Bangkok February 04, 2011
Thai and Cambodian soldiers have exchanged gunfire along their shared border and there are reports of fewer than 10 casualties among the two armies.
Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged fire Friday afternoon with both sides blaming the other for starting the fighting.
Gunfire and artillery shelling could be heard and civilians were evacuated from the area.
Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn says occasional skirmishes were due to the unsecured nature of the border. He says it demonstrates a need to step up efforts under a memorandum of understanding aimed at resolving the territorial conflict peacefully.
"This is why we urge Cambodia to work with us more rapidly under the MOU to negotiate the clear demarcations so we can secure the borders much more effectively," he said.
Panitan says the clash is being investigated and that both sides need to work harder to ensure such incidents do not affect overall relations.
VOA’s Khmer service, however, reported the fighting was extensive, with artillery fire and tank clashes.
The shooting broke out as Thai officials were in Cambodia for talks aimed at resolving the border dispute.
They also met with two Thai nationalists sentenced by a Cambodian court to several years in prison this week for espionage and trespassing after entering disputed territory.
Hundreds of Thai nationalists with the People’s Alliance for Democracy, known as the Yellow Shirts, have been protesting near government offices for two weeks demanding they get tough with Cambodia.
Panthep Pourpongphan is a spokesman for the PAD, which is calling for the memorandum of understanding to be scrapped. He says the latest skirmish shows the MOU is not working.
"This fighting, is kind of evidence, is quite clear evidence that this kind of MOU has so many problems that we need to stop it and [start] new negotiations with a new MOU," Pourpongphan stated.
The fighting took place near the ancient Preah Vihear temple along the border. Thailand and Cambodia both claim territory near the temple.
The two sides have clashed over the border in the past with several deaths on both sides since 2008.
7 comments:
"This is why we(Siem) urge Cambodia to work with us more rapidly under the MOU to negotiate the clear demarcations so we can..."
=Fuck these Siem bastards for being so arrogant, thuggish and warmonger! IF the fucken Siem bastards don't even respect the World Court decision on the Khmer Preah Vihear temple and continue to promote unnecessary conflict then how can civilized Cambodian leaders work these Siem bastards!
If the fucken Siem bastards don't respect the World Court decision which state clearly that the land is under Cambodian sovereignty and there is no point working with these thuggish and warmonger Siem!
Cambodian will eat meat and drink blood to protect their motherland!
Was Gen Jamlang Simuang one of the young officers ordered to change Thailand's map unilaterally that now causes this conflict?
Yes Thai generals brought in tanks to the Preah Vihear area and determined to not just remove the flag from Wat, but they have received ordered from Abisit himself to completely destroy the Wat itself, and to take Preah Vihear.
It was not an accident that Thai artillery shells fell on the Wat, it has been planned.
In the next clashes, which might happen soon, we will see the F16's and Apache's.
of course, the border lines must be well demarcated; it was the siem gov't that hold up on the process by waiting for their parliament to approve or whatever! so, stop blaming cambodia, you hypocrites!
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.
Hey 9:53AM
It's your stupid boss HS who suppose to bark and show his muscle to Thailand not the opposition group.
Has he forgot the tactic of closing the door and hitting the dogs?
You are so pathetic 9:53AM, that's why you are always a slave.
Thais destroyed Preah Vihear Temple. Form now on all Thais citizen will not allow to visit the temple forever.
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