ABC Radio Australia
The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia is getting worse.
Fourteen people have died in six days of fighting and there's no end in sight to the conflict. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has called for a truce but has no plans to meet with his Thai counterpart until May. Both sides accuse the other of aggression in the long running dispute.
Reporter: Karon Snowdon
Speaker: Panitan Wattanayagorn, Thai government spokesman; Phay Siphan, Cambodian government spokesman
SNOWDON: In the latest violence, one civilian and a total of 13 troops from both sides have been killed with 60 soldiers wounded. Thirty thousand villages have been evacuated, according to reports. Defence ministers were to meet on Wednesday but even that is disputed.
Cambodia says the Thai Defence Minister asked for the meeting, Thailand's government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn says the meeting is desirable but not possible on the day.
WATTANAYAGORN: We accepted the invitation in principle but our Defence Minister is scheduled to go to the People's Republic of China many weeks ago and he can't change his schedule and he's on his way now. We hope that in the near future we can reschedule this meeting with the Defence Minister of Cambodia.
SNOWDON: How urgent is that meeting do you think?
WATTANAYAGORN: The meeting is urgent of course. We would like to meet our Cambodian counterpart as soon as possible.
SNOWDON: The two South East Asian neighbours have been in conflict over the precise position of their border for years. It usually implicates the ancient Prear Vihear temple complex which sits on the border and which the International Court of Justice recognised as within Cambodia in 1962. The latest artillery battles centred around two other temples to the west.
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has called for an immediate truce and says he hopes to meet with his Thai counterpart at an ASEAN summit in Jakarta on May the 7th and 8th.
Government spokesman Phay Siphan says Cambodia has been invaded.
SIPHAN: We don't have any mechanism to talk because this is an invasion by Thai people I mean by Thai soldiers. If Thai soldiers want a ceasefire they shouldn't invade Cambodia. Because we are inside Cambodia, we have a right to self defence and to protect of our territory.
SNOWDON: This has been going on for about six days now. What started this latest outbreak of hostilities?
SIPHAN: Well I mean the frontline is still tense, we are just protecting ourselves.
SNOWDON: Prime Minister Hun Sen is hoping to meet with the Thai Prime Minister at the ASEAN meeting in Jakarta in May, is that confirmed? Has the Thai side agreed to a meeting, then?
SIPHAN: I have no idea. But we wish to have peace and a ceasefire permanently down there. And we believe the issue of boundary should be left to a joint border committee to solve that problem, not use military language to solve that problem.
WATTANAYAGORN: We wouldn't have any trouble if Cambodia stops firing at us first . We only defend ourselves, we didn't initiate the firing in the first place. We have more than 50 civilians injured and we have more than four or five officers killed in the process. This is why it is important for Cambodia to come back to the bilateral process as we suggest.
SNOWDON: A plan to have Indonesian monitors on the border fell through when the Thai military objected. Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn says several high level committees are already in place for talks.
WATTANAYAGORN: We call upon Cambodia to come back to the negotiating table bilaterally using our mechanisms. We also want the Indonesian ASEAN Chair to facilitate this meeting as agreed upon previously. And of course our policy is very clear we do not have any aggression policy toward Cambodia at all. We are only defending ourselves and only protecting our sovereignty and our territory, and of course protecting our civilian lives.
SNOWDON: Thailand says the proposed leaders meeting requested by Hun Sen at the ASEAN summit in May, will take place if conditions allow.
7 comments:
IF THE FULL SCALE WAR ERUPTS THAI WILL USED F14 TOMCAT F15 EAGLE F-16 FALCON F18 HORNET TO DISTROY HUN SEN'S COMMNAD AND CONTROL CENTER AND HUN SEN'S BUNKER IN TUOL KRASANG AND CONTROL HUN SEN' AIR SPACE IN THE MATTER OF HOURS.
USED A-10 TO DISTROY HUN SEN'S SAM MISSILE SITES, T54-T55, ARMORED VEHICLES AND BM-21 POSITIONS.
USED 105mm, 155mm AND 175mm howitzer to fire and fire will
APACHE M1-A1/M1-A2 M60-A1 TO ADVANCE
AND TO DISTROY HUN SEN' REPUBLICAN GUARDS.
FAST ADVANCE 3 COLUNMS DIVISION FROM THE NORTH; 3 COLUNMS DIVISION FROM THE SEA TO PHNOM PENH AND ALL MILITAY KEY IN THE PROVINCES TO PUSH THAT KHMER-VIETMINH (hun sen)TO VIETNAM BORDER; THEN PUSH THEM TO END AT SOUTH CHINA SEA AND TAKE OVER CAMBODIA AND CHANGE OR INSTALL NEW GOVERNMENT.
