Bangkok Post
Soldiers at the border have learned there are times when their gentlemanly ways will not win the day.
Playing hardball may be necessary when either party in a dispute resorts to all ways imaginable to get what it wants.
The clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops last month in Si Sa Ket highlighted the critically precarious state of the border situation between the two countries.
The tension was brought to the boil after Cambodia built two roads through the disputed area with Thailand near the ancient Preah Vihear temple early this year.
One road leads to the Hindu temple and the other to the old patrol base where Thai soldiers used to be stationed close to the Keo Sikha Kiri Savara pagoda built by Cambodia.
The building of the roads was a blatant breach of the memorandum of under standing (MoU) banning any physical construction in the disputed area.
Honouring the agreement, Thai troops withdrew from the outpost near the pagoda. However, Cambodian soldiers did not follow suit and retained a military presence there.
After a briefing about the security development, army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha gave the Suranaree Task Force the go-ahead to pave a road in the disputed land too.
The road was intended to be a supply route for troops in case the border confrontation degenerated into skirmishes, which it later did.
The soldiers responsible for the road construction that began on Jan 27 were a 40-strong team comprising engineers, infantry troops and those from a security protection unit.
The Cambodian army kept watch on the road being paved while hurrying the construction of its own roads.
The 2-kilometre road went from Pha Mor I Dang cliff to a spot near the Preah Vihear temple. As construction was in progress, Cambodian troops launched heavy shelling targeting the tractors used to build the road on Feb 4. The firing of weapons including rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47 rifles continued for three hours. The military offensive then carried on sporadically over the course of the next three days.
Over to the top-level security meeting, Gen Prayuth admitted it was his fault that he had ordered the road construction. He said he did not anticipate that Cambodian troops would open fire without prior warning or protest, according to an army source.
Security officials have pointed out that Cambodia has consistently ignored the MoU by building roads and refusing to stop the work despite formal protests from Thailand. When Thailand paved its road, Cambodia began its assault.
After the clashes, the Cambodian troops moved in and occupied the 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area. When Thai soldiers tried to enter the area, the Cambodian troops fired upon them.
Gen Prayuth said the government has ordered Thai troops to maintain their positions, guard the border and not attack Cambodia. But some observers feel the Thai soldiers should not sit back and let Cambodia establish a military presence in the disputed area. They should also gain access to the area to assert Thailand's territorial claims.
4 comments:
Thai! don't you ever claim that the land belong to you, because it is not.
O Bangkok Post, the ever loud mouth of the Thai military.
I wondering is the Thai media really stupid and don't know the 4.6km is inside cambodia?? and they decide to bring the thai people to be stupid with them too includ the phd? wow......a nation with eyes but mentally blinds.
Thais have done this to Khmer because
of many Khmer generations leaders did
not adjust their evil manners;they always depended on Thai or Vietnam to
get on their power from relatives or
from groups or parties.
Recently,Sihanouk wanted his power back from his opponent Lon Nol,he called Vietcong for help;he got the
power back.
Khmer Vietminh and Hun Sen escaped
to Vietnam;then they got helped from Vietnam in 1979.They won and
became Vietnam slaves since then.
Will any Khmer people need or depend on Thai?If they will,they are stupid too.
The NEXT NEW GENERATION ME MUST STOP DEPENDING ON AH THAI OR AH YUON FOR HELP.
KHMER PEOPLE MUST STAND UP WITH TWO FEET AGAINST THAI,LAO,AND YUON.
THREE OF THEM WANT TO BE GOOD FRIENDS YES;BUT NOT LIKE VIETNAM,
FRIEND ENCROACHING KHMER LAND,
WANTING KHMER AS A VIET PROVINCE.
There is not just Viet,even Thai or Lao too must love,care,and respect Khmer as their friends.
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