharith told reporters Thursday.
Hun Sen said in his letter to Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej Thursday the number of increased troops near Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda, near Preah Vihear temple, meant "the situation is worsening."
"The deteriorating situation is very bad for the relations between our two countries, and, therefore, I would like to ask Your Excellency to take measures to ease the tensions and order the Thai troops to withdraw from the area," he wrote.
The border is disputed by both countries on the land surrounding the cliff-top temple, which was added to Unesco's World Heritage list on July 7 and is claimed by Cambodia.
The World Heritage inscription was cause for celebration in Cambodia, but it sparked protests in Thailand, leading to the resignation of Thailand's foreign minister and closure of the entrance to the temple on the Thai side.
As the leaders of the two nations communicated Thursday, the actual situation on the border was quiet, and troops there said they have been ordered not to fire on the Thais unless fired upon first.
Thailand and Cambodia have meanwhile agreed to a special meeting July 21 over tensions along the border, in "a spirit of neighborliness," according to a Thai Foreign Ministry statement.
"In the meantime, the armed forces of both sides are in close contact," the statement said.
Cambodia Defense Minister Tea Banh told VOA Khmer Wednesday the situation can be resolved through negotiation.
18 comments:
How can any fool negotiate on what they don't have? How? It is like I go to somebody house and I negotiate to stay in the house! How is that possible? What kind a fucken theory and logic is this?
Every fucken time I listen to these fucken corrupted Cambodian leaders and I have a headache because they have endless stupidity and behave as little children who want to play cowboy with wooden gun! Cambodia is being run by little children who want to play cowboy with wooden gun! It seems that Cambodian population will have to pick up the broken piece and pay for their stupidity!
AH HUN SEN is the most outdated Cambodian leaders in the history of Cambodia! Oh well! Corrupted Cambodian leaders produce corrupted Cambodian army and they all are chicken shit!
Dear 06:56AM: our wise cambodian leaders just don't want to create war and conflict especially with foreign country because Cambodia has known too much suffering from the war. Negotiation and diplomatic channel are better to save each sides time and people from dying.
However, don't worry about the cambodian army capabilities. What you see in the newspapers'pix is only window dressing of poor cambodian soldiers. Be assure that our wise leaders has prepared everything and they have a lot of material and human resource power in the army that will surely defeat the thais katoeuy. Cambodia has a lot of elite troops very well trained and very well equipped, the officers has followed also training in Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, USA.
Years of war experience by the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces with components from the former communist viet-khmer troops, khmer rouges, son san and funcinpec army who know guerilla tactics versus the thai katoeuy conventionnal army that is not even able to hunt the young muslims in the south equipped with tong.
For Thailand: PAD is a bunch of shit. Most thais people don't want war and most of the thais acknowledge the fact that Preah Vihear belongs to khmer as well as thailand country came from the Khmer Empire.
This is just fucking thai politics with the PAD that want to overthrown the actual thai government under the influence of Thaksin.
Remember that Thaksin had conflicts with the Thai royal family.
Therefore, guess who is beyond all these trouble?!!!
Definitively, royals in Thailand and in Cambodia are very shit.
Long live the republic and long live our president Samdach Hun Sen!
How can the supid thai and the padthai wants to negotiate with Cambodia. Negotiate for what? All their land and temple in thailand belong khmer and we want it back.
Yeah, but it belongs to Khmer in Issan Province, not the greedy monkeys in Cambodia.
Can anyone shut a 9:54? This mother-fucker is really gets on my nerve! Issan Khmer-A CHKOUT! No more Khmer devided-no more different color of Khmer! U understand MORON?
The mishandling of the "victory" in listing Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site could turn Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda and Preah Vihear temple itself into Thailand's Golan Heights.
Golan Heights is an area of highland Israel captured from Syria during the 1967 six day war. Israel has occupied it since then.
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
Dear 8:26AM,
It sounds everything is well-prepared by our goverment. I am really happy to hear that.
Likewise, can you give me also another good news prepared by our goverment towards our east neighbor in claming back Koh Trol? Or protecting the 181 035km2 territory?
Issan people who declare you are Khmer descendant, should shut-up in claiming the ownership of PV temple for you are even worse than the ass of our beloved Khmer Krom if you are doing so.
A Khmer countryside adult educated locally.
"a spirit of neighborliness," according to a Thai Foreign Ministry
Arrogant bastard.
To 8:26
You people sound like standard communist kow tow idiots.
" our army is well prepared, our morale is high..." etc etc
Thats the way the thais are talking and treating us this wy. Do you think that these are actions of an enemey that fears us.They despise and look down on Hun Sen as a left over thief from th KR rule.
Would thr thais dare enter cambodian territory if we had a strong leader?
