Sunday, April 24, 2011

Thai-Cambodian border fighting leaves 10 dead

The two countries exchanged heavy weapons fire for a second straight day on their disputed jungle frontier, the scene of a series of deadly gunbattles in recent years.

Apr 23, 2011
AFP

SAMRONG: Fierce clashes on the Thai-Cambodia border have left 10 dead and forced thousands to flee the worst bloodshed since a UN ceasefire appeal in February, officials said on Saturday.

The two countries exchanged heavy weapons fire for a second straight day on their disputed jungle frontier, the scene of a series of deadly gunbattles in recent years.

Three Cambodian troops and one Thai soldier were killed on Saturday, according to officials in the two countries, a day after three soldiers died on each side.

Cambodia accused Thailand of using 75mm and 105mm "heavy guns loaded with poisonous gas" and said in a defence ministry statement that Thai military aircraft flew "deep into Cambodia's airspace".


Thailand denied the claims, which could not be independently verified.

A Cambodian field commander, Suos Sothea, said the gas caused some soldiers who inhaled it to feel weak but did not cause serious injury. He also accused Thailand of using cluster bombs.

Thailand recently admitted using controversial Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions during the February fighting but insisted it did not classify them as cluster munitions.

Thousands of villagers been have evacuated from nearby areas on both sides since the latest violence broke out.

"Most of the people in my village have fled their homes because many Thai artillery shells landed nearby," 29-year-old farmer Has Pov told AFP at a pagoda complex where he took refugee with his wife and two children in the Cambodian town of Samrong about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the fighting.

"I'm really scared by the shelling," he added.

Villages close to the Cambodian side of the border were emptied as people fled with their belongings.

An AFP photographer saw a house apparently damaged by shelling in a Cambodian village more than 10 kilometres from the area where the main fighting occurred.

As usual, the two countries accused each other of starting the clashes.

"All of sudden they fired at us," Thai defence minister General Prawit Wongsuwon told AFP.

"It could be that they wanted to internationalise the situation to attract a third country (to intervene). We do not want to fight but have to retaliate when they fire at us," he said, calling for the resumption of bilateral talks to resolve the territorial dispute.

"We have to put pressure on them to go back to the meeting table," he said.

It is the first serious outbreak of hostilities since February when 10 people were killed in clashes near the 900-year-old Hindu temple Preah Vihear, prompting UN Security Council members to call for a lasting ceasefire.

Phnom Penh has called for outside mediation to help end the standoff, but Thailand opposes third-party intervention.

The two countries agreed in late February to allow Indonesian observers in the area near Preah Vihear, but the Thai military has since said they are not welcome and they have yet to be deployed.

The latest clashes, which saw several hours of fighting on both Friday and Saturday, have taken place near a different group of temples over 100 kilometres away from Preah Vihear.

Indonesia, which holds the rotating chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN) regional bloc, has called for an immediate end to the violence. Vietnam urged "maximum restraint".

Ties between the neighbours have been strained since Preah Vihear -- the most celebrated example of ancient Khmer architecture outside Cambodia's Angkor -- was granted UN World Heritage status in July 2008.

The World Court ruled in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia, but both countries claim ownership of a 4.6 square kilometre (1.8 square mile) surrounding area.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

First, Thai claim only the 4.6 km2 around Prah Vihear and now they claim the other place 100 km from Prah Vihear, What is up with Ah Siem? You are a really invader in the 21th century.

You Thai has always declined to use cluster bomb and chemical gas but we all proofs. You are the best liars on the Globe and your smiling land will be slowly covered by international community.

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen, is so narrow in his strategy. Just bring in the observers. Indonesian observers cannot come in because it is part of Asean it would not be impartial if it only go to observe one side.

However, AFP, BBC, Al-jazerra, CNN, and other news organization make their livings covering wars and miseries!.. Hun Sen, Tea Banh why are you so stupid?

Anonymous said...

What was the result of talking in the past two years ????

Can any reporter ask the Thai government ??????

Anonymous said...

How come reported said Thai died only two?, less wounded? I don't believe this craps!

Anonymous said...

UN want to see more "seefire", Let them see it.

Anonymous said...

Thais yellow defense chief was weak after seing their troop got injured, dead, even their aircraft flown on hight attitude.

Chea Dara
Deputy Commander in Chief of RCAF

Anonymous said...

Who is do not like youn slave Hun Sen? Join Thai troops to get rid of monsters Hun Sen for good.
Thanks you

Anonymous said...

