27 April 2011
World Socialist Web Site
Thai and Cambodian troops have exchanged artillery and small arms fire for the past five days in disputed border areas. The clashes erupted last Friday near the ancient temples of Ta Kwai and Ta Muen, about 160 kilometres west of the Preah Vihear temple, where fighting took place in early February.
According to a Thai army statement on Monday, five Thai soldiers have been killed and 35 wounded. Some 25,000 civilians have been evacuated from Surin province and 4,500 from Buri Ram. The local Thai commander claimed that Cambodian forces had fired 10 artillery rounds into the village of Ban Nong Khan Na on Sunday.
Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan reported on Monday that six of its soldiers had been killed, with 13 injured and that thousands of civilians were being evacuated from the area. Phnom Penh has accused the Thai military of using gas-filled shells and cluster munitions—a claim the Thai military denies. Phay also implied that Thailand was escalating the conflict, with Thai F-16 fighters carrying out mock attacks on Cambodian positions.
Yesterday fighting spread to the Preah Vihear temple area, where Cambodian and Thai troops exchanged artillery and automatic rifle fire. “It’s the longest fighting today, now it has been going on for more than 7 hours, and it’s still continuing,” a local Cambodian official told the Chinese newsagency Xinhua on Tuesday night. No casualty figures were available.
Both sides blame the other for the clashes.
The Thai government claimed that Cambodian troops had intruded into the disputed area around the Ta Kwai temple, in violation of an agreement to keep it free of all troops. Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Cambodian troops had opened fire when challenged by Thai soldiers.
Cambodian spokesman Phay Siphan said the fighting erupted after Thai troops fired first. In a letter to the UN Security Council, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong blamed the renewed fighting on Thailand’s reluctance to accept Indonesian observers in the border region. The Thai government had initially accepted the proposal in February but, under pressure from the military, backed away from the plan.
Calls by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for an end to the fighting appear to have been ignored. Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa planned to hold talks on Monday with the leaders of both countries, but called off his visit without explanation. The two defence ministers were due to hold ceasefire talks in Phnom Penh today, but Thailand cancelled the meeting.
Cambodia is clearly seeking to use the conflict in its bid to internationalise the border dispute, hoping that international mediation will favour its claims. In July 2008, in response to a Cambodian plan, UNESCO listed the Preah Vihear temple as a world heritage site. Thailand has disputed both the listing and Cambodian sovereignty over the area.
While it is not possible to tell which side sparked the clashes last Friday, the Thai military could well have been responsible. As with the clashes in February, the generals are using the latest fighting to put pressure on the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
In an ominous statement on Sunday, Thai army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha declared that it would be up to the government to decide to go to war with Cambodia over the border issue, adding that the army was ready to follow orders. He called for bilateral talks to the resolve the conflict, but added: “If Cambodia doesn’t want to negotiate, then it will not be necessary for us to negotiate either.” He reiterated that the armed forces did not agree “with having third party observers in the disputed border area”.
Abhisit used his weekly television address on Sunday to promise full government backing for the army. He declared that Thailand must not “fall into Cambodia’s trap” of internationalising the dispute. Abhisit faces ongoing protests from the Peoples Alliance for Democracy (PAD), a right-wing nationalist organisation with connections to sections of the military, accusing him of not taking a tough stand against Cambodia.
The Thai prime minister said he would use the scheduled Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit meeting in Jakarta on May 7-8 to hold talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. However, with neither side indicating any willingness to compromise, a resolution to the border confrontation is unlikely.
In comments to the Financial Times, political commentator Chris Baker pointed to the motivations behind the Thai military’s intransigent stance. “A lot of the army’s reason for getting prestige and money is tied with border disputes. There is a chance that this could escalate if the army thinks they can benefit from doing so, and they don’t want an election.”
The opposition of the Thai military to a national election goes to the heart of the protracted and ongoing political crisis in ruling circles. Sections of the military are concerned that an election could result in the victory of the opposition Puea Thai party, associated with former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in September 2006.
The protracted feuding between pro- and anti-Thaksin factions of the ruling elite led to the installation of Abhisit in late 2008 with the backing of the military and other layers of the country’s traditional elites, including the monarchy. At stake in the bitter factional brawling are sharp differences over economic policy and control of the state apparatus with its associated patronage.
Last May scores of pro-Thaksin demonstrators were killed when the army cracked down after months of protests demanding that Abhisit step down. Following the bloody confrontation, both sides backed off, fearing that continuing political and social unrest could spiral out of their control. However, sections of the military, along with PAD, have been reluctant to accept any compromise with the pro-Thaksin faction. PAD has bluntly called for the election to be out off and for the installation of a new “capable” and “decisive” leader—an invitation for the military to intervene again.
The Wall Street Journal noted on Sunday that army commander Prayuth had filed criminal charges against several prominent opposition figures for allegedly insulting the monarchy. The article reported that several prominent Thai columnists had endorsed PAD’s demand for the government to call off the election.
According to the Australian, “coup rumours swept Bangkok” over the weekend. General Prayuth repeated previous denials stating: “The only thing we want to ask is for all parties not to violate the monarchy or bring the monarchy into their conflicts or get us involved in political conflicts.” Given the Thai military’s long record of coups, these words are no guarantee against a further intervention.
Abhisit yesterday made plain his intention to proceed with an early election despite the border conflict with Cambodia. Indicating that the election date could be announced next week, he told reporters: “The border problem will not affect the house dissolution because there will be a caretaker government which has full authority.”
Abhisit’s statement will only provoke hardline elements of the Thai military and their supporters and encourage them to ramp up the border war.
6 comments:
Thai army gets 4 times the budget under the illegal Abhishit government; so why let Abhishit lose the power. Clearly, it is there are a lot of mess in the illegal Thai undemocratic ruling government.
Abhishit doing this to bribe the army so he can be in power. It is just wrong with these Thai animals.
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,
Ms. Rattana Keo:
are you a magician? want another war all the neighbors? How strong you are? How would you expect to win, besides just want SR back?
Hey, Hun Sen said, his army have missles anti-F16 fighter jet why not use its. Why you not tell you master Hanoi how to bring F16 donw.
Haha!!!!! dumhead.Don't wait!
Right now most armys get training have knowledge using technic and tactic such as computer system or saltelie to coordinate geography areas to fight anemies.
Hun Sen Khmer Rouge genaration army. Look like Talibane in Afghanistan.
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