By R.C. | SINGAPORE
The Economist
AS MANY others enjoyed a quiet Easter break, the Thais and Cambodians were back to trading gunfire and diplomatic insults over disputed temples along their shared border.
Eleven soldiers were killed on the two sides of the border in the three days of artillery shelling, while scores were wounded. It was the second time in only a few months that the land along the border has become the scene of such bloodshed: in February a very similar flare-up left ten soldiers dead. Then the fighting focused on the disputed Preah Vihear temple: this time the two armies were skirmishing around two other disputed temples, Ta Moan and Ta Krabey, about 90 miles from Preah Vihear. Hundreds of civilians from nearby villagers were forced to flee their homes.
The firing seemed to stop during the daylight hours of April 25th, only to flare up again in the evening. By the morning of Tuesday the 26th it was plainly back into full swing. Diplomatic attempts to resolve the conflict have been disappointing. Under the terms of a deal to stop the fighting in February, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), to which both Thailand and Cambodia belong, had arranged to send Indonesian observers to the border in order to monitor the situation—what was to have been a ceasefire. However the deal was never finalised. In a further setback for the credibility of ASEAN, Indonesia’s foreign minister, Marty Natalegawa, had been due to fly in to chair talks between the two sides on April 25th, only for the trip to be cancelled at late notice. The Thais, apparently, were unhappy at his terms of reference for the talks. But the UN did little better. From New York the secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, appealed for a ceasefire on April 23rd, only to be ignored as well.
Probably the only thing that will stop the two ASEAN countries scrapping like this will be a change in the internal political dynamics of either or both countries. Some elements on the Thai side, in particular, have every interest in rallying nationalist sentiment with a good border dispute in an election year.
The conservative yellow-shirt movement has made a lot of political capital out of demanding a firm stand against Cambodian “aggression”; they hope to force the government of Abhisit Vejjajiva to sway in their direction. There is even speculation in Bangkok that the whole border fighting is being whipped up by the army in order to precipitate a sense of crisis in the country, in order to have the election cancelled altogether. What the army fears most is a victory at the polls for the red-shirted supporters of the deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
What is not in doubt is that this won’t be the last time that Thailand and Cambodia lob shells at each other over the border. They have been tussling over this land for many years, and politicians know better than to be reasonable and generous in a situation like this.
10 comments:
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,
មើលមុខទាហានខ្មែរក៏ដឹងដែរថា
ដូចគេរុញ អោយខ្លាស៊ីអីចឹងដែរ
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 is a very stupid nation because of older Thai people who betrayed and cheated Khmer people. The young generation like PAD and Chan-Ocha have been brainwashed by their King and Queen who are Siam crooks and thieves from Khmer Empire. The people in the world did not know about the history of Siam and Khmer Empire and did not know where Thai and Thailand were coming from originally. So there, Thai can play the trick and cheat or lie so easy because the foreigners did not know. What is that stupid nation doing in the world to make them proud? Or are they regret that they lied about their history? Thai King and some of Thai people including the Thai leaders are very very very stubborn and ridiculous.
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 invaded Khmer Empire territory.
I can't images how disgraceful Thai people and Vietnamese are in the world.
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 in order to protect their fake histories and maps in the world. What wrong with Vietnamese people and leaders? What wrong 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!
Hi Ki you should write in your article starting with Cambodia first and then Thailand because Cambodia start with letter C and Thailand starts with letter T and you are Khmer.
The blind Hun Sen is really blind,
everything is upside down,
Cambodian soldiers have no helmet,
how could they protect themself against ennemies bullet ?
Nevertheless, policemen in Phnom Penh have those helmet to protect themself against Khmers Bengkok victims.
ពួកសៀមវាមិនដែលចេះយោកយល់ពលរដ្ធខ្មែរ
មួយដងណានោះទេនៅតាមជុំរំជាយដែនក្នុងឆ្នាំ
១៩៧៩ទៅទល់នឹងឆ្នាំ១៩៨៥វាបានសម្លាប់ប្រជាពលរដ្ធខ្មែរជារាងរាល់ថ្ងៃបើស្ត្រីៗវិញវាចាប់រំលោពក៏ច្រើនណាស់ដែរដោយពុំមានអង្ការណាជួយពលរដ្ធខ្មែរទេ
នៅក្នុងខណនោះ។ខ្ញុំចងគំនុំជាមួយសៀមជាងចងគំនុំ
ជាមួយយួនទៅទៀតនៅក្នុងមួយជីវិតរបស់ខ្ញុំ។
Keep fighting Khmer soldier...shot first and then talk later. Ours stupids government is waiting on a second plan from Hanio or Saigon kitchen. So stay alive soldier I will watch and pray for all of you.
wOw! RED chair! in to batle field! How they are going to camufla their location DR. Gerneral Manet?
Ms Rattana Keo = Fuck husband + Fuck boyfriend at the same time
She is going to fuck her father in law ome time too. Her mother in law know it very well and love the rattana keo treesome cultures because the mother in law love treesome too.
Youn will insert B-21 rocket into ms rattana keo's vagina in order to please her sex life.
Hun Sen will insert another B-21 rocket into ms rattana keo ass hole at the same time too
Her vagina hole is so big that only B-21 rockets can satified her sex life.
Post a Comment