DPA
Phnom Penh/Bangkok - Cambodian and Thai forces engaged in several hours of shelling and gunfire Friday on disputed ground near an 11th-century Hindu temple on Cambodia's northern border.
Phay Siphan, a Cambodian government spokesman, said military commanders on both sides would meet late Friday to ensure there was no further violence.
He said he had no information on casualty figures on the Cambodian side.
Earlier, the Bangkok Post newspaper reported 'two or three' Thai soldiers had been wounded, citing a military source.
Each side blamed the other for sparking the violence, which followed hard on the heels of pledges by both nations' foreign ministers earlier in the day to work to avoid conflict.
Phay Siphan claimed fighting had started after Thai troops crossed into Cambodian territory and said more than 100 Thai artillery shells later landed in a civilian area.
'A report from the battlefield said they used 105 mm artillery and shelled into Svay Chum commune, a civilian target with no military presence,' he said, adding that all civilians had since left the area.
He said Cambodian forces had captured four Thai soldiers during clashes and that the four were being well treated.
Earlier, a Thai military spokesman said 'a misunderstanding' was likely behind the fighting. Colonel Sansern Keowkhamnerd said Thailand had fired artillery shells in response to Cambodian shelling of Thai territory.
'We still don't want to disclose what caused the attack, but I believe it was a misunderstanding,' he said.
Thai radio reports said about 20 Cambodian shells had landed on Thailand's side of the border in Kantalarak district in Si Sa Ket province, 350 kilometres east of Bangkok.
The Thai army was reportedly bulldozing a road in the border area, which has been the subject of numerous spats over the past two and a half years.
Phay Siphan said fighting started at 3 pm (0800 GMT) and continued for more than two hours near disputed land near Preah Vihear temple that has sparked deadly clashes between Thailand and Cambodia before.
He said the nearby Keo Sikha Kirisvara temple, which Thailand claims stands on disputed territory, had been shelled Friday although the extent of the damage was unclear.
Bangkok recently insisted that Phnom Penh remove a Cambodian flag flying over the temple, a demand Foreign Minister Hor Namhong rejected earlier Friday after a meeting with his Thai counterpart.
The clashes came hours after Hor Namhong and Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya wrapped up a meeting stating that a recent build-up of troops at the border should not lead to violence.
Thai and Cambodian forces have faced off along the mountain range around the Preah Vihear temple since July 2008 when UNESCO declared the edifice a World Heritage Site despite Thai objections.
Although the World Court on 1962 ruled that the temple belonged to Cambodia, Thailand claims a 4.6-square-kilometre plot of land adjacent to the temple and has blocked Cambodian's efforts to turn the site into a tourism attraction until the border dispute is settled.
13 comments:
Ah fucking Thai took off Thai politic TV. Moun Tdai...Moun Tdai...Moun Tdai..Ah Thailand.
Will Hor Namhong bring this fresh Preah Vihear biggest armed clash between Khmer and Thai nearly 3 years to UN security council to solve this chronic conflict by peacefull mean, No.
Why?
Because, Hor Namhong or Hun Sen the so-called government will never do that even they know that Khmer will win this Preah Vihear case.
Because yuon behind Hun Sen has been afraid of showing the world that Khmer land has lost a lot to yuon than to Thai.
So Cambodia has an area of 181,035 square kilometers (69,898 sq mi)only on paper in reality a lot lost to yuon and Thai.
So Hor Namhong said yesterday ( Friday 05 January 2011 ) that he will rise this Friday 05 January armed conflict to UN or international court of justice.
In other word yuon and Indochina Federation has been all behind all of these the past , the present and the future of Khmer isssue.
All Khmer wake up and act now and quickly before it is too late like Champa, Lao and last but not lease is Kampuchea-Krom.
It's time for Action.
it's good since over 2 years talked never work out. Thai always aggressive on Cambodia.
It's for ACTION.
Red-Ant.
As I mentioned several days ago “Thai government said one thing, Thai’s troops did different things.” To meet the PAD 3 demands, the fighting started. First intention is to proof that MOU doesn’t work and should be ripped off. Second, they want to push Cambodian out of the so-called disputed area by Thailand, even Buddhist pagoda is no exception.
Thai will not back down until they accomplish their goal. Thai will use what so ever tactics to sabotage Cambodia and prolong the demarcation. Thai is willing to wait until they get an edge over Cambodia.
Hopefully, Khmers can unite, learn from past experiences, know how to use our strength, and solve this problem once forever.
KI MEDIA
I knew Hun sen Govt not Good.But Right now can you Turn your ARROW to Fighting with Thai by Pen Please.
KHMER DAI
12:36am! GO LICK AH KWACK BEHIND, FOOL!
12:36Am! WHY DO YOU WANT TO JOINT THE MONIES! BECAUSE THAT STUPID IGNORANCE CPP MONKIES THAT WE CAMBODIAN STEP IN THIS STUPID SITUATION!
12:56am
-I dont know what kind of your Brain.Please watch kong fu chinese movies a lot than use this keys Boards. you Knew situation well...you can become a Heroes.we have enemies in front you guys now.you will Die all soon.
KOUM NOUM NORM OYY BA RA CHEY.
KHMER DAI
cambodia is fighting siem and some stupid individuals on this blog talk about their hate for hun sen, youn, etc. so immature, to say the least! and they want to call themselves future khmer leaders? give me a break, these individuals here are not fit to be khmer leaders, really! the real khmer leaders reside in cambodia, among the khmer people, not some kind of former refugees hiding and sitting at home behind a computer desk and act stupid, like attacking hun sen by using youn slogan, etc... so outdated, if you aske me, really! get education already! show cambodia your resume if you want o work in cambodia, cambodia don't need some welfare receipient or ssi receipient with no real education from american colleges and university come and ruin cambodia and bossing our people around, ok! we only want people with good college credential, community work experience, real life experience, etc... not some good for nothing fake, hypocrites, you know! god bless cambodia.
Rainsy where are your MP or stupid rong chun, and why you are so quiet Rainsy, some kmher soldier deaths now, the whole nation they worry, every one in cambodia they ready to risk their life with siam thugs, why you don't say something or go to EU parlementery, or Franch, or USA or UN to stope Thai invader, Mr Extremist Khmer compatriot, where are you rainsy, say somethings you love khmer right? didn't you?. you are Siamese spy rainsy, in militatry stratergy enemy spy like you shall put to death Rainsy.
To the people who support foreigner such as Thais or Viet to invade our motherland are traitors. These people have no place in Cambodia or elsewhere, what they said it just pro invader Thais or Viet and accuse Khmer for everything so Khmer became the scapegoat of these traitors.
Why donot take our land back and push Thai back inside their territory?, alots of clashes was held in Cambodia as we can see map on every reports and must destroy Thais base before make any negotiation.
Thais destroyed Preah Vihear Temple. Form now on all Thais citizen will not allow to visit the temple forever.
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