New clash erupts at Cambodian-Thai border

Monday 07th February
Kyodo

PHNOM PENH — Barely a day after top regional commanders from the Thai and Cambodian armies agreed to lower tensions that burst into deadly clashes last Friday and Saturday, renewed fighting erupted again Sunday evening.

In response to the worsening situation at the Cambodian-Thai border, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen called on the U.N. Security Council to convene an urgent meeting to stop ‘‘Thailand’s aggression.’‘

In a letter sent to Brazilian envoy Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, the rotating Security Council president, Hun Sen said that despite negotiations for a cease-fire by both sides, ‘‘Thai armed forces launched a full scale armed aggression against Cambodia.’‘

Claiming that Thai forces fired heavy weapons into the UNESCO world heritage Preah Vihear Temple, Hun Sen said, ‘‘All these areas are well inside Cambodian territory. Thai artillery shells have landed as far as approximately 20 km inside Cambodian territory.’‘

A Cambodian military commander based near the temple said, ‘‘A wing of our Preah Vihear Temple has collapsed as a direct result of the Thai artillery bombardment.’‘

Phay Siphan, spokesman for Cambodia’s Council of Ministers, told Kyodo News the sides began trading gunfire about 6:40 p.m. Sunday, little more than six hours after the commanders who had met Saturday had again met to discuss how to prevent further bloodshed the at border.

He said the latest fighting broke out about 2 kilometers from the disputed area around the Preah Vihear Temple.

Hostilities continued for more than two hours at Mt Phnom Troap and two nearby spots, with both sides using mortars and artillery.

Gen. Chea Dara, deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, told Kyodo News by telephone the attack at Mt. Phnom Troap began in an area where Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to stop troop movements.

Earlier, the regional commanders met for about 90 minutes from 10:20 a.m. near Preah Vihear, site of the heaviest border fighting between the two countries in more than two years.

At the meeting, the militaries agreed to allow villagers who were evacuated from the battle zones near the temple to return to their home and resume their lives as usual, according to a statement obtained by Kyodo News.

They also decided to stop additional troop deployments to border areas and for troops already in the areas to return to their positions before the fighting erupted Friday afternoon.

Further, five soldiers from each side will be again stationed near Sambok Khmum Point at the bottom of the temple to act as a buffer to try to prevent further outbreaks of violence.

The commanders also decided to hold regular meetings among themselves to avoid more clashes.

In the earlier skirmishes, which involved artillery and mortar salvos from each side, two Cambodian soldiers and a civilian died on the Cambodian side.

Phay Siphan told Kyodo News earlier Sunday Cambodia also had 20 soldiers and civilians wounded.

He added that more than 2,000 villagers had been evacuated from the disputed areas.

In Bangkok late Saturday, Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd, spokesman for the Royal Thai Army, said a Thai soldier was killed in fighting Saturday and a villager died Friday. He added a dozen Thai troops were wounded.

More than 3,000 villagers living near the disputed border were evacuated to safer areas, Sansern said.

The fighting is latest since a border dispute flared after UNESCO declared Preah Vihear a world heritage site.

International courts have ruled the temple is in Cambodia, but many in Thailand continue to dispute the claim.

After the UNESCO declaration in mid-2008, several small clashes broke out between Oct. 15, 2008 and April 3, 2009.

The situation had been tense, but quiet, since early 2009 until the skirmishes Friday and Saturday.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa is to visit Phnom Penh on Monday and Bangkok on Tuesday in a bid to mediate the dispute.

Indonesia is current chair and Thailand and Cambodia are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which wants to play a role in ameliorating the situation between two of the 10-member ASEAN’s key members.

As well, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong have been discussing the situation by telephone.

Kasit was in Cambodia for talks with Hor Namhong when the first battles erupted last Friday, but he flew home that night.