AP & The Mekong Times
Cambodian military officials said yesterday that Thai soldiers are occupying a second temple site along their border, an escalation of an ongoing armed standoff that nearly led to clashes between the neighbors last month.
Major Sim Sokha, a Cambodian border protection unit deputy commander, said about 70 Thai soldiers on Thursday occupied the 13th century Ta Moan Thom temple, Oddar Meanchey province in the northwestern border region of Cambodia.
Thailand contends the temple is located in disputed territory.
Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat denied the Cambodian report of troop movements.
The temple is several hundred miles west of the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, where Cambodian and Thai soldiers have been locked in a standoff for three weeks in a dispute over nearby land.
Sim Sokha said Thai soldiers have been deployed in an 80-yard radius around the temple grounds and have prevented Cambodian troops from entering. About 40 Cambodian soldiers are in close proximity to the Thai troops, he said.
“They (Thai troops) said they will pull back only when the issue near Preah Vihear temple is resolved,” Sim Sokha said yesterday by telephone from Oddar Meanchey province.
He said the Cambodian soldiers have been given orders to exercise restraint and wait for the government to try to resolve the issue with Thailand.
Pich Sokhen, governor of Banteay Meanchey province, said that Cambodian soldiers are being deployed at the temple but have not yet arrived as the access roads are in a poor state, adding that the situation there remains normal.
He also said the Commanders-in-Chief of the bordering provinces had met to discuss the issue. “Cambodian solders are being patient and adhering to orders from the top not to resort to violence.”
Other officials from the local authority said that the region had been occupied by Thai soldiers for years, but that troop levels had risen in recent days.
Var Kimhong, director of the Cambodian Border Committee, said he had no detailed information on the situation at the temple, but added: “If Thai soldiers have occupied the vicinity of Ta Moan Thom temple, it is illegal as Thailand recognizes the temple is located in Cambodian territory.”
Khieu Kanharith, Cambodian government spokesman, said he was aware of the new troop movement but was unable to give details. He said the government will try to solve the issue through peaceful means.
Although it is not as well known as the Angkor or Preah Vihear temples, Ta Moan Thom is part of the architectural wonders of the ancient Khmer empire.
It was built in the 13th century as a rest house along a road linking the ancient Angkor city with what is currently northeastern Thailand, said Chuch Phoeun of the Cambodian Ministry of Culture.
Var Kimhong said Cambodia has sufficient documentation to prove that Ta Moan Thom and the adjoining Ta Moan Touch temples belong to Cambodia, and that Thailand will have to hand over ownership of the temples to Cambodia when the border is demarcated in the near future.
“We have official documents demarcating the border which were agreed between France and Thailand in 1907-08. The Ta Moan temples are located near Cambodian-Thai border marker No. 23 planted during the French colonial era and are situated on Cambodian soil.”
About 800 troops from Cambodia and 400 from Thailand remain at a pagoda near the Preah Vihear temple complex, despite a tentative agreement reached by foreign ministers last Monday to redeploy them in an effort to ease tensions.
Major Sim Sokha, a Cambodian border protection unit deputy commander, said about 70 Thai soldiers on Thursday occupied the 13th century Ta Moan Thom temple, Oddar Meanchey province in the northwestern border region of Cambodia.
Thailand contends the temple is located in disputed territory.
Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat denied the Cambodian report of troop movements.
The temple is several hundred miles west of the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, where Cambodian and Thai soldiers have been locked in a standoff for three weeks in a dispute over nearby land.
Sim Sokha said Thai soldiers have been deployed in an 80-yard radius around the temple grounds and have prevented Cambodian troops from entering. About 40 Cambodian soldiers are in close proximity to the Thai troops, he said.
“They (Thai troops) said they will pull back only when the issue near Preah Vihear temple is resolved,” Sim Sokha said yesterday by telephone from Oddar Meanchey province.
He said the Cambodian soldiers have been given orders to exercise restraint and wait for the government to try to resolve the issue with Thailand.
Pich Sokhen, governor of Banteay Meanchey province, said that Cambodian soldiers are being deployed at the temple but have not yet arrived as the access roads are in a poor state, adding that the situation there remains normal.
He also said the Commanders-in-Chief of the bordering provinces had met to discuss the issue. “Cambodian solders are being patient and adhering to orders from the top not to resort to violence.”
Other officials from the local authority said that the region had been occupied by Thai soldiers for years, but that troop levels had risen in recent days.
Var Kimhong, director of the Cambodian Border Committee, said he had no detailed information on the situation at the temple, but added: “If Thai soldiers have occupied the vicinity of Ta Moan Thom temple, it is illegal as Thailand recognizes the temple is located in Cambodian territory.”
Khieu Kanharith, Cambodian government spokesman, said he was aware of the new troop movement but was unable to give details. He said the government will try to solve the issue through peaceful means.