Thailand will only agree to the truce when their soldiers body count hits 1000 marks like those from Ban Romklao--a war with Laos.
So they haven't learn anything yet.
Wikipedia:
The brief war claimed a total of about 1,000 casualties, the Thais suffering more heavily since for much of the war they were attacking entrenched Laotian positions. Gen. Chavalit Yongchaiyudh was the commander of the Royal Thai Army at the time of the war and was criticized for engaging in it against the wishes of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Vietnam had assisted its communist ally, sending troops from the Second Vietnamese Infantry Division to Baan Nakok air field in Xaignabouli to support the Laotian military operations
Thailand will only agree to the truce when their soldiers body count hits 1000 marks like those from Ban Romklao--a war with Laos.
So they haven't learn anything yet.
Wikipedia:
The brief war claimed a total of about 1,000 casualties, the Thais suffering more heavily since for much of the war they were attacking entrenched Laotian positions. Gen. Chavalit Yongchaiyudh was the commander of the Royal Thai Army at the time of the war and was criticized for engaging in it against the wishes of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Vietnam had assisted its communist ally, sending troops from the Second Vietnamese Infantry Division to Baan Nakok air field in Xaignabouli to support the Laotian military operations
អាយ៉ងក្បត់ជាតិ ហ៊ុន សែន ជាមេឃាតករឈាមត្រជាក់ ហើយក៏ជាមេគ្រោះថ្នាក់ធំជាងគេនៅក្នុងប្រទេសខ្មែរ
បើមិននាំគ្នាកំចាត់វាចោលទេ ប្រទេសខ្មែរគ្មានថ្ងៃបាន
សុខសាន្ត និងអភិវឌ្ឍន៍ប្រទេសជាតិ ឱ្យចម្រើនលូតលាស់
បានឡើយ។
This a senseless of the leaders from both countries. You suppose to people security first before your ego-testical-keep on rise up to no where! Growth up people. Don't make the poor take your crab!
It is clear who the bully is ...
The Thai foreign minister spoke to CNN that Thai does not want to put pressure/burderns on the United Nation. He said Thai favors bilateral peace making. He boasted that Thailand has a democratic government and his society is more civilised. He forgets how many elected Thai governments were ousted by the Thai Monarch and so-called "obedient" Thai Army? Really, his government is a "puppet" democratic Thai government!, (a Thai style - somtarm Thai style, krung tep nah krup!, Laos style more delicious....***smile***)
Clearly, a bilateral solution is not working as evidence from clashes confronted since 2008. The Thai government is not fit politically to enter any workable agreement with Cambodia. Likewise, Cambodia under the leadership of Hun Sen does not has the capacity to make peace with Thai, and Thailand knows this. Because of the way Hun Sen rule Cambodia, his pillars of support/power, bilateral peace making only benefits Thailand. And Thailand wants the same benefits, more or less, as in the Eastern parts of Cambodia.
I agree with the Thai foreign minister, slightly, just slightly, that there are mechanisms already in place to solve border disputes. The mechanism I am referring to is the 1991 Paris Peace Accord. There were 19 countries, including Cambodia and Thailand, the signatories in that treaty. The treaty ensures Cambodian sovereignity and territorial integrity. Cambodian government of the day should use it, and summon these countries to a round table, so to ensure its sovereignity and territorial integrity is protected.
Lastly, Cambodia should unilaterally invite and accept international observers on its side of the border, embedding with Cambodian army close to the border, if Cambodia geniunely cares about its own border and sovereignity. In this way, Cambodia does not need Thai to consent to have these observers. But, if Cambodia too plays politics with its border issue as Thailand does, (as Thai election is approaching), or delays any further, the theory that in a 100 years times Vietnam and Thailand will be neighbours may be true and even come sooner.
Khmer in Cabramatta
Dear Khmer Surin, Si Sa Ket and others,
We are khmer Empire. About 600 years, Siem was a small group. Up today Siem has taken huge land from us.
Thai has armed Khmer Surin soldiers and officers to fight against Khmer soldiers across the border.
Let me ask you questions.
1) What is your benefit to be Thai soldiers to kill our brothers in Cambodia ?
2) Why do you allow Thai using all of you to kill our own Khmer people in Cambodia ?
Please wake up. What ever you are doing, Thai army is going to be defeated. It is self-destruction Thai policy. Thai politic is going to the end of Kingdoom of Thailad.
3) This is the last king of Thailand. Trust me. You know it. But you dare not to say publicly.
4) Abhisit and Thai army will be defeated.
5) Politically, Kingdoom of Cambodia is the winner with the majority of the interntional support.
6) Throw your guns and uniform in the trash barrel, then go back to your home. Do not let the Thai army and Abhisit manipulate all of you. You have khmer blood. Be real Khmer Angkor !
BP
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