By Sopheng Cheang,Thanyarat Doksone,
The Associated Press
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Thai and Cambodian forces battled for a fourth straight day along their disputed border Monday, as Cambodia accused its neighbour of damaging two ancient temples in weekend clashes.
Southeast Asian diplomats are struggling to end the repeated deadly flare-ups, but Thailand's prime minister appeared to reject outside help Monday, saying the two countries have to resolve the dispute alone.
The fighting on land around temples and several other crumbling stone monuments is rooted in a long-running dispute over where the border should be drawn and has fueled profound nationalistic fervour in both countries for decades.
Field commanders on both sides reported heavy exchanges of fire after nightfall Monday around Ta Krabey temple. Cambodian Col. Suos Sothea said from the front that both sides had fired artillery, mortars and rifles.
Thai army spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd confirmed that account, saying "we could not stay still and allow them to attack. We had to counter responsively."
Both sides have accused each other of starting the latest battles, which by Sunday had killed at least 12 soldiers on both sides and forced 30,000 people in Thailand and another 17,000 in Cambodia to flee.
While a wider war seems unlikely, several cease-fires have failed to prevent new border bloodshed. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a cease-fire, but the prospects for peace appear shaky.
Most of the recent fighting has taken place around the 1,000-year-old Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples, which are on territory claimed by both countries. The temples date back to the Khmer empire that once ruled over much of both Cambodia and Thailand.
Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan said the two temple complexes, caught in crossfire over the weekend, had been hit by bullets and shells, but there was no word on how bad the damage was. Thai authorities had no immediate comment on the allegation.
This month's renewed fighting comes as Thailand prepares for general elections expected by early July. The Thai army, which staged a coup in 2006 and continues to hold influence in domestic politics, has effectively vetoed a plan to station Indonesian observers to monitor the border situation.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa was in "intense" talks with both sides to secure an end to the conflict in his role as current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Foreign Ministry official Hamzah Thayeb said.
Natalegawa postponed a scheduled trip Monday to Cambodia, Thayeb said, as Indonesia continued to push to send military observers to the region — a move that Thailand has so far vehemently rejected. The trip's cancellation cast doubt on hopes the simmering dispute might be resolved quickly.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the border issue must be solved by Thailand and Cambodia themselves, saying third-party involvement might make it "more complicated"
"There is no need for a third country to intervene," said Abhisit. "Eventually there has to be a talk between Thailand and Cambodia."
Abhisit said he would meet Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen during a two-day ASEAN summit due in Indonesia on May 7.
The conflict involves small swaths of land along the border that have been disputed for more than half a century. Fierce clashes have broken out several times since 2008, when Cambodia's 11th-century Preah Vihear temple was given U.N. World Heritage status over Thailand's objections.
In recent years, political groups on both sides have accused their opponents of using the skirmishes to stir nationalistic fever and further their own domestic political agendas.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has harnessed the dispute in the past to build political support. And during the last round of fighting in February, Thai nationalists launched a sit-in outside government buildings in part to demand the country take a tough stand against Cambodia. The group is widely seen as playing the patriotism card in a bid to exercise more influence over politics at home.
The current round of clashes are the first since February, when eight soldiers and civilians were killed near the more well known Preah Vihear, which suffered minor damage from exploding artillery and mortar shells that knocked small chunks out of a few of its walls.
The latest fighting over the last several days broke out about 100 miles (160 kilometres) west of Preah Vihear. After easing earlier Sunday, fighting resumed later that night, both sides said, raising the toll from 10 to 12.
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Doksone reported from Bangkok; Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.
3 comments:
បំណាច់នឹងខ្លាំង ត្រូវខ្លាំងដាក់ខ្មាំង
កំុខ្លាំងដាក់ខ្មែរ!
នៅក្នុងល្បែងសង្គ្រាម អ្នកណាខ្លាំង អ្នកនេាះឈ្នះ!