Unfortunetely those in power are like dogs who bark when the thieves enter the house but hides tail beyween their legs when the enemy stamps his foot.
Dont insult my intelligence with your bullshit propaganda.
Yes the true khmer soldiers will defend to death their country. But there are elements of that same army that swears allegiance only to Hun Sen and who assasinate and plunder the land of the poor.
Come out from your lexus suv and go defend your country with the soldiers. Or are you really only defending your own financial interests.
TRAITOR
Because of Hun Sen, cambodia has a reputation of a poor totally corruted
country in the hands of a dictator bent on robbing the country and clinging on to power by violence.
8:26 and friends. Do you recognise yourselves with that description?
12:46
It is not propaganda but the truth.
Let's recognise that our country is very weak and that a war will not be profitable.
However be assured that our secret elite forces are very very well prepared and very well equipped. Thanks to the millions that Hun Sen got from corruption to build his own army with modern weapons, and for his cronies also.
The rest is all politics.
The problem is in our population with a lot of weakness, low education and not enough food to eat. They are not prepared to face war. That's why it is very important to avoid war. But if there is war, you can count on Samdach Hun Sen to save the country, as he is the actual leader, whose CPP party was elected democratically by the khmer people.
" HUN Sen very subdued...."
COWED would be a more appropriate word.
1:01PM:
Hun Sen and cronies can do that because khmer people suffered from war and have weak mind. Moreover it is only now that they enjoy peace, and they vote for the people who brought them peace. If you want to change the mentally of the khmer peasants to vote another, well come in Cambodia and help the opposition. Otherwise they will vote for the same CPP.
OUr country need time to be reconstructed and people to have brain again. We need khmer overseas to come back to help, but unfortunatley, life in Europe ans the USA is more easy than Cambodia. Not a lot of people have the bowls of Sam Rainsy to dare to do things for their country. If you want, please come and help your country. But for the meanwhile, we have to do with what we have actually. Let's be realistic.
Long live Samdach Hun Sen! Vote Hun Sen for president! End to monarchy!
6:56am! YES it's possible.You invade somebody's house and you negotiate with the house owner to stay because the owner is afraid of you or simply coward .Same thing in Cambodia now.Thai invaded and occupy our country and instead of repelling them by force ,HUN SEN the so-called strong man of CAMBODIA hope and praise for the best that THAI will somehow widraw.
ok 1:01
You wont bite the hands that feed you.
In the end you even believe in your own propaganda.Mao, Lenin and Ho chi minh are gone. Move on.
I understand, people have to live and feed their families. Anything else has no meaning if they dont have these basic neccesities.
I pray for cambodia and our people.
1:27PM: be assured that it is not a propaganda. In deed i m not even a CPP but i know their secrets. i used to work with them and know their organization. Otherwise, how could you imagine that Hun Sen dare to do what he does everyday with opposition and western embassies, etc. because he has his own private armies very well trained and equipped. Even more power than in the 1997. In 1997, the RCAF refused to participate to Hun Sen coup. Hun Sen used his own men... Also he has a lot of spy vietnamese officers and soldiers inside the RCAF as khmers had a lot of soldiers spy in Bangkok in the 60's...
Of course as for the last deal for Preah Vihear, deal of next week with thai will ensure the loss of khmer territories again.
Do you know that Poipet who is now a border city touching Thailand was in deed 50 km deep inside Cambodia? Thai thieves profited of the war and the 70's to move the border...
Be assured that we, or rather Hun Sen, has a lot of secret elites troops, that can protect Cambodia, which is his interest. Our government is supported by the yuons and Hun Sen is the richest man in Asia, far forward the thai faggot king or even Thaksin.
Money buy everything.
The problem is that in our country just wake up from war and it needs time to reconstruct. our people are very weak in mind and in protein eating. We need the new young generation to understand patriotism, then they can change the country. By the meanwhile, if khmer overseas just feel comfortable in foregin country, no problem. If you want to help just come in Cambodia by hundred of thousand to change the system. By the meanwhile, the locals have to do with what they have. Even if what they have is not good quality, but it has the merits to exist...
Without PM Hun Sen, Phnom Penh would have become Little Bangkok long ago.
"
Definitively, royals in Thailand and in Cambodia are very shit.
Long live the republic and long live our president Samdach Hun Sen!"
Dont you remember what you screamed out a couple of hours ago.
Now you are saying you're not CPP
Bood morning CPP SECRET POLICE.
try and catch me!
4:12 pm you brain full of shit cannot thinking straight.
If Mr. Sam Ransy run the country until today Cambodia
no need help from donor every years. Unlike your
Stupid ah Hun Sen and his families always robe
the country.
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