Although it is not as well known as the Angkor or Preah Vihear temples, Ta Moan Thom is part of the architectural wonders of the ancient Khmer empire.
It was built in the 13th century as a rest house along a road linking the ancient Angkor city with what is currently northeastern Thailand, said Chuch Phoeun of the Cambodian Ministry of Culture.
Var Kimhong said Cambodia has sufficient documentation to prove that Ta Moan Thom and the adjoining Ta Moan Touch temples belong to Cambodia, and that Thailand will have to hand over ownership of the temples to Cambodia when the border is demarcated in the near future.
“We have official documents demarcating the border which were agreed between France and Thailand in 1907-08. The Ta Moan temples are located near Cambodian-Thai border marker No. 23 planted during the French colonial era and are situated on Cambodian soil.”
About 800 troops from Cambodia and 400 from Thailand remain at a pagoda near the Preah Vihear temple complex, despite a tentative agreement reached by foreign ministers last Monday to redeploy them in an effort to ease tensions.
18 comments:
This Cambodian Major wants war right? Just dare to step into Thai territory.
Hell you!
Down with Thai aggression!
The Cambodian Government and armed forces must put a STOP the Thai agressions.
We MUST NOT allow them to invade and occupy our treasures, and then request for negotiations.
We have seen enough of their INVASIION and TACTICS.
KONG MOEUNG
Commanders of Cam Armed Forces know well just Grab Lands from Poor People.....
Some Generals do not know how to read Map(simple topo- map......
This showed when looking for Craft airplane in the last few months... How can those generals would attack Siams?????
Siams Look down on Khmewr Governments due to their Bad Behaviours, inmcompetent Just fighting with Khmers to gain Power.....
Achar Knoy=Phd./Bandit from Chea Chamroeurn Univ., PPenh
So far it impliesd obviously that How weak and incompetent Khmer Government is????
Your Lady of Governmet use Black Magic /margic Spell Ha Ha....
This is a Sign of Surrender........
Wichai Rungrat
Wichai Rungrat:
You're dumb as a door knob! Should we call you "Rat" in lieu of "Rungrat." We're certain that you would mind; it's a great compliment for a person like yourself.
Why don't you tell your creatures of comfort (soldiers) and your neo-Natzi PAD to retreat from our sovereignty and territorial integrity to avert further exacerbation of the current confligration.
You have our assurance that blood will be spilled, and many of your naive soldiers will be killed and their remains will be fed to our starving crocodiles.
Preah Vihear and Ta Moan temples will ALWAYS belong to Cambodia and Cambodians.
God bless our homeland!
Khmer farmer
thai threat us like dust, but our gov treat them like guest....
DJ
Dear KI-Media and readers,
Please read below message from a Thai website.
Kong Moeung
Please read this from
http://www.prachatai.com/english/news.php?id=732
Sondhi Limthongkul’s solution to the Preah Vihear dispute
Prachatai
02 August 2008
News
On the night of July 28, while the Preah Vihear dispute was being negotiated between Thai and Cambodian governments at Cambodia’s Siam Reap and before the 4-point conclusion was reached at 10 pm, Sondhi Limthongkul, leader of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), took to the stage at about 9 pm to address the crowd rallying near Government House in Bangkok, and proposed his own way of solving the dispute by force.
Sondhi said that Thailand was in the greatest danger. To have a new Foreign Minister would not help, and Thai sovereignty would only further erode. The only way was to oust this government first, and form a new government through ‘whatever means’, or else the dispute over the Preah Vihear temple and Thai-Cambodian border would never be solved.
