Oct. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Thai and Cambodian commanders agreed to jointly patrol a disputed border area where two soldiers were reportedly killed yesterday, a move that may help diffuse tensions between the Southeast Asian neighbors.
``We are confident that the joint patrol in the disputed area will prevent the repeat of that incident,'' Lieutenant General Wiboonsak Neeparn, the army commander for northeastern Thailand, said in comments broadcast on Channel 3 television network. ``Without proper communication and talks, it led to a small clash.''
Both sides will maintain troop levels at a disputed 4.6 square kilometers (1.8 square miles) near Cambodia's ancient Preah Vihear temple, a United Nations World Heritage Site, Wiboonsak said. Military officials from both countries plan to meet again next week.
The agreement may calm a tense military standoff that escalated after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen warned Thailand three days ago to remove its troops from the disputed area near the 11th century temple. Thailand said it would ``exercise its right of self-defense'' if fired upon.
``It's clearly in the real interest of both countries to disengage their forces, settle this and jointly develop this site,'' said Michael Montesano, visiting research fellow at the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. ``But on the Thai side there is no political advantage to doing that.''
Soldiers Killed
Two Cambodian soldiers died in the fighting and two were wounded, Agence France-Presse reported, citing the country's foreign minister, Hor Namhong. Both sides released statements accusing each other of starting the violence, and voiced support for talks as they reinforced troops at the border.
``Certainly we hope the situation will be calm and diplomatic channels will take place,'' Kao Kim Hourn, secretary of state at Cambodia's Foreign Ministry, said by phone from Phnom Penh today.
Virachai Plasai, an official at Thailand's Foreign Ministry, said the army would react proportionally to any attacks.
``We have far superior firepower but we did not use that,'' he said. ``We just defended ourselves using small arms.''
In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled in a 9-3 vote that Cambodia had sovereignty over Preah Vihear. The court did not rule on the disputed land near the temple.
Protected Monument
The conflict over land near the site flared up in June, when Thailand agreed to support Cambodia's bid to list the Hindu temple as a protected UN monument. A nationalist Thai group opposed the move, claiming that Thailand was the rightful owner of Preah Vihear, prompting the government to withdraw support for the UN listing.
Tensions between the countries worsened in July after Thai troops entered the disputed area around Preah Vihear, prompting a military standoff that almost went before the UN Security Council. The countries agreed to withdraw troops on July 29, though subsequent meetings failed to produce a lasting resolution.
Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said today he plans to visit Thai troops on the border in a few days. He said earlier this week the conflict could be resolved through a joint committee set up to demarcate the frontier.
Somchai's government has faced a five-month campaign by a Bangkok-based protest group that says it bought rural votes to win last December's election. An anti-graft body today said it would press malfeasance charges against the prime minister for a case during his time as top bureaucrat in the Justice Ministry.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Thailand and Cambodia to resolve the dispute peacefully and said in a statement yesterday they must ``exercise the utmost restraint'' and hold talks.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack called on the Southeast Asian neighbors to ``refrain from any use of violence or any provocation'' and to resolve their differences ``via political channels.''
To contact the reporter on this story: Daniel Ten Kate in Bangkok at dtenkate@bloomberg.net.
``We are confident that the joint patrol in the disputed area will prevent the repeat of that incident,'' Lieutenant General Wiboonsak Neeparn, the army commander for northeastern Thailand, said in comments broadcast on Channel 3 television network. ``Without proper communication and talks, it led to a small clash.''
Both sides will maintain troop levels at a disputed 4.6 square kilometers (1.8 square miles) near Cambodia's ancient Preah Vihear temple, a United Nations World Heritage Site, Wiboonsak said. Military officials from both countries plan to meet again next week.
The agreement may calm a tense military standoff that escalated after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen warned Thailand three days ago to remove its troops from the disputed area near the 11th century temple. Thailand said it would ``exercise its right of self-defense'' if fired upon.
``It's clearly in the real interest of both countries to disengage their forces, settle this and jointly develop this site,'' said Michael Montesano, visiting research fellow at the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. ``But on the Thai side there is no political advantage to doing that.''
