Monday, March 21, 2011

Cambodia calls for 15 border checkpoints

Thais suspect ulterior motive in disputed area

21/03/2011
Wassana Nanuam
Bangkok Post

The Cambodian military has proposed 15 joint border checkpoints be set up in the 4.6-square-kilometre area near Preah Vihear temple also claimed by Thailand, a military source said.

The idea has been floated to the Thai military through Indonesia, as the incumbent revolving chair of Asean, and the Thai Foreign Ministry, but details have yet to be discussed, the source said.

The proposed joint border checkpoints, which would be overseen by observers from Indonesia, did not include one at Keo Sikha Kiri Savara pagoda, a temple in the disputed area claimed by Cambodia, the source said.

Most of the proposed checkpoints would be located in areas supervised by Thai troops, including Phu Makhua mountain, the source said.

The source said the proposal would put Cambodia at an advantage and there could be an ulterior motive for the suggestion.

There are more Thai troops stationed in the 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area than Cambodian soldiers.


Cambodian soldiers will push for the setting up of the checkpoints during a visit to the border area by Indonesia, the source said.

The details, however, will be thrashed out at a meeting of the Thai-Cambodia General Border Committee in Indonesia on April 7-8.

The meeting will be co-chaired by Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and his Cambodian counterpart, Tea Banh.

The proposal came after the Suranaree task force halted construction of a two-kilometre-long road stretching from Pha Mor I Dang cliff to the ancient Sa Trao reservoir and stairway of the Preah Vihear temple.

Thai soldiers had completed 70% of the road when border clashes on Feb 4 brought construction to a halt.

They resumed building the road on March 4, prompting Cambodian soldiers to send a letter protesting against the construction.

Cambodian soldiers last week threatened to open fire if Thai soldiers continued, so the roadworks were suspended, the source said.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

nextime do not order all the soldiers to wthdraw,while they were being forward in the front line.Let the siames`s soldiers take an experiance with the former KHMER gerillars war.How taste is it?,the thieve siames`s soldiers are being scare now,that`s why they deploy more troopes!!!!!??????....in the area of 4.6sqkms.AH!CHICKEN sour soup!.

Anonymous said...

The article says the Thai army have learnt this from Indonesia.

Why should we not trust the indon foreign minister? Because this person, I was told that is married to a Thai bitch.

If true after meeting he probably tells his wife during sex time of everything about cambodia's internal affairs.

Anonymous said...

Thailand do not care for Peace resolution with Cambodia. What they do care more is to have more than Cambodia. Thais just want to see Cambodia suffer that is all

Anonymous said...

To all Khmer patriots,

Please beware! The Khmer Post Newspaper and Radio owner/director Meach Sovannara is a Hun Sen spy. He receives his funding from the CPP Party.

Just think, Sovannara is the only newspaper writer who can critize Hun Sen and at the same time can enter Cambodia freely! Something is not right there. If he's not with the CPP Party, Sovannara would be locked in jail or dead a long time ago! He's no Sam Rainsy!