"If the buffalo eat the rice crop, I don't dare chase it,
When the buffalo walks away, I'll chase it for you to see, Darling..."
- Cambodian Folk Song
PHNOM PENH (AFP)--Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday repeated his country would not "wage war" with neighboring Thailand over a long-running border dispute that erupted into violence last month.
He urged patience from both sides as negotiators attempt to demarcate an agreed border between them.
"We don't want to wage war. We want only peace, but please don't trespass," Hun Sen said. "What we want is patience, no war," he said.
Hun Sen said a military standoff on the border had eased since an October 15 shootout that claimed four lives.
But he warned Cambodia would act in "self-defense if needed."
"Not only our side but also our opponents should not try to benefit from blood and human life," he added.
Thai and Cambodian officials agreed in principle in a meeting last week to reduce troops at the disputed border and to form a border task force. They plan to meet again in January.
They also agreed to start delimiting the border area around the 11th century Preah Vihear temple from mid-December, where troops have been facing off since July.
Shortly after similar talks between the foreign ministers failed last month, troops from the two countries clashed on October 15 on disputed land near the ancient Khmer temple, killing one Thai and three Cambodians.
The Cambodian-Thai border has never been fully demarcated, in part because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia.
The most recent tensions began in July when the Khmer temple was awarded United Nations World Heritage status, rekindling a long-running disagreement over ownership of the surrounding land.
11 comments:
Royal Government of Cambodia must let the UN know that Thailand has actually encroached on Cambodia's territory along its 800km2 border.
1. Even in Poipet the Yahoo, Wikipedia map shows the boundary way inside Cambodia by 300 meters. The border between the two countries is actually at the bridge of O'Chrov or "Khlong Leuk" in Thai. Now according to Yahoo and Wikipedia maps, the location of the Cambodia-Thailand boundary line shows that the Angkor Wat entry gate of Poipet is in Thailand if you zoom in Yahoo or Wikipedia map!
2. Thailand claims that 4.6km2 is disputed territory yet on Yahoo and Wikipedia maps, it shows that this area is in Thai territory!
The RGC must bring this matter to the attention of the UN and all institutions that make maps worldwide to adhere to maps internationally recognised, not according to maps "UNILATERRALLY" drawn by Thailand. We must correct this matter as soon as possible before it is too late.
Botra Khemara
"We want to live in peace, but when our home is encroached by thieves, it seems that war is enevitable!"
We Khmers must unite...to protect our land.
A friend who recently went to Poipet told me the same thing, the border used to be at that bridge but now the border checkpoint and custom house are now moved 300 meters into Cambodia side...so that guests can get to the casinos instantly. Is this some kind of conspiracy to justify the new border line between Cambodia and Thailand???
Correction:
Demarcation was settled back in 1907 and fully recognized again during the ICJ court verdict of 1962. The landmines were laid on Khmer soil during KR regime.
I would love to see Cambodia-Thailand border as solid as the US-Mexico border.
When we are weak and disorganised, they take every opportunity to steal at will.
When we are strong again, we will take back everything that was lost since 1432. We won't stop at just Bangkok, but all the way to Chiang Mai and Songkhla.
Dream on, Ah Jkout (8:11)!
This crazy PM is talking scared to neighbor but beats and kills his people.
What a big pussycat
Remember, we live oversea, so according to "pehn panha" in the previous forum. We don't understand shits about his PM Hun Sen.
What ta fuck's going on with this one eye mother fucker again? He was talking toughshit other day, now changed his fucken mind again? chicken shit! Tell my body khmer rouge to laid out more mines..what ta fuck.......!!
I understood that we wanted to live in peace with our neighbor, but our neighbor never wanted cambodian to live in peace..!! So what we need to do is well prepared, like upgraded our military specially! and well equipped, modernize weapons to protect our sovereignty..i suggested that all of those wealthy leaders should take out from their pocket and help the county..if they're not to cheap!!!
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