The Associated Press
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: The Cambodian government accused Thailand on Saturday of trying to provoke "full-scale armed hostilities" between the two neighbors after a cross-border gunfight.
Thai soldiers stationed in a disputed border area were engaged in a brief clash that wounded one Cambodian and two Thai troops on Friday several miles (kilometers) west of Cambodia's ancient Preah Vihear temple.
Thai forces entered Cambodian territory and were the first to open fire, the Cambodian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "Cambodia strongly protests against this deplorable and intentional armed provocation by Thai soldiers," it said.
It warned that such a provocation "could lead to very grave consequences, including full-scale armed hostilities."
Tharit Charungvat, Thailand's Foreign Ministry spokesman, said a protest note would be delivered Saturday to the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok over the incident.
Tharit said Friday evening that Thai troops had been patrolling in their own territory when they encountered the Cambodian soldiers.
"The Cambodian troops shot at the Thai troops first, wounding two soldiers. One Cambodian soldier was also wounded after the Thais responded," he said.
Lt. Gen. Wiboonsak Ngeepan, the regional army commander for northeastern Thailand, said it was unclear if the Cambodians intruded intentionally or had strayed into Thailand because "the area is dense forest."
The Cambodian Foreign Ministry said its troops returned fire in self defense after they were attacked by Thai soldiers. The attack was just over one mile (about two kilometers) west of the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda near the Preah Vihear temple, it said.
The pagoda is where border tensions between the two neighbors erupted on July 15 after UNESCO, the U.N. cultural agency, approved Cambodia's application to have the 11th century temple named a World Heritage Site.
Thailand sent troops to occupy the pagoda, also claimed by Cambodia.
Cambodia responded with its own troop deployment. The two sides came close to a shootout on July 17 when Cambodian monks sought to celebrate Buddhist lent in the pagoda.
Troops on both sides raised their weapons, but no shots were fired, and the Cambodians eventually backed down.
Since then there has been a limited troop withdrawal from the area, and talks have been held several times to resolve the conflicting claims, but without much progress.
Friday's clash was the most serious incident yet, and occurred despite repeated statements by both governments that they are committed to preventing violence.
Thai soldiers stationed in a disputed border area were engaged in a brief clash that wounded one Cambodian and two Thai troops on Friday several miles (kilometers) west of Cambodia's ancient Preah Vihear temple.
Thai forces entered Cambodian territory and were the first to open fire, the Cambodian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "Cambodia strongly protests against this deplorable and intentional armed provocation by Thai soldiers," it said.
It warned that such a provocation "could lead to very grave consequences, including full-scale armed hostilities."
Tharit Charungvat, Thailand's Foreign Ministry spokesman, said a protest note would be delivered Saturday to the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok over the incident.
Tharit said Friday evening that Thai troops had been patrolling in their own territory when they encountered the Cambodian soldiers.
"The Cambodian troops shot at the Thai troops first, wounding two soldiers. One Cambodian soldier was also wounded after the Thais responded," he said.
Lt. Gen. Wiboonsak Ngeepan, the regional army commander for northeastern Thailand, said it was unclear if the Cambodians intruded intentionally or had strayed into Thailand because "the area is dense forest."
The Cambodian Foreign Ministry said its troops returned fire in self defense after they were attacked by Thai soldiers. The attack was just over one mile (about two kilometers) west of the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda near the Preah Vihear temple, it said.
The pagoda is where border tensions between the two neighbors erupted on July 15 after UNESCO, the U.N. cultural agency, approved Cambodia's application to have the 11th century temple named a World Heritage Site.
Thailand sent troops to occupy the pagoda, also claimed by Cambodia.
Cambodia responded with its own troop deployment. The two sides came close to a shootout on July 17 when Cambodian monks sought to celebrate Buddhist lent in the pagoda.
Troops on both sides raised their weapons, but no shots were fired, and the Cambodians eventually backed down.
Since then there has been a limited troop withdrawal from the area, and talks have been held several times to resolve the conflicting claims, but without much progress.
Friday's clash was the most serious incident yet, and occurred despite repeated statements by both governments that they are committed to preventing violence.
5 comments:
The royal government of Cambodia has to intend to take now measures to forbid the imports of thaialnd's products in Cambodia.
God why do Yuon Politicians still eating Thai's food while telling Khmer to hate Thai? Are these Yuon politicians trying to kill the last Khmer resistance in the border by planning this conflicts? God why is it such a big problems with Thais when Yuons illegally invaded Cambodia everyday and now they are in millions? God how stupid are Cambodians?
God why are Thai is decapitated by Islamic insurgent. And now they are being shot down by Khmer soldiers.
God internal political problem, south unrest and Cambodian clash.
God why they want to die so soon?
God how stupid are siems?
if thailand still dreaming about a bilateral talk, etc..., i suggest they better stop instigating and violating cambodia's sovereignty, etc... i though they said they were better than cambodia; i think not!!!!!
They will, once all of the French Nazi treaties are all burned.
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