By MIKE CORDER
Associated Press
THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Thailand and Cambodia will face off at the United Nations' highest court Monday, in the latest move to settle a decades-old battle for control of a disputed border region that has erupted into deadly military clashes.
Cambodia is asking the International Court of Justice to order Thailand to withdraw troops and halt military activity around a temple at the center of the dispute between the Southeast Asian neighbors.
The conflict involves small patches of land along the border that have been disputed for more than half a century.
Fighting has repeatedly broken out since 2008, when Cambodia's 11th-century Preah Vihear temple was given U.N. World Heritage status over Thailand's objections.
Talks mediated by Indonesia's president earlier this month between the two countries' prime ministers failed to hammer out a lasting cease-fire.
Fighting around the temple has cost about 20 lives and sent tens of thousands fleeing.
Cambodia is asking for an "interpretation" of a 1962 ruling by the court that the temple is on its territory and warns that if the intervention request is rejected and clashes continue, "the damage to the Temple of Preah Vihear, as well as irremediable losses of life and human suffering ... would become worse."
The dispute has stirred nationalist sentiment on both sides of the border. But analysts say domestic politics may also be fueling the conflict, especially in Thailand, where the military that staged a coup in 2006 could be flexing its muscles ahead of July 3 elections.
Cambodia said in April that a written explanation of the 1962 judgment "could then serve as a basis for a final resolution of this dispute through negotiation or any other peaceful means."
Hearings Monday and Tuesday will not deal with the substance of the case, which will be debated at a later date, only the Cambodian request for the court to order a halt to military action.
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EVIDENCE OF POLITICALLY-MOTIVATED EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS AND KILLINGS OF FUNCINPEC LOYALISTS.
LIST OF INSTANCES OF EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS during 1997 coup by PM Hun Sen. These people with their name list below were murdered by PM Hun Sen.
• Ho Sok, 45, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Interior and second ranking FUNCINPEC official in the Ministry of Interior.
• 2-3. Gen Chao Sambath, alias Ngov, Deputy-Chief of the Intelligence and Espionage Department, RCAF Supreme Command since 1993
• 4 and 5. Maj. Gen. Ly Seng Hong, Deputy-Chief of Staff, RCAF General Staff (second highest-ranking FUNCINPEC official in the RCAF General
• 6. Colonel Sok Vireak, Chief, Transmission Bureau, Army General Staff. A former KPNLF General Staff officer in charge of military training who joined Nhek Bun Chhay after the Paris Agreements. Status
• 7. Colonel Thlang Chang Sovannarith, Deputy Chief-of-Staff of the Fifth Military Region, RCAF General Staff
• 8. Colonel Hov Sambath, Deputy-chief of Military Training Bureau, RCAF General Staff
• 9. Lietenant Colonel Sao Sophal, 42, an officer of the First Bureau of the RCAF General Staff.
• 10. Navy First Lt. Thach Soeung, aged about 30, an ethnic Khmer from southern Vietnam, stationed at Dang Kaum Navy base on the eastern bank of the Tonle Sap.
• 11 to 14. Seng Phally, Lt. Col. Chao Keang, Chao Tea and Thong Vickika - security officers working under Gen. Chao Sambath.
• Seng Phally, alias Huot Phally, aged 25, single, a gendarme who worked as chief of the security team at the Pipoplok 2 Hotel/Casino
• Lt. Col. Chao Keang, aged about 25. He was an officer in the Research and Intelligence Bureau of Chao Sambath
• Chao Tea, 29, brother of Chao Keang, a security guard at the Regal Hotel/Casino. His body bore a bullet hole in the left side of the chest and in the right side of the stomach. He was also handcuffed and blindfolded
• Thong Vicchika, aged about 27-28, a body-guard of Chao Sambath and a security staff at the Regal Hotel/Casino.