Soldiers Killed
Two Cambodian soldiers died in the fighting and two were wounded, Agence France-Presse reported, citing the country's foreign minister, Hor Namhong. Both sides released statements accusing each other of starting the violence, and voiced support for talks as they reinforced troops at the border.
``Certainly we hope the situation will be calm and diplomatic channels will take place,'' Kao Kim Hourn, secretary of state at Cambodia's Foreign Ministry, said by phone from Phnom Penh today.
Virachai Plasai, an official at Thailand's Foreign Ministry, said the army would react proportionally to any attacks.
``We have far superior firepower but we did not use that,'' he said. ``We just defended ourselves using small arms.''
In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled in a 9-3 vote that Cambodia had sovereignty over Preah Vihear. The court did not rule on the disputed land near the temple.
Protected Monument
The conflict over land near the site flared up in June, when Thailand agreed to support Cambodia's bid to list the Hindu temple as a protected UN monument. A nationalist Thai group opposed the move, claiming that Thailand was the rightful owner of Preah Vihear, prompting the government to withdraw support for the UN listing.
Tensions between the countries worsened in July after Thai troops entered the disputed area around Preah Vihear, prompting a military standoff that almost went before the UN Security Council. The countries agreed to withdraw troops on July 29, though subsequent meetings failed to produce a lasting resolution.
Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said today he plans to visit Thai troops on the border in a few days. He said earlier this week the conflict could be resolved through a joint committee set up to demarcate the frontier.
Somchai's government has faced a five-month campaign by a Bangkok-based protest group that says it bought rural votes to win last December's election. An anti-graft body today said it would press malfeasance charges against the prime minister for a case during his time as top bureaucrat in the Justice Ministry.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Thailand and Cambodia to resolve the dispute peacefully and said in a statement yesterday they must ``exercise the utmost restraint'' and hold talks.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack called on the Southeast Asian neighbors to ``refrain from any use of violence or any provocation'' and to resolve their differences ``via political channels.''
To contact the reporter on this story: Daniel Ten Kate in Bangkok at dtenkate@bloomberg.net.
9 comments:
I though the fighting broke out at the Eagle area where PM Hun Sen ordered Thai soldiers to leave that place or killing will be started? If it is true, this zone should not be patroled by anny party?
Hey Mr. Michael Montesano,
Khmer do not care who you are and what is your ideas, but we, khmers, never and never agree with Thail on joint-development of our Preah Vihear. it's legally belong to Cambodia and Cambodia should develop our temple alone.
I do not want to sday any thing about you, Mr. Micheal Montesano, but If you were Khmer, you would say like Khmer 'No Join Development at all'.
Khmers all will be regret how you as a research fellow at the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore give the comment like that.
Pls go for more research on Cam and Thai history.
Mr. Commander Srey dek,
Khmers all are proude to have a son like you to protect our land from Thai invader. However, although I was not military experience, but via internet research and read more books, I'm to say that Join patrol is another dirty tactics of Thai Lop again. They'l attack us again, they just only buy the timeto make new attacking plan by study feedback from 2 previous fights. Join patrol means Thai commanders will learn our strategy and tactics and re-plan and lead another fight with us. From many sources, it clear show that Thailand is preparing another plan to attack us again. They are just only buy the time to plan more effectrive to defeat our troops. From me
True, there shouldn't be any joint patrol at all.
They must get out!!
Khmer PP,
It's real confusion of a result of meeting b/w Cambodia and Thai invader. Both Troops still keep in current position. This means that Thai troop still in our land,Eagle Terrace, they even agreed on join patrol. So, what about ultimatum of our PM ?
How can Thai be an invader when the people from Cambodia don't even live or have anything on that mountain.
uhh how can you have a brain and have enough to pay for internet?
So what does Cambodia has on that mountain? I don't see no road. I don't see no school. I don't see no clinic. I don't see no market. ... . I don't see shit. Everything was built by Khmer in Thailand.
What is this joint patrol? I can assure you that Thais will kill Cambodian soldiers who patrol with them in any minutes.
There is no need to have a joint partrol? This is ridiculous!
Kong Moeung
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