បេីថៃបាញ់៣០គ្រាប់ យេីងបាញ់៦០គ្រាប់ ។ គឺថា
ឆ្លេីយតបចំពេាះសត្រូវជាទ្វេគុណរហូត ។ ខ្មែរក្រ!
នរណាថាខ្មែរក្រ? នៅតំបន់អាស្ុី ប្រទេសកម្ពុជា
មានងារថា “សុវណ្ណភូមិ ” ។ ជាប្រទេសដែលសំ-
បូរទៅដេាយសម្បត្តិធម្មជាតិ ។ រីឯអ្នកដឹកនាំខ្មែរ
បច្ចុប្បន្នជាបុរសខ្លាំងនិងមានទ្រព្យរាប់កេាដិ ។ ប្រ
ហែលមានតែម្នាក់គត់នៅជ្រេាយអាសុី ។ ពួក
មន្ត្រីជាន់ខ្ពស់សុទ្ធតែជាមហាសេដ្ធី ។ បេីអ្នក
ដឹកនាំនិងមន្រ្តីិអស់នេះមានមនសិការជាតិ
អ្ហេះ! ម្លេ៉ះពួកអាថៃមិនបាច់មកក្អកដាក់ខ្មែរបាន
ទេ! ប៉ុន្តែដល់មេខ្មែរនិងមន្រ្តីជាពពួកជនពាល
និងជាឈ្លេីងសង្គម ថែមទាំងជាខ្ញុំកញ្ជះដាច់ថ្លៃ
អាយួនផង អាថៃវាមេីលងាយខ្មែរអញ្ចឹងឯង ។
ជាមួយសត្រូវជិតខាងដូចអាថៃ យេីងខ្មែរគឺគ្មាន
ការចរចា ។ គឺដាក់វាឱ្យទាល់បាក់លេាង ។ តេី
ខ្មែរនៅក្រេាមការគ្រប់គ្រងរបស់ជនខ្លាំងជម្លេីយ
យង់ឃ្នងនេះ យេីងអាចធ្វេីឱ្យថៃបាក់លេាងបាន
ឬទេ? ចម្លេីយដែលខ្លីហេីយត្រូវគឺថា ” អត់ ” ពី
ព្រេាះបេីនិយាយពីគ្រឿងយុទ្ធេាបករណ៍ទាន់
សម័យគឺយេីងអត់មាន ។ យេីងអត់មានពីព្រេាះ
មេយេីងមិនទិញ ។ មេយេីងមិនទិញ ពីព្រេាះ
យេីងអត់លុយទិញឬ? មិនមែនអញ្ចឹងទេ!
មេយេីងមិនទិញ ពីព្រេាះពួកគេលួចប្រាក់ជាតិ
ចែកគ្នាគេធ្វេីមហាសេដ្ធី ។ ពួកគេភ្លេចករណីយ
កិច្ចដ៏សំខាន់ម្យ៉ាង! គឺករណីយកិច្ចការពារប្រ-
ទេស ។ ពួកហ្វូងស្វាដែលឈ្លក់វង្វេងនឹងមេា-
ទនភាពដាច់បង្ហៀរខាងអំណាច ទ្រព្យធន និង
ងារជជុះកំពុងគិតថាមានយួនការពារហេីយ ខ្លួន
ឯងមិនបាច់មានគ្រឿងអាវុធយុធ្ធករណ៍ទំនេីប
ស្អីទេ ។ ឱ្យតែមានងារខ្ពង់ខ្ពស់ ទ្រព្យធនសំបូរ
ហូរហៀរទៅបានហេីយ ។ បេីស្រុកទេសមាន
សង្គ្រាមហូរឈាមដាបពេាះដំរី ដេាះស្រាយមិន
បាន ពួកយេីងនាំគ្នាដាក់មេប្រុយទៅបរទេស
គឺចប់រឿង ព្រេាះលុយយេីងមានណែនឃ្លាំង
នៅស្រុកគេហេីយ ។ ក្បាលអាណា សក់អា
នេាះ!
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,
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