He proposed a what-to-do list to be taken by the next government, including:
1. The next government must revoke the current Cabinet’s resolution that gives approval to the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Communiqué that supports Cambodia’s bid to list the Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site with the UNESCO;
2. A neutral, independent committee must be set up consisting of socially accepted persons to investigate wrongdoing, and then notify the United Nations that Thailand does not accept the UNESCO Committee’s decision to grant the World Heritage status to the Preah Vihear temple at Cambodia’s request, and that Thailand wishes to reopen the ruling by the International Court of Justice in 1962;
3. An official letter must be sent to the UN Secretary-General for Thailand to withdraw from UNESCO, and cancel all recognition that the UNESCO has ever granted to Thai archaeological sites;
4. The Cambodian Ambassador to Thailand must be summoned to be informed that Thailand has never accepted the French map to which Cambodia has referred;
5. A special delegation must be set up, including the (new) Prime Minister, to visit countries which are members of the UN Security Council to explain to them, maybe behind doors, and ask them to choose between Thai or Cambodian friendship;
World-famous public relations firms should be hired to bring up the story of French bullying of Thailand through the media worldwide, and a website should be created called ‘www.realfactsofkhaophraviharn.com’, filled with the correct information;
Academics in the field of geography and experts on satellite photography should be invited to a seminar in Bangkok, or Hong Kong, or New York, or Sydney, hosted by Thailand, to insist that watershed lines are universally accepted as border demarcation lines, and to prove that, if the watershed line is used, together with satellite photos, Preah Vihear is on Thai soil;
A meeting should be called of Thai ambassadors from all over the world to assign them to explain Thailand’s stand and the facts regarding the case to the media in each country, and point out that the dispute is a consequence of French colonialism, and set a 30-day time frame for the ambassadors to accomplish the task, in pain of immediate removal;
6. Thai investors in Cambodia must be informed that Thailand has no policy to promote investments there because the dispute is likely to erupt in the future, and advise them to withdraw, or forgo Thai government help;
Thai people doing business along the border must be told to be prepared for border closures in case the conflict escalates;
7. A commission must be set up to invite Cambodia to bilateral negotiations. If the dispute cannot be settled, Thailand would, temporarily adhering to the ICJ’s ruling, mobilize Thai troops, push Cambodians back from Thai territory, and formally inform Cambodia that, apart from the Preah Vihear temple, the surroundings belong to Thailand, and Thailand would pay any price to protect its sovereignty, even at the cost of war.
“We would close all 40 Thai-Cambodian border checkpoints, and ban all flights to Phnom Penh and Siam Reap from Bangkok; 70% of flights to the two destinations are from Bangkok.
And then we would order the Defense Ministry to build a naval base at Koh Kut, deploy two battleships there, together with patrol ships, build a runway for F-16 aircraft, abolish the committee which oversees demarcation of overlapping sea areas, and officially declare our own marine map.
Cambodia would be hopping mad, but we would not bother because Cambodia would not have the nerve to fight us. They can make noises and threats because our own people are traitors. But if they see that Thai soldiers have a firm stand, the (new) Thai government has a firm stand, and the Thai people are ready to sacrifice their lives for sovereignty, they will back off. Cambodia can do nothing but to count on Thailand. If they want to count on Vietnam, let them do so, but problems would surely arise between the real Cambodians and the Vietnamese in future.
China openly makes friends with everybody, but furtively China knows that, between Thailand and Cambodia, it prefers Thailand.
When we declare all overlapping areas ours, Cambodia will surely protest. But we will not argue. We’ll send our battleships to seize any islands and islets we spot, or anchor our battleships in the overlapping sea territory.
Until the UN sets up a committee to mediate the dispute over sea areas between Thailand and Cambodia, we would sit at the table, and would not be an underdog like we are today, but would hold the upper hand. At that time western companies and countries who look for sources of energy know that the new Thai government is not a traitor, so they will take the Thai side.
After we resign from UNESCO, we would officially notify the 7 member countries of the World Heritage Committee that we would not allow them to enter our country to restore the Preah Vihear temple. They would have to fly helicopters from Cambodia to reach the temple. We would not even allow them to come out to use toilets on Thai soil.
This is the only thing for us to do, and we can do it, believe me.
To negotiate with a rogue country like Cambodia cannot be done with our weaknesses and as long as we still have those traitors. We have to bring about unity of the nation on this issue of Preah Vihear temple and Thai sovereignty, and then we will take this ‘Strength of the Land’ to talk with Cambodia.
This is urgent. I believe that when we implement this, the worst-case scenario would be a reversion to 1962 when Cambodia could take only the temple, but nothing else.
But what is certain, whether an agreement can be reached or not, is that the new government must prohibit Thai gamblers from entering casinos in Poi Pet, because the casino owners who are Thai have to share half of their profits with Hun Sen [Cambodia’s Prime Minister].
Remember my words. The Thai Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag will never be able to solve the dispute, because the policy of this government is to betray the country.”
To the khom 2:51pm
You can not Decide by our ownselves, just your leaders order you to struggle or not...
We have a lot of secret deals with your leaders, Khun Thais understand very well the mind of your leaders....money USD/ Power..
No resistance at all as he's done with your east neighboring Friends/Vietnam...
You have no rights to demonstrate your views, if you wish to protest you may seek permission from your leaders... so difficult for you/... Khun Thais are different from yours.
From Preah Viharn To Tamorn to...
other places and to Nom Pen
We change/resuffle any ministers we needed for our Thai Benefit/interest what about you????You may not.....
OK .....Khap Khun Khap
Wichai Rungrat
Krung Thep Mohanokorn
The Ayuttayuons have submitted Ta Moan to UNESCO as their World Heritage Site:
http://nationmultimedia.com/2008/08/04/national/national_30079699.php
5:08 PM (Rat)
FYI: I'm 100%-blood Khmer.
