Friday, September 18, 2009

Thai-Cambodia temple row flares up

Friday, September 18, 2009
Al Jazeera

Cambodia and Thailand have sent riot police to a disputed border area in advance of a weekend rally by Thai protesters.

They plan to hold a demonstration over the Preah Vihear temple near the land that is claimed by both countries.

Cambodia says it will attack anyone who crosses into its territory.

Tensions over the temple's ownership heated up last year when the UN cultural agency approved Cambodia's bid to have Preah Vihear named a World Heritage Site.

The move sparked isolated clashes between the two countries' border guards.

The Thai protesters blame current and past governments for failing to protect Thai land and national sovereignty, reviving an issue that has increased nationalist sentiment on both sides of the border.

Cambodian soldiers have been ordered not to allow any spill over of the rally across the border, said Chhum Socheat, the defence ministry spokesman told the Associated Press.

"We have ordered our forces not to allow any Thai protesters to enter even one centimetre onto our side. Once they enter Cambodian territory, our forces will quickly crack down," he said.

Riot police mobilised

About 50 Cambodian riot police were sent to the border on Wednesday, along with a special canine unit used for crowd control, to assist soldiers, according to General Kieth Chantharith, a national police spokesman.

At least 200 Thai police will be deployed on the Thai side and checkpoints have been set up to prevent protesters from reaching disputed territory, Viboonsak Neepan, the Thai commander in the area, told reporters.

Tensions over temple ownership rose last year when Unesco, the UN cultural agency, approved Cambodia's bid to have Preah Vihear named a World Heritage Site.

Thailand initially supported the bid but then reneged after the move sparked outrage and protests.

Both sides rushed troops to the border, which resulted in several small gunbattles.

The World Court awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but sovereignty over the surrounding land has never been clearly resolved.

Cambodia and Thailand share an 800km land border, part of which has never been clearly demarcated because each country relies on different maps.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

i think it might be another set up by the siam soilder to get the PAD to go in and get kill and make cambodia look bad so they can have adventag in the furture! oh it might be another excuse to break throught cambodia fron line because they knew they can not break throught cambodia by using force so they have to cheat. DO NOT TRUST THE THIEFT.

Anonymous said...

Well! it can be anything! Finish off or continue the conflict is your call - Thais. It clearly stated if you violate the laws, you are death. Khmers remain pissed off they way Thai soldiers shot and burned a Khmer teenager alive. You watch out! might be your turn now.

Anonymous said...

សូមកងទ័ពខេមរភូមិន្ទនៃប្រទេសកម្ពុជាយើង
កុំចាញ់នយោបាយបោកប្រាស់របស់សៀមឲ្យសោះ
ពីព្រោះសៀមពួកវានិយាយបាតដៃខ្នងដៃមិនដែលទៀងទាត់ទេ។សូមអរគុណ!
សូមវិញ្ញាន្តខណបុព្វបុរស់ខ្មែរសូមលោកជួយថែរក្សារនៅប្ររាស្រ្តកម្ពុជាយើងឲ្យលោកជួបតែសេចក្តី
សុខរកទទួលទានមានបានគ្រប់ៗគ្នា។

Anonymous said...

If the Thai going to use their people as shield we will shoot them once the set foot in our soils.

We will shoot all violators of Cambodian's sovereignty.

This is the new era, we can't let Thai take our land again. We lost more than the side of Cambodia in the past and we regretting with the lost. We want to keep what we have now.

If we want to do, we could have instigate the unrest in those Khmer's provinces to rise up. If the Thai like that.

Anonymous said...

To: Bangcock, Thailiar

No more game for them and don't talk to them. Just burned them alive see how they feel and we going kill them all nowadays.

Anonymous said...

I bet ya. None of Khmer's troops will touch any of siam's people. siam can burn or kill Khmer but Khmer cpp only talk and negotiate with siam. siam can fly on Khmer land and none of those plane get shot by Khmer souldier only scare siam by words.

Anonymous said...

you still don't understanding about Cambodia country,about 50years Khmer country was war. so you don't to want to talk you want to figth rigth? why? so you don't get enough fighting?You think fighting is easier to do it?The situation khmer government don't let the war back again in Cambodia country.If you want to figth you are not Khmer people ok.

Anonymous said...

8:10 PM

Ah Siam ah pleur!

mung yak dai alai eek? = Thai
What else do you want? = English

Gu pun pasa Thai dai = Thai
I can speak Thai = English

Anonymous said...

8"85pM! only you motherfuckers want to live as slaves!

Anonymous said...

Burn ah Thais a live, just like they did to Khmer boy.

Anonymous said...

Thai government sending these yellows shirt to protest on purpose! they will pretend to come in and rescue their people, but they will stay and occupy the lands, this is Thai Gov't new tricks...



Khmer army must be alert at all time, don't get fool by these tricks....