DPA
Bangkok - Thousands of Thai ultra-nationalists on Saturday broke through a police barrier to march to an 11th-century Hindu temple on the Cambodian border in a long-running dispute that nearly sparked a war last year. An estimated 4,000 members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) clashed with police and villagers at Phumisarol town who tried to stop them from entering the national park in Sisaket province, about 450 kilometres north-east of Bangkok, state-owned Thai News Agency reported.
Several people were reported injured in the clash.
In Bangkok, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva expressed concern over the incident and urged officials to negotiate with the leaders to end the protest peacefully.
The PAD led anti-government protests last year that culminated in the seizure of Bangkok's two airports and the toppling of the previous administration, led by the People Power Party (PPP).
The movement is staunchly opposed to the return to power of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was overthrown in a coup in September 2006 but was the main political force behind the PPP.
PAD leaders objected to the PPP's decision last year to support Cambodia's bid to list the Preah Vihear temple as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, claiming the move was motivated by Thaksin's vested business interests in Cambodia.
Despite their protests, the temple ruins were granted heritage status, sparking protests and an incursion into Cambodian territory by some PAD activists at the time.
Their arrests by Cambodian soldiers and Thailand's aggressive response to the incident almost sparked a border war in July last year.
The historical site has been the subject of diplomatic tensions between Thailand and Cambodia for decades.
An ownership dispute over the temple, which is perched on a cliff defining the Thai-Cambodian border, was settled by an International Court ruling in the Hague in the mid-1950s, but the court failed to rule on the ownership of land adjacent to the temple.
Thailand insists that this land is still under dispute and the granting of UNESCO heritage site status was premature.
Several people were reported injured in the clash.
In Bangkok, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva expressed concern over the incident and urged officials to negotiate with the leaders to end the protest peacefully.
The PAD led anti-government protests last year that culminated in the seizure of Bangkok's two airports and the toppling of the previous administration, led by the People Power Party (PPP).
The movement is staunchly opposed to the return to power of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was overthrown in a coup in September 2006 but was the main political force behind the PPP.
PAD leaders objected to the PPP's decision last year to support Cambodia's bid to list the Preah Vihear temple as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, claiming the move was motivated by Thaksin's vested business interests in Cambodia.
Despite their protests, the temple ruins were granted heritage status, sparking protests and an incursion into Cambodian territory by some PAD activists at the time.
Their arrests by Cambodian soldiers and Thailand's aggressive response to the incident almost sparked a border war in July last year.
The historical site has been the subject of diplomatic tensions between Thailand and Cambodia for decades.
An ownership dispute over the temple, which is perched on a cliff defining the Thai-Cambodian border, was settled by an International Court ruling in the Hague in the mid-1950s, but the court failed to rule on the ownership of land adjacent to the temple.
Thailand insists that this land is still under dispute and the granting of UNESCO heritage site status was premature.
21 comments:
Had the late Pol Pot in charge of the country, the incident would not have occurred.
During the Khmer-Rouge era, and the past (recent) years, have or had anyone envisage the current turmoil?
Hope demonstration become a source of new conflict between the nations. With the strong support from the US and SRP, Thailand can defeat Hun Sen easilly.
8:45 PM
PAD members are the only external source that will eventually topple the Hun Sen's regime. The time is near for Hun Sen ahd his entourages.
The following phrase is a quote: "We never commit violence or cruelty to the Cambodian people (sic!)" - Suwat Saew Sook, adviser to the Thai ambassador in Phnom Penh".
I begged the differ! When I was in Kao-I-Dang and Kamput Refugee camps, I was shot at a few times by going outside the perimeter to look for water. Almost killed with the bullets flew over my head.
My dad was beat up with the Siamese force that came inside the camp. The statement made the Siamese Ambassador is blatently a cover up, and painting the Siamland, a smiling and friendly land.
Yeh..
9:26PM, A Land of Free, A Land of smile, it means the same thing “take me home barang, it’s free”. Have you ever been to the petes shop? Did you see those dogs are so friendly when you passed them? I don’t speak dog, but I’m pretty sure that they were asking me to take them home. And it’s the same thing with these SMILLING face thai people. If you don’t believe me go to Bangcock check it out yourself.
8:45 PM
A very bad dream my friend.
SRP are not going to collaborate with the Siems alien. This time SRP will fully support the Cambodian Government and the Royal Cambodian Army Forces.
The more the PAD protest at Preah Vihear the more Hun Sen gained more popularity.
For the conflict with the Thais over Preah Vihear, PM Hun Sen and his government needs all the support and assistance from all Khmers of any political affiliations.
Unity among the Khmers can never be better needed and urged than right now!
Put away all your differences and stand united with the current government of the day to show strength, not weakness to the unreasonable Thais.
We need to learn to settle our own problems without counting on the neighbouring countries because each time we count on them for our own personal gain, we certainly lose our land.
