Saturday, September 19, 2009

Protesters clash with villagers, police near Preah Vihear temple

SI SA KET, Sept 19 (TNA) - People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrators clashed with police and residents in the northeastern province of Si Sa Ket near the disputed Preah Vihear border area with Cambodia.

The scuffle lasted 10 minutes as villagers protested the presence of the yellow shirt PAD members there to oppose Cambodian building new structures in the area contested by Thailand and Cambodia near the ancient Preah Vihear temple.

Both sides used catapults and sticks to hurt each other before Thai police on security in the area separated them. A number of villagers were reported injured in the clash.

Villagers living near the disputed border area opposed the protest by the ‘Yellow Shirt’ protesters as they believed it could impact Thailand’s cross-border trade economy and relations with Cambodia.

By 2 pm the PAD demonstrators broke through barricades and marched towards the 11th century temple at the centre of several clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers after it was awarded World Heritage Site status in July last year by the United Nations cultural body UNESCO, angering nationalists in Thailand who continue to claim ownership of the site.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told journalists in Bangkok that he had received reports on the clash between the PAD demonstrators and the villagers and that he had ordered officials in the area to negotiate with the PAD in order to end the rally as soon as possible.

An international news agency reported that the Cambodian government announced on Thursday that it had deployed riot police with dogs, batons and tear gas at the temple.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

សៀមអាវលឿងបះទង្គិចជាមួយសៀមអាវក្រហមនេះបើតាមព័ត៍មានពីសមរភូមិពីប្រាសាទព្រះវិហារ
នៅរសៀលថ្ងៃសៅរ៍ទី១៩។ហើយជើងអាកាសរបស់សៀមសុំឩទ្ថម្ភាចក្រ
ចុះចតនៅប្រាសាទព្រះវិហារ។បាតុកកម្មទាំងពីរ
បណ្តាលឲ្យរងរបួសជាង៣០នាក់រវាងគ្នានឹងគ្នា
ដួច្នេះសូមកងខេមរភូមិន្ទមេត្តាប្រុងប្រយ័ត្ថេជានិច្ច
ពីព្រោះសៀមមានល្បិចច្រើនណាស់សូមអរគុណ
កងទ័ពកម្ពុជា។បាតុកម្មរបស់ថៃទាំងពីរក្រុមមានរបួសជាទម្ងន់រាងៗខ្លួនហើយបានប្រាប់កងខេមរភូមិន្ទ
កុំភ្ញាក់ផ្អើលនៅរឿងឲ្យសោះ។ប៉ុន្តែកងទ័ពកម្ពុជា
របស់យើងសូមមានការប្រុងប្រយ័ត្ថជានិច្ចពីព្រោះ
សៀមវាល្បិចច្រើនណាស់ដូចជាគណបក្សប្រឆាំង
នៅប្រទេសកម្ពុជាឥញ្ជឹងដែរ។

Anonymous said...

This seemed ridiculous all forces are not armed and if this occured very bad our forces will get injured without protected gears. Hun Sen would say uh oh I told you be very careful. 4,000 siam versus 1,000 forces + 500 villagers. This is unacceptable remembered US had pouring in $58M for road contruction nothing had been happened. At least they should bought some gears for our forces such as protected bortons, helmets and bullet proofs vest. Where is all the money? All for CPP members.

Anonymous said...

the power of naga are in our khmer heart and soul ,thai nationalist can not enter to all khmer in thai areas