By Suon Sophalmony
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Soch
Thailand has deployed thousands of its troops and it also sent in mobile tank unit to patrol the border with Cambodia in Sakaew province, next to western Cambodia, in order to prevent Thai Yellow Shirt demonstrators from crossing the border from Thailand into Cambodia.
Ouk Keo Ratanak, the spokesman for the Cambodian Banteay Meanchey provincial office, said on Thursday 30 Dec 2010 morning that the measure taken by the Thai border troops is to curb Thai Yellow Shirt demonstrators who are protesting following the arrest of 7 Yellow Shirt activists by Cambodia.
Ouk Keo Ratanak added: “Because we arrested the 7 Siamese, Thailand moved its troops. The troop movement includes moving tanks to the border because they are concerned the Yellow Shirts will come over and it will affect the friendship [between Thailand and Cambodia]. So they moved their troops to provide protection because they are concerned about the Yellow Shirts’ opposition.”
On 29 Dec 2010, Cambodian border troops unit 503 arrested 7 Thai citizens and accused them of illegal border crossing from Sakaew province, Thailand, to Cambodia’s Beanteay Meanchey province. The 7 Thai citizens were sent to court in Phnom Penh for legal measures.
Cambodian border troops indicated that on 30 December, Thailand announced that it was closing all border crossings along Sakaew province in Thailand, and it also prohibited all border crossings.
Chhouk Ang, the commander of the border unit no. 911, said that the border crossings that Thailand announced the closure include Sala Khmer, Tumnub Dach, O’Bey Choan, Nong Chan, Rithisen and Thnal Bombek. The crossings are located in O’Chrov district all the way to Dambon 5 in Svay Chek district, Banteay Meanchey province.
Chhouk Ang, added: “They closed the border crossing at Sala Khmer all the way to Dambon 5. Furthermore, we also arrested the Yellow Shirt protest leaders, and they said that their leaders came over, but that’s their excuse. They close for a while to keep calm along the border, their leaders come to see, that is in the Thai side.”
Chhouk Ang added that, at the same time, Cambodia’s border troops units 911 and 503 are cooperating with each other to deploy troops to defend each zone along the Cambodian border in Banteay Meanchey province.
Regarding the border closure along the crossings in Sakaew province, Cambodian officials in Banteay Meanchey province, as well as Cambodian border troop officials indicated that they do not know yet when Thailand will re-open these border crossings.
On 16 December 2010, Cambodia and Thailand agreed to lift visa requirements for border crossing between the two countries after the leaders of the two countries signed their agreements.
Cambodia and Thailand first tied its diplomatic relations in 19 December 1950, i.e. 60 years ago. However, border disputes between the two countries have been going on since then.
5 comments:
anybody remember hunsen said in public speach if thai yellow shit try to trespass cambodia's land hunsen will respond not with the bats or handcufs but guns wich he meant shoot to kill. will hunsen one again keep his promise for siam invasion? or he's just chicken without head, arrogan ?
Thanks the border troops unit 503, we are proud of you. Of course the situation will damage the friendship of the two countries. But we Khmer also have the right to protest ourselves from all foreigner provocations.
Cool down brothers !
Cambodia cannot afford to have war.
$2 billions for national budget..
Frog should not be as big as ox..
That's not a good idea, Hun Sen gives excuse to Thais to invade Cambodia..
Thai government does not just send thousands of troops to prevent the yellow-shirted bastards from entering Cambodia.
Do we smell war? Is war immenent?
pad thugs, stop barking, ok!
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