PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia (AFP) - Cambodian and Thai commanders met at their tense disputed border area Saturday amid accusations that each side had caused a border skirmish that left three soldiers injured.
One Cambodian soldier and two Thai troops were wounded when units exchanged gun and rocket fire during a brief clash Friday near an ancient temple in the area.
In an attempt to cool tensions Srey Dek, commander of Cambodian forces in the area, met with his Thai counterpart, Colonel Chayan Huaysoongnern, on Saturday afternoon at a Buddhist pagoda in the disputed territory, said the Cambodian cabinet spokesman.
"The two sides called for the situation to return to normalcy," Cambodian cabinet spokesman Phay Siphan told AFP.
The foreign ministries of both countries issued formal letters on Saturday accusing the other's troops of trespassing and firing first in Friday's skirmish.
Cambodia's letter to the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh warned that "armed provocation by Thai soldiers could lead to very grave consequences, including full-scale armed hostility".
Later Saturday the Thai foreign ministry responded with its own letter, given to a Cambodian diplomat.
"Thailand protested on two points -- that Cambodian soldiers trespassed into Thai territory and that Cambodian soldiers opened fire first," a foreign ministry official said.
The clash came amid attempts to make progress in talks to resolve the decades-long border dispute.
The dispute flared in July after the Khmer temple of Preah Vihear was awarded world heritage status by the UN cultural body UNESCO, angering nationalists in Thailand who still claim ownership of the site.
That spilled into a military standoff, in which up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops faced off for six weeks.
Both sides agreed to pull back in mid-August, leaving just a few dozen soldiers stationed near the temple, but the neighbours have continued to trade accusations of violating each other's sovereignty.
Phay Siphan said Thai prime minister Somchai Wongsawat was still expected to visit the Cambodian capital later this month to speak with Cambodian premier Hun Sen about the simmering border dispute.
"The talks between the Cambodian and Thai prime ministers on October 13 in Phnom Penh will take place as planned," he said.
During an inspection of the skirmish site Saturday, Cambodian deputy commander General Chea Dara said Thai troops had intruded more than a kilometre (0.6 miles) into Cambodia.
"Our troops are patient but they must protect themselves too," Dara told reporters.
Thai troops appeared to be keeping their distance from their Cambodian counterparts on Saturday but a Cambodian officer said the Thais had dug a fresh trench on disputed land.
"Digging a trench breaches an earlier agreement between Cambodia and Thailand," said Major Meas Yoeurn.
One Cambodian soldier and two Thai troops were wounded when units exchanged gun and rocket fire during a brief clash Friday near an ancient temple in the area.
In an attempt to cool tensions Srey Dek, commander of Cambodian forces in the area, met with his Thai counterpart, Colonel Chayan Huaysoongnern, on Saturday afternoon at a Buddhist pagoda in the disputed territory, said the Cambodian cabinet spokesman.
"The two sides called for the situation to return to normalcy," Cambodian cabinet spokesman Phay Siphan told AFP.
The foreign ministries of both countries issued formal letters on Saturday accusing the other's troops of trespassing and firing first in Friday's skirmish.
Cambodia's letter to the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh warned that "armed provocation by Thai soldiers could lead to very grave consequences, including full-scale armed hostility".
Later Saturday the Thai foreign ministry responded with its own letter, given to a Cambodian diplomat.
"Thailand protested on two points -- that Cambodian soldiers trespassed into Thai territory and that Cambodian soldiers opened fire first," a foreign ministry official said.
The clash came amid attempts to make progress in talks to resolve the decades-long border dispute.
The dispute flared in July after the Khmer temple of Preah Vihear was awarded world heritage status by the UN cultural body UNESCO, angering nationalists in Thailand who still claim ownership of the site.
That spilled into a military standoff, in which up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops faced off for six weeks.
Both sides agreed to pull back in mid-August, leaving just a few dozen soldiers stationed near the temple, but the neighbours have continued to trade accusations of violating each other's sovereignty.
Phay Siphan said Thai prime minister Somchai Wongsawat was still expected to visit the Cambodian capital later this month to speak with Cambodian premier Hun Sen about the simmering border dispute.
"The talks between the Cambodian and Thai prime ministers on October 13 in Phnom Penh will take place as planned," he said.
During an inspection of the skirmish site Saturday, Cambodian deputy commander General Chea Dara said Thai troops had intruded more than a kilometre (0.6 miles) into Cambodia.
"Our troops are patient but they must protect themselves too," Dara told reporters.
Thai troops appeared to be keeping their distance from their Cambodian counterparts on Saturday but a Cambodian officer said the Thais had dug a fresh trench on disputed land.
"Digging a trench breaches an earlier agreement between Cambodia and Thailand," said Major Meas Yoeurn.
11 comments:
It is incomprehensible that the Siam maintains its clean face after so much chaotic moments created by the "arrogent" siamese soldiers along the border and mainly even within the Khmer soil.
It is evidently useless to try to hold talk with this cunning neighbor while its agressive soldiers continue to arrogently set their feet in the Khmer soil and enter the Khmer pagoda without respect to the Khmer sovereignty.
The Khmer: Your being friendly and considered can only be seen as your weakness and therefore you're treated with contempt by these uncivilized neighbor, the Siam.
Before any talk or discussion can be held diplomatically the Siamese must show their respect to the Khmer sovereignty. Otherwise postpone the talk but meanwhile shoot and kill the invaders to show your firm stand and strong disapproval of rude and aggressive behavior.
Trust NOT the Siamese friendliness with "deadly strategy". They may lure you to step forward in the open space while many Siamese are in hiding and pointing their riffles and ready to assassinate many Khmers who are standing in the open.
Therefore you must always be fully alert and on guard. For the sake of safety keep yourself hidden at all time. God bless the Khmer.
It is necessary to support our soldiers.
To boycott thailand's products, every Khmer has to do it absolutely!
The more you talk with Thai the more you lose.
Your Army can't compare with Thai.
Thai will spend only weapons, Khmer will spend lives.
Ways to win over thai is to go to UN & International to get help.
O!!!!! Khmer.....
5:28 AM
Agree all Khmer must boycott siem and yuon product and turn to Korean, Japanese, Indonisian... products.
8:29 AM
It's more complicate than that.
The CPP government is 90% under ah Yuon.
The UN side with the American.
Don't worry the future is so full of surprise.
Will the Chinese allow the US to fully dominate the new expanded Asean? Especially, right at their door step via Vietnam and Burma?
Will Vietnam and the US trust each other? Will Thailand's gamble be un/successful?
I support 8:35AM that all Cambodians must to boycott all thai ant viet's product and accept korea,japan,indonesia,singapor and philippine's products.Please let do so because if we keep using thai+viet's products it seems like we give them a hidden sword to kill our nation one day as their long time dream.I hope all the current gov.feel like I and our Khmer compatriats feel.
9:47AM What I really believe that China will not allow the U.S dominate in Asia,especially in southeast Asia.
Vietnam is thinking to use the American's hands to against and overcome China,but according to my survey Vietnamese don't trust American as they didn't trust China.
In order to cope and match with China vietnam have to wait until they are ready of uniting Thai,Cambodia,Lao as one country.
Let's do it. The Indochina Federation is way overdue.
11:40 AM
Dream on little Ho.
You bet, and it will come true soon enough.
Post a Comment