DPA
Phnom Penh - The Cambodian military has rejected recent Thai media reports that its soldiers have laid landmines in the disputed border region around Preah Vihear temple, local media reported Thursday. A brigade commander stationed at the 11th-century Hindu temple said there was no reason to lay landmines, and said the comments amounted to standard provocation by Thailand.
"Cambodian soldiers are not laying landmines along the border," brigade commander Yim Phim told the Phnom Penh Post newspaper. "All the mines on the border were put there in the 80s and 90s."
His comments came after a recent article in Thailand's The Nation newspaper which alleged Cambodian troops were mining the contested area. If the allegation were true, it would be a breach of Cambodia's obligations under the Ottawa Convention, which among other things bans the use of landmines.
The article drew a furious response from the Cambodian ambassador to Thailand, who described the article as "extremely provocative" and "rabble-rousing" in a letter to the newspaper on Tuesday.
Preah Vihear temple and the area surrounding it have long been a source of friction between the two countries. The temple sits on Cambodia's northern border with Thailand, and was awarded to Cambodia in 1962 by the World Court,while the area around it remains disputed.
Last year the UN's cultural body UNESCO added Preah Vihear to its World Heritage List, a move that rankled Thai nationalists.
At least seven Cambodian and Thai soldiers have since died in occasional clashes around the temple complex. However, in late August both sides stood down troops and promised to find a peaceful solution to the issue.
"Cambodian soldiers are not laying landmines along the border," brigade commander Yim Phim told the Phnom Penh Post newspaper. "All the mines on the border were put there in the 80s and 90s."
His comments came after a recent article in Thailand's The Nation newspaper which alleged Cambodian troops were mining the contested area. If the allegation were true, it would be a breach of Cambodia's obligations under the Ottawa Convention, which among other things bans the use of landmines.
The article drew a furious response from the Cambodian ambassador to Thailand, who described the article as "extremely provocative" and "rabble-rousing" in a letter to the newspaper on Tuesday.
Preah Vihear temple and the area surrounding it have long been a source of friction between the two countries. The temple sits on Cambodia's northern border with Thailand, and was awarded to Cambodia in 1962 by the World Court,while the area around it remains disputed.
Last year the UN's cultural body UNESCO added Preah Vihear to its World Heritage List, a move that rankled Thai nationalists.
At least seven Cambodian and Thai soldiers have since died in occasional clashes around the temple complex. However, in late August both sides stood down troops and promised to find a peaceful solution to the issue.
17 comments:
Cambodia Town
Long Beach, Ca
Thailand Newpaper the Nation was propaganda institution, reported some bias stories on Cambodia more often with groundless.
New Phally
Sure, we did. Yes, there are a lot of landmines are currently laying around our temple to be sure those invaders pay the ultimate price for their encroachment. This is our obvious plan: to kill the invaders.
To the thai media Read my lip. we just finish laying 10000000's mines along the border. because we want to protect our land from your stupid ass people.
3:12 PM
Hey, fucked head, why don't you just admit that the regime laid landmines, fucker?
There's nothing wrong to lay mines, since all of you are fucking animals.
3:12 PM
You right, will you inform others about the internal security of your country ?
Will Thai inform the world, that Thai and Khmer did not have the same background ?
Khmer is Khmer and
Thai is Siem.
correct: 5:41 PM to 5:28 PM
5:41 PM
Who gives a fuck, since the poorer is getting poorer,and the rich is getting richer, might as well have the Thai invade our country, and the same time destroy the regime's military post, and then the rest of ordinary Khmer citizens can take it from there. Sure, Thai maybe the only hope for Cambodia, if war break out, and the Tuol Krasaing compound will be the target, although there are many underground tunnels, but the Thai Navy and Air Force will get the job done. The Thai knows where are the hot spot.
Again, the military compound must be destroyed first by the Thai.
Oh, fuck the national security! Who gives a fuck.swaystl
The Thai army got no business in the Cambodia Preah vihear temple.
The Thai army must get the hell out of Preah Vihear temple so the CMAC folks can do their job clearing all those mines.
Please visit the Cambodia mine action centre. www.cmac.org.kh
Cambodia has a Land Mine Museum.
Please visit www.cambodialandminemuseum.org
5:55 PM,
I'm with you 100%. If Khmer leaders cannot lead khmers to prosperity we might as well let foreigners handle it. I have lived through four khmer regimes already, Sihanouk, Lon Nol, Pol Pot, Hun Sen and all of them are inept to run the country. As in the case of Khmer verse Thai, why should I die to defend the land from the Thai in order just to give it to the Viets? Why should I, an average citizen, sacrifice my life to defend my land just so Hun Sen and his cronies can use this land to enrich themselves while I remained poorer and poorer?
It is amazing that some thinking are so warped that they can not see beyond their blow holes. Despite of all of the rotten things, there are millions of other Cambodians who are although un-easily but happily living in Cambodia under their own terms not under any obvious foreign rules. Guess, these few are living safe and sound in foreign lands and starting to talk crap and non-sense. Therefore I coin a new term for them, Poug Tea Kone head. A head with dead cells and tissues in it. Nothing more than that.
The Siem newspapers are running out of story to publish and so they resort to recycle old story! And this is not the first time that the Siem bastards accuse Cambodian leaders of laying the landmines along the border!
If the fucken Siem bastards want to bring out some story and they need fact and proof to support their story and they can no longer say something out of their arse and expect the whole world to believe them!
Siem try and Siem will die!
I urged our soldier to continue to laid more C4 mines, until Thais Thief are all death, if they're still staying inside khmer lands, specially at "Wat Keo Kurisvarak" if khmer laid more mines, so what? khmer did not laid mines in Thailand soil...?
correction = i didn't mind at all, if our soldier laid more mine...
Thanks to khmer rouge soldiers for laid those mines from 1980-1990, otherwise Thai-thief probably occupy Viel Intry, and Preah Vihear Temple till these day, those fucken Thai black soldiers that still staying at Wat Keo Kurisvarak must get out now!!!!
I blamed Hun Sen Gov't for careless or allowing those trespasser to enter on purpose, that's why Thailand sending their troops inside khmer Paogoda till these day, i think Hun Sen is playing games by allowing this things to happend, why don't they shoot or protected the area, the"GATE" from happening at the first place? this is odd??
Sure, they can prevented from happening, and why they allow them Thai trespasser enter at the first place, what about our military? where were they at...? it's all GAMES!!
1. Find some amputees who are thanking the soldiers for planting mines - a stupid comment by one writer above. The writer should visit Handicap International and speak to some of the thousands of amputees in his country.
2. Go around Cambodia and see how many people want to leave Cambodia. They all do. They want to live in a country where they can pursue their dreams not simply struggle to survive. People want peace, security and a future. This may be found in foreign countries or under a foreign government if the local government is unable to provide it. The UN sends peacekeepers in times of war. Maybe they should send democracykeepers in times of rampant corruption and infringement on political rights.
3. The writer who lived through four regimes should be listened to. Respect your experienced, intelligent elders. How many more Cambodians will die so that the elites get richer?
4. Thailand is now considered a transition economy. No longer a developing economy but on the way to being a modern, developed society. When and how will Cambodia, hold this title?? Another, generation or two???
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