Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Preah Vihear temple: Thailand wants the cake and eats it, too!

Border to reopen near temple

2nd Army chief rejects idea of any troop cuts

1/12/2010
Wassana Nanuam
Bangkok Post

Thailand and Cambodia are looking set to reopen their border crossings near the disputed Preah Vihear temple this week after a lengthy closure, an army source says.

The governor of Si Sa Ket and the Cambodian governor of Preah Vihear province have discussed the matter and are expected to reopen the crossings near the ancient Hindu temple and a nearby disputed, 4.6 square kilometre area on Friday, the source said yesterday.

This would be the first time both the Thai and Cambodian crossings have been open simultaneously since July 2008, when the Preah Vihear temple was granted Unesco world heritage status under Cambodian stewardship.

Second Army Region commander Thawatchai Samutsakhon yesterday insisted no troop withdrawals from the disputed area had or would take place.


The outcome of the last meeting of the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) in Pattaya in October was only that both sides would adjust the positioning of their troops in the disputed area to lessen tensions, Lt Gen Thawatchai said.

"Cambodia wants us to reduce troops but we cannot just do so alone [without reciprocal action from Cambodia]. Besides, we're not confident in the situation," he said.

The number of Thai troops in the area, which he refused to disclose, would not be changed but they would be moved to another location nearby.

"We're not going to retreat, especially from Wat Kaew Sikha Khiri Sawara [the temple at the foot of the mountain where the disputed Preah Vihear temple is located] where Thai and Cambodian troops are positioned together."

"Cambodia should also clear [their troops and weapons] from the Preah Vihear temple."

The 2nd Army commander said he had been told by the Cambodian military during recent talks that Cambodia planned to soon reopen the road leading up to the Preah Vihear temple to tourists.

Thailand reopened the steep Mo E-daeng cliff near the Preah Vihear temple, which is the route leading to the temple on the Thai side of the border, a few weeks ago.

Both sides were trying to ease border tensions in order to boost tourism, Lt Gen Thawatchai said.

Another army source said Thailand and Cambodia maintained about 3,000 troops each in the disputed area.

In a related development, a new visa agreement between Thailand and Cambodia will take effect on Dec 16.

Thai and Cambodian citizens will be able to travel between the two countries without a visa and stay up to 14 days from the date of entry.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do Cambodian government ever learnt about letting the Thai government got a hand in our business???? When will we learn???? The Thai is not here to working for mutual benefits. Their intention is there and will be more explisitive as time go. Please let them out of our business!!

Anonymous said...

The way the Thai Military did is very clear.
They wanted to destroy the Khmer society in Surin, Si Saket, Borei Rom and other parts.
The stupid Thai military only punish the innocent Khmers people, who have to live under their occupation.

Anonymous said...

Put Tom Neay: Hoon Xen will be killed in 2012 by the people. All Cambodia will rise up to make this Put Tom Neay happen.

Hun Sen Thok

Anonymous said...

បន្តិចទៀតក្រុមបក្សពួកប្រឆាំងនៅប្រទេសកម្ពុជា
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ប្រជាជន។ដោយអ្នកខ្លះធ្វើខ្លួនឯងហើយបានជួលអ្នក
ទាំងឲ្យធ្វើហើយបែទៅជាចោតទៅលើរាជរដ្ធាភិបាល
នៃគណបក្សប្រជាជនទៅវិញ។កុំភ្លេចថាជុងមិនដែល
ភ្លេចកុកទេមានតែកុកទេដែលបានភ្លេចជុង។
មានបក្សប្រឆាំងច្រើនណាស់ដែលបានធ្វើអំពើពុក
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ជាមិនបានឃើញខ្លួនឯងអាក្រក់នោះទេដោយ
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គិតទៅបក្សប្រឆាំងមិនដែលគិតអំពីខ្លួនឯងទាល់
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ធ្វើជាកន្លែងបញ្ជុះបញ្ជូលប្រជាជនខ្មែរនៅទីនោះ
មានគ្នាប្រហែលជាដប់នាក់ហើយប្រាប់គេថា
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ហើយអាបក្សមួយទៀតដែលតាំងខ្លួនឯងថាជាបក្ស
ខ្មែរខមបក្សប្រឆាំងនេះចង់ប្រយុទ្ធប្រឆាំងជាមួយ
គណបក្សប្រជាជនកម្ពុជាដោយមាននាក់ដឹកនាំ
ជនជាតិអាមេរិកាំងពីរទៅបីនាក់ចូលរួមផងដែរ។
អ្នកប្រឆាំងទាំងនោះមិនបានគិតថានៅសហរដ្ធអាមេរិកមិនអនុញាត្តិឲ្យនរណាម្នាក់ធ្វើបក្សប្រឆាំងទៅ
លើប្រទេសដរទៃនោះទេដោយគេគិតថានេះជាអំ
ពើរភាវរកម្មហើយ។ចំពោះអ្នកដែលខំចូលរួមទាំងនោះគ្មានចេះអ្វីទាំងអស់និយាយភាសារបរទេស
ក៏ពុំចេះផងដោយជឿនៅឃោសនារបស់បក្សនោះ
ថាពួកគេនឹងឲ្យធ្វើជាចៅហ្វាយខេត្តនេះចៅហ្វាយខេត្តនោះនៅប្រទេសកម្ពុជា។គិតទៅមានពលរដ្ធ
ខ្មែរដែលជាមនុស្សអគតិម្លេះនៅសម័យនេះហើយ
!!!

Anonymous said...

i know, we all can see that! siem wants a piece of the cake from cambodia ancient heritage, relics, etc... will cambodia let them have some? i doubt given siem thugs intention on steal from us!

Anonymous said...

cambodia and khmer people reclaim all our old khmer provinces back from thailand, vietnam and laos. they all stole khmer provinces from cambodia during the dark ages. we have overwhelming evidence of that historical facts. yes, reclaim our old khmer provinces back from them in the near future! i want koh tral back because french illegally hand it to viet/youn; it's stealing from cambodia, etc!

Anonymous said...

wat phu temple in champassak province was a khmer province and temple, laos stole from khmer, too. all of present-day thailand was stole from khmer people during the dark ages, and the mekong delta areas in what they called today as vietnam was also stole from cambodia by viet/youn during the dark ages. so, one day cambodia want to reclaim them back, so know our history well!