PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia's prime minister warned Thailand on Monday that "armed clashes" will erupt if Thai troops continue to trespass over the border.
Prime Minister Hun Sen's comments came after he met Thailand's foreign minister in the latest effort to ease tensions over a territorial dispute that earlier this month sparked a brief exchange of gunfire at the border.
"We told them that if they do not stop (trespassing), armed clashes will break out," Hun Sen told reporters.
Thailand's Foreign Minister Sompong Amornwiwat did not immediately comment after the meeting.
Last week, two Thai soldiers were injured by land mines along the border. Thailand says the soldiers were on the Thai side of the border, but Cambodia has accused them of overstepping the boundary at a point several miles (kilometers) west of the ancient Preah Vihear temple.
The area — known as Eagle Field — could become "a life-and-death battle ground," Hun Sen said, adding that Thai soldiers are now camped there about 33 yards (meters) from Cambodian troops.
Three days before that incident, at a point a few hundred yards (meters) away, a gunfight broke out between soldiers from the two sides. One Cambodian and two Thai soldiers were wounded.
Both sides claimed the other fired first and blamed each other for being on the wrong side of the border.
Earlier Monday, Sompong held talks with his Cambodian counterpart, Hor Namhong, but they failed to make any breakthrough in the dispute.
In a statement issued after the meeting, Cambodia's Foreign Ministry called for more talks to "avoid further unwarranted hostilities."
Cambodian Maj. Gen. Srey Doek, an army commander, said his troops are on high alert but declined to give their numbers.
Both countries have long claimed Preah Vihear, but the World Court awarded it to Cambodia in 1962. Sovereignty over some of the land around the temple, however, has not been clearly resolved.
Tensions flared July 15 after UNESCO, the U.N. agency, approved Cambodia's bid to have the Preah Vihear temple named a World Heritage Site. Both sides deployed troops to the border.
There has been a limited troop withdrawal from the area since, and talks have been held several times to resolve the conflicting claims, but without much progress.
Prime Minister Hun Sen's comments came after he met Thailand's foreign minister in the latest effort to ease tensions over a territorial dispute that earlier this month sparked a brief exchange of gunfire at the border.
"We told them that if they do not stop (trespassing), armed clashes will break out," Hun Sen told reporters.
Thailand's Foreign Minister Sompong Amornwiwat did not immediately comment after the meeting.
Last week, two Thai soldiers were injured by land mines along the border. Thailand says the soldiers were on the Thai side of the border, but Cambodia has accused them of overstepping the boundary at a point several miles (kilometers) west of the ancient Preah Vihear temple.
The area — known as Eagle Field — could become "a life-and-death battle ground," Hun Sen said, adding that Thai soldiers are now camped there about 33 yards (meters) from Cambodian troops.
Three days before that incident, at a point a few hundred yards (meters) away, a gunfight broke out between soldiers from the two sides. One Cambodian and two Thai soldiers were wounded.
Both sides claimed the other fired first and blamed each other for being on the wrong side of the border.
Earlier Monday, Sompong held talks with his Cambodian counterpart, Hor Namhong, but they failed to make any breakthrough in the dispute.
In a statement issued after the meeting, Cambodia's Foreign Ministry called for more talks to "avoid further unwarranted hostilities."
Cambodian Maj. Gen. Srey Doek, an army commander, said his troops are on high alert but declined to give their numbers.
Both countries have long claimed Preah Vihear, but the World Court awarded it to Cambodia in 1962. Sovereignty over some of the land around the temple, however, has not been clearly resolved.
Tensions flared July 15 after UNESCO, the U.N. agency, approved Cambodia's bid to have the Preah Vihear temple named a World Heritage Site. Both sides deployed troops to the border.
There has been a limited troop withdrawal from the area since, and talks have been held several times to resolve the conflicting claims, but without much progress.
8 comments:
Cheer!
There we go. I would like to see HUN SEN acts as a warrior to his enemy more than he did to the innocent Khmer.
I am totally support you 110% HUN SEN!
It is about time!!
Khmer PP,
The war is anyway predictable and inevitable in this borders problem. No other solution is effective to stop the violation repeated the sovereignty of our country by thais.
M.Hun Sen, you are right.
God bless the Kampuchea !
SEn , this is the first time I agree with your comment to your EXfriend siam ... And don't forget AH youn too .. if you do that to youn too I will fully support you SEN ... I bet you have some KHmer blood in YOU ..
TRUE YOUNG KHMER GENERATION ... CANADA..
HUN SEN should send his Foreign Minister to LAOS, Myanmar to team up from all fronts when attacking SIAM.
THAI will be sandwiched if war breaks out.
Khmer PP,
Khmer Roth Koung Dey!
SIAM Roth Koung Thmar!
SIAM Chet Min-la-or, Os Toek Os Dey!
It is about time!
Khmer ran worn out the soil!
SIAM ran worn out the rock!
SIAM is being greedy, no water no lands.
Note*
When Khmer fled the country the earth or soils is caved in because there were so many hundred and thousand of them escaped to the borders. But this is not bad when Thailand is having war there will be more people escape than the Khmer and not just the earth is being caved in instead the rock will be caved in cause there will so many of them fleeing the war.
Khmer Amatak!!
It is a bit a kind of stupidity of Thais to see them act this way. Who on earth invades the neighbor while having internal problem. It is ashame to see how greedy they are and how fooly they act.
Nimo
It's time.
Siam people never live in the war as Cambodian. Siam people didn't know the feeling of losing the ones they love but Cambodian did.
We, cambodia people had already passed throught that period. We never scared of that losing anymore. So now, Let all siam people got that feeling.
Fucking the siam king who send all the black-shirt soliders for tresspassing the border!!!!
God bless Cambodia and god will punish A chor siams! Back off from khmer land. A chor mouk krass!
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