Let's really learn from history and stop repeating the same mistakes over and over again.
Anet Khmer
what kinda of idiot wants Khmer to be invaded just so the regime can be changed.
You remember, our current government comes through power by invasion also, which why we are so miserable.
If we are to change, we must change internally by our own people where our voices are the master not Siam or Hanoi.
to common 10:58 PM,11:11 PM between thailand and combodia war is very easy solution. thai can not invade any more and combodia poeple have no more suffer from thai pressure by ask UN for help.
as we all know french could be a withness the boder combodia and thai because french who are the one draw these map for combodia and thai in century. second combodia country have no weapon since UN ask us to destroy the weapon. third because thai millitary get aid from USA million dollar every year we could ask USA to put pressure on thai.fourth sue thailand and a person or country who draw map for thailand that misslead thai people. also Sue thai country for billion dolla for missleading the history to their own people and cause combodia in country dammage and combodia people life in missory. see how simple is that.
but ah kwack hun won't ask UN for help he want people in combodia see him as heroin. instead of being heroe i view ah kwack hun as the dumpest PM on earth. can't lead can't derect, or may be he affraid off he will be out off his power when UN get invole in this situation. that is how our country was suffer because lead by the dump pm.
First of all thank to KI to keep our people informed about serious situation along Cambodia-Thai border while other sources of information slept good at this national emergency.Thai thieves still keep their ambition to swallow our country, I hope this time we can burn them alive as they have committed to our people in the past.We must push them back if they start to invade our land and occupy wherever we get to and send our people to live there and let them protest ten or twenty more years until a solution can be reached.
Sic Furthermore
GOD HEARS CAMBODIAN AND THAI PEOPLE CALLS FOR HIS MERCY UPON OPPRESSIVE FORCES IN BOTH COUNTRIES. HE IS IN THE PROCESS OF REMOVING THE WICKED CAMBODIAN AND THAI LEADERS FROM THEIR POSITION IN AN UNEXPECTED WAYS. WE CANNOT KNOW THE SUBSEQUENT AND FINAL OUTCOME.ONLY GOD WILL.
Cambodia Town
Long Beach, Ca
Thai PM, Abhisit Vejjajiva was in trouble postion, this time he has to solve two different protesters in the same situation.
When the protesters (yellow Shirts) trepassed into Cambodia territory, the Cambodian authority should arreste them, put them in jails, fines them.
New Phally
Thanks for your foresight 11:12PM. Some Khmers are so irresponsible that they would do anything, including relying on a neighbouring state, to have a regime change. And sadly, every time they do that, the nation loses a chunk of land or sea.
When will these people learn to work hard and become self-reliance?
ah Hun Zen វាជាអ្នកលេងលើពិភពលោក។
ដូច្នេះវាមិនត្រូវការ UN ដើម្បីជួយដោះស្រាយ
បញ្ហាព្រុំដែនទាំងខាងលិចនឹងខាងកើតឡើយហើយ
វាក៏មិនយកយោបល់នឹងគុំនិតរបស់ពលរដ្ឋខ្មែរដែរ
គឺវាស្ដាប់តែចៅហ្វាយវាបញ្ជាពី ក្រុងហាណូយ
ប៉ុណ្ណោះ អានេះថ្ងៃណាមួយវានឹងងាប់ដោយសា
រន្ទះបាញ់ ឬធ្លាក់យន្ឌហោះជាមិនខាននេះរួមទាំង
ប្រពន្ធវាមី(កាហៀង ,ប៌ុនរ៉ានី)ផង៕
តាព្រហ្ម
Hey Ah Yellow Fucking Thai, you know you violate the law, you want to invade Cambodia territory you claim Preah Vihear a Khmer temple , it's belong to Khmer, Khmer built the temple. Can you see in your fucking country, temple every where in Thailand belong to Khmer and the land. What the Fuck do you still want? Ah Fuck Thailand!
Khmer loves Khmer
if yellow shirt get in to our land shoot them and burn them the way they do it to our poor boy. that is end of quession
Again, only our enemy (PAD) can potentially spark a war for us for a change for Cambodia. Yes, I'm hoping that war would wage against the current regime to flush its blood to once again cleanse Cambodia from these dirty leaders.
If we cannot do it ourselves, again, we'll let our very enemy do it for us.
2:55 PM,
I am in favor of your idea. That's the only way to get rid of Hun Sen and Viets' domination.
2:55 PM
I called and I'm all in! Wonderful!
First thing I'll text all my friends, those officials gone to war not gone fishing my friends. We're going to loot all the house in Phnom Penh who afiliated with CPP members. We need a CHANGE.
3:21 AM,
Have you imagined that Viets are too dangerous than Thai. With 5 Millions Viets, resettled in Cambodia Vs. 2000 Thai conducted business inside Cambodia right now which of which is easy to defend against? Fighting at the border with Thai is much easier than fighting the Viets who are deep inside Cambodia. Don't you think so?
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