I must proud of myself (and other Khmer should feel the same way as I feel), because every time when I went to your country, you served me as if I were a king. Do you know why? I speak Thai fluently (without you people knowing that I'm Khmer) and also have great knowledge of your culture. I like the way you and your country kowtow me as if I'm your boss.
I'm quite fortunate and proud to be born as Khmer (it would be ignominious to Thai), yet I am able to insidiously percolate among you people, yes you, my historic archfoes. More importantly,I have always received greater respect than your ordinary Thai citizens receive.
Of course, I, as Khmer citizen, I have my prerogative to express my anti-Thai sentiment at any time I am please without you or your government approval, since your country has ignominiously and egregiously violated our KHMER sovereignty and territorial integrity; this is a gross violation of international law.
Incidentally, if you're Thai, you should be abashed of yourself and your country for the two incursions your country made into our sovereignty (OUR Preah Vihear & Ta Moan temples).
Proud to be KHMER!
Khmer farmer (one of the Western-educated elite)
I want to see another Thai and Thai war. let them fight then they can go back to china where they just came from. then they want to try to get Angkor again.
Stop dreaming ah kapik, you have too many Khmer temple and enough Khmer people in your country. It is 21st century now, you want to go back go and kill yourself and maybe you will end up in the past and stay there don't come back.
Kmere blame Kmere ?
"Wichai Rungrat"
is a Kmere.
LOL
Cambodia is doing the right thing to seek help from the United Nations (UN). It is not in the interest of Thailand to have the UN intervene in the affair of Preah Vihear, because she knows that Cambodia has more legitimacy and historical claim of Preah Vihear and its surrounding area than Thailand does. The UN will have to consider and abide by the 1962 judgment made by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the recent recognition by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) that included Preah Vihear in the World Heritage List. If the UN were to side with Cambodia, then they would probably ask Thailand to withdraw from the disputed area.
Thailand is playing hardball because she knows Cambodia is no match with her militarily. Cambodia has no choice but to ask the UN for help. With the UN help Thailand will not dare to encroach further into Cambodia territory. If war were to erupt, Thailand would be condemned by the world and she will lose face. Additionally, the Muslims are now waiting for the right opportunity to stir troubles again in the southern region of Thailand if this latter decides to go to war with Cambodia. Thailand cannot afford to have war with Cambodia. Thailand may win in the short term but she will lose in the long run. Thailand fears the UN because among the five permanent members, Cambodia can count on France, China, and Russia to side with her. As to the US and the UK positions, nothing can be certain but if these two countries interpret the laws and historical facts properly, they should come to the conclusion that Thailand has no claim and basis over Preah Vihear and its surrounding area that she had ceded to Cambodia during the French-Siamese 1907 treaty.
The UN cannot ignore the ICJ judgment that recognized Preah Vihear belonging to Cambodia, because to do otherwise would bring chaos to the international rule of laws. There is no doubt, both based on the court of laws and historical facts, that the Temple of Preah Vihear is a Khmer heritage and belonging to Cambodia.
We Khun Thais understand very well the spirit of your leaders who need only money and Power within kampuchea, he is strong man in Campuchea but weak with khun thais and Khun viet.....
we claim Preah viharn, ta man and others untill we return all to thais belongings and help the strong man in Power for half more century.... we again return Siam Rap, Badambang Posat..to our territory too...and use your leaders to be Priministers in this country forever under Thais Colony...
We Khun Thais learned a lot about the tactics, bad tricks of kampuchean administration applied with campuchean people to take over lands/land grabing and other properties.. so we used this trick/tactics to gain from Campuchia too... and we will win surely and Campuchea Army chief and leaders do not dare to fight with thais,,,,, please be sure sure we guarantee.. remember ...
Campuchea has no opportunity to protect territory they just fight within their country in Power Contest..
You see when just start of StandOff Cam-army has no equipment weapon and food to support army just Collecting from people, this is not sustainable...
And why Army Chief and high Rank officials are very Rich...
We This know that you have more Generals but least soldiers...
Campuchea is a most corrupted country so that we thais can buy any thing including its territory.....
We sent takshin to Launder his money in Campuchea...tooo
Wichai rungrat
Krung Thep Mohanokorn
Wichai looking forward to see how Khom solve the Problem...,surrender please .. is better.. If so we will let you be a Primninster forever and offer you millions Dollars Under Thai+Viet Colony.
Wichai Rungrat
KHAN SAMBOEURN (Mr.)
Manager
Technical Dept.
Cambodian National Insurance Company (CAMINCO)
HEAD OFFICE:
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H/P: (855) 12 684 371, E-mail: khan_sb@caminco.com.kh
Phone: (855) 23 722 043
Fax: (855) 23 427 810
website: www.caminco.com.kh
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Tel: (855) 11 777 607
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