Today online
The Cambodia Defence Ministry condemned "these repeated deliberate acts of aggression" and called on Thailand to cease "hostilities". It accused Thailand of firing cluster munitions - anti-personnel weapons banned by many countries - and 75 and 105 mm shells "loaded with poisonous gas".
PHNOM PENH - As a second day of fighting between Thai and Cambodian troops yesterday killed at least four soldiers, the border crisis is likely to cast a shadow on the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit next month.
Indonesia, the current chair of ASEAN, has urged restraint, even as the 18th ASEAN meeting, scheduled to be held in the Jakarta from May 7 to 8, may turn the spotlight on the capital's role.
As part of a ceasefire deal, Thailand and Cambodia agreed on Feb 22 to allow unarmed military observers from Indonesia to be posted along their border.
But that arrangement - brokered at an ASEAN meeting at the urging of the United Nations - has yet to be put in place. Thailand said international observers were not required, insisting the neighbours should resolve the issue bilaterally.
"We are calling for Cambodian leaders to return to the negotiable table," said Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya. On Friday, he said the international community had no place in the matter, responding to a letter from Cambodia addressed to ASEAN stating Thailand had staged "a large-scale attack".
The two-day death toll mounted to 11 yesterday, the worst bloodshed since the UN called for a ceasefire in February.
Thousands of villagers have been evacuated from the disputed border area in thick jungles around the Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples, about 150 km west of the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple which saw a deadly four-day standoff in February.
Thai army Lieutenant-General Thawatchai Samutsakorn said one Thai soldier had been killed. A local hospital said 13 were wounded.
Mr Suos Sothea, deputy commander of Cambodia's artillery unit in the area, said 11 Cambodian soldiers had been wounded, bringing the two-day toll of wounded on both sides to at least 43.
The Cambodia Defence Ministry condemned "these repeated deliberate acts of aggression" and called on Thailand to cease "hostilities". It accused Thailand of firing cluster munitions - anti-personnel weapons banned by many countries - and 75 and 105 mm shells "loaded with poisonous gas".
Mr Piromya denied those charges as "groundless". Both countries have been locked in a standoff since July 2008, when Preah Vihear was granted UNESCO World Heritage status, which Thailand opposed on the grounds that the land around the temple had never been demarcated.
An international court awarded the temple to Cambodia 49 years ago but both countries lay claim to a 4.6-sq km patch of land around it.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told The Bangkok Post on Friday that "Indonesia as chair of ASEAN strongly calls for the cessation of hostilities".
"I call for both sides to resolve their differences through peaceful means. The use of force has no place in relations among ASEAN member countries," said the ASEAN chairman.
However, he admitted earlier this month that the conflict could have a short-term, negative impact on creating a ASEAN community, China's Xinhua news agency reported. Nonetheless he expressed optimism about resolving the conflict.
"I think, in the short term, my answer would be it is troubling, it is creating special challenges for ASEAN but, in the longer term, if we could get it right, it will have a huge positive impact," he said. He added that it was the first time ASEAN member countries had tried to settle this kind of conflict directly.
6 comments:
Happy Easter Everyone! God bless all poor Cambodians.
Cambodia..should ask N. kOREA for some nuke and drop it right on the Thais parliament building.
Oddar Meanchey, Province, Cambodia
Thais bandits defense yellow chief used ban weapons against our troop, without doubt, we will retaliate with the same kind of weapons soon.
Chea Dara
Deputy Commander in Chief of RCAF
a lot of Thai editor in KI we are always fall into the trap of our enemy, why some Khmer claim them self compatriot but they always collaborate with Thai thieve. we clearly see Editor for KI is Thai nationalist, Ki team should put to death their mission is to divide and destroy Khmer.
Var Kim Hong does recognize that Cambodia, if compared to the colonial Service Geographique de l’Indochine scale map 1/100,000 and the 1985 delimitation treaty, will loses 9,000 hectares; and compared to U.S Army Mapping Service scale map 1/50,000 with the 1985 Treaty, would lose about 7,900 hectares to Vietnam. This statement was confirmed by Var Kim Hong to Mr. Touch Bora Esq through a telephone conversation on 30 August 2002 at 4:30 p.m. (Sydney time), which Mr. Touch Bora Esq wrote in his letter dated on 9 September 2002 sent to Sam Dach Ta Noroudom Sihanouk concerning over border affairs.
In fact, the loss is absolutely more than the 1000 square kilometers stated by MP Sam Rainsy in his statement, if we add the size of the historical water of 30000 square kilometers awarded to Vietnam under the 1982 Agreement which has been into affect and now already become under the full control of Vietnam. And this would not be the last if the equidistance principle be used to delimit the maritime boundary, Cambodia will lose an additional area of sea and seabed measuring at least 860 square nautical miles from the Brevie Line to the north, analyzed by Mr. Touch Bora Esq or another 10000 square kilometers confirmed by Mr. Sean Pengse, the President of the Cambodian Border Committee Worldwide, which exclusively include another Koh Poula Wai to Vietnam added to the previous lost islands- Koh Tral (Dao Phu Quoc) and Koh Poulo Panjang (Dao Thu Chu).
This is why sVar Kim Hong said in front of Students´s Movement for Democracy (SMD), and Sam Dach Ta Norodom Sihanouk on 22 Janaury 2000 during our audience with him concerning the border resolution with Vietnam that; “If we want peace, we must sacrifice our flesh to the tiger.” The truth is discovered now that, “Sacrifice the flesh to tiger actually means cutting our land to the Viet.” This word was clearly spoken out from his mouth and there were Sam Dach Ta as witness and 31 members.
We must condemn this Var Kim Hong for his role in helping the traitorous regime of Hun Sen.
Smart Khmer Girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten
By Ms. Rattana Keo
Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 10,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?
Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 10,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?
Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 10,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?
The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer everyday.
Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 10,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?
Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?
Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
Post a Comment