Tuesday, April 26, 2011

'Temple war' breaks out again on Thai border

26 April 2011
By Martin Petty
The Scotsman

Thai and Cambodian troops clashed with guns and artillery yesterday after almost a full day's break in fighting that has killed at least 12 people in four days and sent nearly 50,000 into evacuation centres.

Gunfire and explosions were heard near two disputed 12th-century Hindu temples, the scene of sporadic mortar and artillery bombardments since Friday in the bloodiest border conflict between the neighbours in nearly two decades.

The fresh fighting erupted before sundown yesterday. Witnesses said the clashes were more fierce than the previous days, with the sound of mortars heard as far as 25 miles away.

Thailand's foreign minister, Kasit Piromya, reiterated calls for a bilateral solution after the cancellation of a visit to both countries by a senior south-east Asian envoy who had brokered a UN-backed peace ceasefire deal on 22 February.


But soon after the fighting resumed, Mr Kasit accused Cambodia of being the aggressor in the conflict and said it was limiting scope for talks.

"It's clear Cambodia was pushing into the (disputed] area and it's now beyond talks as friendly neighbours," he said in Bangkok on his return from a visit to an evacuee camp near the border.

At the centre of the dispute are the Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples in a heavily mined jungle area claimed by both sides. Thailand says the ruins are in its Surin province, but Cambodia insists they fall in its territory.

Fighting has been heaviest around Ta Moan, a complex that contains three buildings nestled into a mountain pass. Both sides are also positioned around Ta Krabey, where fighting first erupted.

The official toll since Friday is five Thai soldiers and seven Cambodians killed.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Vietcong said: Angkorwat is mine
Thai also said: Preah Vihear is mine
and from 1970 until 2011,communist Sihanouk,communist Ho Chiminh,Communist Mao had killed 3 145 475 innocent people khmers and they replaced with 4 752 457 immigrant vietcong in Cambodia.
Please ,UN help and find the truth!

បញ្ញវន្ត ​ខ្មែរ​មួយ​ចំនួន​រស់​នៅ​បស្ចិម​ប្រទេស​បាន​ស្រាវជ្រាវ​ឃើញ និង​សរសេរ​ថា ខ្មែរ​ជា​ប្រជា​ជាតិ​មួយ​ជិត​ដាច់​ពូជ ឬ​ផុត​ពូជ​ទៅ​ហើយ។

Anonymous said...

Surin, sisaket, doriram, chantabur, ubon...are belong to Empire Khmer. We will unite together to get siem out.

Do not support Thai troops. Kill them as many as we can

Anonymous said...

Thailand and Thai people, especially PAD Thai groups and Rouge Chan-Ocha are very bad. Thai people (PAD) don't even know that the Preah Vihear, Ta Maon, Ta Krabei belong to Khmer.

Thai don't realize that they have done a lot of damages to many Angkorian temples in Khmer Empire country since Thai (originally named Tai-Chinese people) were migrated from Nanzhao province in Southern China in the late 12th into Khmer Empire land after Mongol destroyed and controlled China. Thai did not respect the Khmer King Jayavarman VII who allowed them to settle in Khmer Empire country until they attacked Khmer Kings and Khmer people and then looted and stole the land. They took advantages of the weakness of Khmer Empires after Khmer Empire became exhausted and lost some many armies by helping Tai-Chinese called SIAM who were destroyed by Burmese and helping Die Viet who were fighting with Mongol, being so busy to fight with Champa Empire who invade Khmer Empire territory.

I can't images how disgraceful Thai people are and Vietnamese.

Thai and Vietnamese people have been brainwashed by their disgraceful older people who betrayed the Khmer Empire Kings and people.

It is very sad when Khmer people today have been credited and given back as return from powerful neighbors Thailand and Vietnam in the modern day (20th or 21st century), but Thai and Vietnamese just looked down on Khmer (Cambodian or Kampuchea today) just because they are successfully defeated Khmer people and cheated by taking advantages of the weakness of Khmer Empire and destroyed Khmer people and took the land.

Looking at Thai and Vietnamese, they are really thieves and crooks in the modern days and they are getting better than Khmer people.

They both are very ugly and disgraceful nations in the world.

Right now, Cambodian and Thai are at war. How disgraceful Thai is by claiming and lying every Angkorian temple and land to be their owns, but they did not build those temples. Also, they destroyed and ruined the those temples of Khmer Angkor. Now, when it comes the high price and values, they wants to steal and claim the temples for money and tourist. How greedy Thai is!

Anonymous said...

Correction for 123:59 PM

Thailand and Thai people, especially PAD Thai groups and Rouge Chan-Ocha are very bad. Thai people (PAD) don't even know that the Preah Vihear, Ta Maon, Ta Krabei belong to Khmer.

Thai don't realize that they have done a lot of damages to many Angkorian temples in Khmer Empire country since Thai (originally named Tai-Chinese people) were migrated from Nanzhao province in Southern China in the late 12th into Khmer Empire land after Mongol destroyed and controlled China. Thai did not respect the Khmer King Jayavarman VII who allowed them to settle in Khmer Empire country until they attacked Khmer Kings and Khmer people and then looted and stole the land. They took advantages of the weakness of Khmer Empires after Khmer Empire became exhausted and lost some many armies by helping Tai-Chinese called SIAM who were destroyed by Burmese and helping Die Viet who were fighting with Mongol, being so busy to fight with Champa Empire who invade Khmer Empire territory.

I can't images how disgraceful Thai people are and Vietnamese.

Thai and Vietnamese people have been brainwashed by their disgraceful older people who betrayed the Khmer Empire Kings and people.

It is very sad when Khmer people today have NOT been credited and given back as return from powerful neighbors Thailand and Vietnam in the modern day (20th or 21st century), but Thai and Vietnamese just looked down on Khmer (Cambodian or Kampuchea today) just because they are successfully defeated Khmer people and cheated by taking advantages of the weakness of Khmer Empire and destroyed Khmer people and took the land.

Looking at Thai and Vietnamese, they are really thieves and crooks in the modern days and they are getting better than Khmer people until they tried to create the extinction of Khmer people. What wrong with Vietnamese people and leaders? What with Thai leaders and people?

Looking at Laos and Laotian people, they did not do anything to Khmer people and Kings, but they are still respecting Khmer people and Kings.

They both are very ugly and disgraceful nations in the world.

Right now, Cambodian and Thai are at war. How disgraceful Thai is by claiming and lying every Angkorian temple and land to be their owns, but they did not build those temples. Also, they destroyed and ruined the those temples of Khmer Angkor. Now, when it comes the high price and values, they wants to steal and claim the temples for money and tourist. How greedy Thai is!

Anonymous said...

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,