Fuck of motherfucker of Siem.

Anonymous said...

IF THE WAR BREAKS OUT 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 ADVANCED
AND TO DISTROY HUN SEN REPUBLICAN GUARD.

FAST ADVANCED 3 COLUNMS DIVISION TO PHNOM PENH AND ALL MILITAY KEY IN THE PROVINCE AND TAKE OVER AND CHANGE NEW GOVERNMENT.

Anonymous said...

the evil siem always uses illegal weapons against cambodia, first the cluster bombs, now the poison gas, etc... i think cambodia should nuke them once and for all, really!

Anonymous said...

Speaking of nuke I think we need to have our beloved king check it with our North Korea friends.

Anonymous said...

ពួកអាសៀមនេះវាមិនដែលចេះអាណិតដល់ពលរដ្ធ
ខ្មែរនោះទេ!ខ្មែរនៅតាមជុំរំវាយចាប់ស្រ្តីយកទៅរំលោភមិនតិចទេ!ហើយវាបានសម្លាប់ពលរដ្ធខ្មែរក៏ច្រើន
ដែរគឺនៅក្នុងឆ្នាំ១៩៧៩ដល់ឆ្នាំ១៩៨៥ពួកវាបានធ្វើបាបខ្មែរមិនចេះចប់នោះទេដួច្នេះសូមពលរដ្ធខ្មែរកុំជឿ
នៅពាក្យសំដីរបស់អាចោរសៀមឲ្យសោះ។

Anonymous said...

DON'T WORRY PATRIOTS, LET THE THAI DO THE DUTY WORK FOR US. ONCE HUN SEN AND HIS CPP GANG ARE GONE WE CAN LET THE UNITED NATIONS DEAL WITH THE INVADING THAI LATER ON. PLEASE REMEMBER, IT'S EASY TO REMOVE THE THAI, BUT NOT HUN SEN!

WE MUST NOT GIVE OUR SUPPORT TO THE TYRANT HUN SEN ANYMORE. DON'T FALL FOR HIS DUTY TRICK.

LONG LIVE KHMER RACE!

Anonymous said...

why? don't we use DM21 , why? wait

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

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,

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,

Anonymous said...

ការមិនគោរពច្បាប់អន្តរជាតិរបស់ថែ ក្នុងការកាត់
សេចក្ដីរបស់តុលាការកំពូលអន្តរជាតិក្រុងឡាអេនេះ
គឺថៃល្មើសនឹងច្បាប់ដ៏ខ្ពស់នេះជាស្រេច។
ពំពោះដី4.6 square miles នោះ តើត្រូវរាប់បញ្ចូល
ក្នុងការកាត់ក្ដីដែរទេ ក្នុងពេលនោះ?
បើរាប់បញ្ចូលដែរនោះ ដូច្នេះថៃជាប្រទេសដែលមិន
គោរពច្បាប់ជាអន្តរជាតិ។
ខ្មែរសុរិន្ទត្រូវវេទនារាប់សិបពាន់នាក់ ខ្មែរកណ្ដាល
រាប់ម៉ឺននាក់ក៏ត្រូវខ្ចាត់ព្រាត់ទីកន្លែងដែរ។
ការវេទនា នឹង​ វិនាសកើតមានឡើងទាំងសង្ខាង។
សៀមស្អប់ខ្មែរសុរិន្ទ យួនស្អប់ខ្មែរក្រោម ហើយ 
ខ្មែរកណ្ដាលហ៊ុន សេន ស្អប់នឹងធ្វើបាបខ្មែរ
កណ្ដាលជំនួសយួន។ ដូច្នេះយួនសៀមប្រើខ្មែរ
សម្លាប់ខ្មែរ ហើយខ្មែរក៏សម្លាប់ខ្មែរជាតិខ្លូនទៀត។
ខ្មែរក្រៅស្រុកនឹងក្នុងស្រុកត្រូវសាមគ្គីគ្នា ធ្វើបាតុកម្ម
ទម្លាក់អាហ៊ុន សេន នឹងយួនក្នុងស្រុកខ្មែរចេញ។
ខ្មែរសុរិន្ទ ខ្មែរកណ្ដាល ខ្មែរក្រោម នឹងខ្មែរនៅ
ឯនាយសមុទ្រ ក្រោកឈរឡើងព្រមគ្នាកំចាត់ជន
ជាតិចង់បំបាត់ជាតិខ្មែរពីពិភពលោក។