• Dr. Seng Kim Ly, a military medical doctor
• Major Lak Ki, Head of Operations, Research and Intelligence, RCAF High Command
• Four unnamed body-guards of Nhek Bun Chhay were summarily executed after his office-cum-house in Somnang
• Major Lak Ki, Head of Operations, Research and Intelligence, RCAF High Command
• Pheap, a body-guard of Major Lak Ki, in his late twenties
• Dok Rany, 27, an officer and body-guard of Gen. Chao Sambath who worked at the Research and Intelligence Bureau
• Ros Huon, aged 23, Sopheap, aged 25, two alleged members of the Gendarmerie
• Dok Sokhun, alias Michael Senior, a Khmer-Canadian journalist who taught English at ACE Language School in Phnom Penh
• Major Aek Eng (CPP), Head of Administration of Phnom Penh Thmei police station
• At least four, and possibly up to 22 persons described as FUNCINPEC soldiers executed and cremated in Pich Nil on 9, 10 and 11 July 1997 by Military Region 3 soldiers. Status: Confirmed executions in at least 4 cases
• 34 to 36 (and possibly 45). On 17 July, at about noon time, the body of a soldier was witnessed floating near the bank of the Tone Bassac near the Watt Chum Leap, in the village of the same name, Rokakpong commune, Saang district, Kandal province. The body was headless and both hands were tied up behind the back with a kramma. It was dressed in dark olive military uniform
• 37 and 38. Two unidentified men, blindfolded and with their hands tied behind the back. Status: Confirmed executions
• Pheap, aged 33, a bodyguard of the First Prime Minister. Status: Confirmed execution.
• Sok Vanthorn, 21 and Sou Sal, two villagers from Ampeov village, Kompong Speu province. Status: Confirmed execution.
• Brig. Gen. Chea Rittichutt, a founding member of the Moulinaka movement and the Governor of Kep-Bokor
• Navy officer Meas Sarou, Deputy-director, First Bureau, Navy, based in Chrouy Changvar, and one of his body-guards, and a third person, a woman named Luch.
• Ung Sim, Second Deputy Governor, Kompong Speu province - missing since his arrest, reportedly near Pich Nil by CPP soldiers on 7 or 8 July 1997.
• Col. Sam Sarath, Deputy Chief-of-Staff, Third Military Region
• Put Som Ang, male, aged 42, a KNP activisit in Siem Reap province, and Sam Sophan, 38, an activist in Takeo province
• Major So Lay Sak and Major Chin Vannak, officers working in the Logisitics department of the RCAF General Staff
• Som Taing, Deputy Chief, Inspection Office, Provincial Governor's Office, Kompong Speu
• Chum Sarith, Chief, Criminal Bureau, Provincial Police, Sihanoukville
Forty-six bodies were brought in and dumped at the crematorium of a Phnom Penh pagoda between 5 and 9 July
In the case of Ho Sok (executed on 7 July, brought to Watt Lanka on 8 July); of Seng Phally, Chao Keang, Chao Tea and Thong Viccheka (executed on 5-6 July and brought by the police to Wat Unalom on the morning of 7 July - see cases number 13-16 above) and in the case of a fifth corpse which was brought to the same pagoda on the same morning, but which could not be identified, the police ordered that cremation of the bodies be conducted without question and without proper cremation permit.
Between 9 and 11 July, according to a variety of reliable corroborating accounts, the bodies of 4 and probably up to 22 soldiers were alleged to have been executed in Pich Nil and burned
Plus many and many more names with lose count that order and executed by Hun Sen and CPP.
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 30 000 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 30 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 30 000 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 30,000 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,
អ្នកដែលស្លាប់ក្នុងឆ្នាំ១៩៩៧ដែលមានឈ្មោះខាងលើ គឺគួរតែស្លាប់ពីព្រោះ
អួកនេះសាងអំពើបាបច្រើនណាស់ ជាពួកចោព្រៃ
លួចប្លន់កាប់សន្លាប់ប្រជាជនពេលក្នុងសម័យតស៊ួរ
អ្នករស់ជាអ្នកឈ្នៈ
អ្នកស្លាប់ជាអ្នកចាញ់
After many of FUNCINPEC members who have been fighting to protect Ranarith have been killed by Hun Sen supporters , but Ranarith still wants to join CPP to form the next government ? He is such a loser .
FCA at Thai/Khmer border should turn their guns toward all Youn Viet Cong in Cambodia, instead.
We want to know more of your opinion about Preah Vihear case and not the Internal politic of Cambodia.
Only hope some of you are not acted like traitors and serve the Thai interest.
I am Khmer born and want my next generation of my familiy be a Khmer and not Thai.
go cambodia go! stop the neighboring thieves from stealing from cambodia again, ok!
អ្នកដែលមិនធ្លាប់បានរស់នៅទល់ដែនសៀមខ្មែរ
ដឹងមិនបានច្បាស់លាស់ទេថាចោរខ្មែរលួចគោខ្មែរ
ទៅលក់អោយសៀម ចោរសៀមលួចគោសៀម
មកលក់អោយខ្មែរ។
សម័យលន់ នល់ និង សម័យខ្មែរក្រហម សៀម
មិនហ៊ានបៀតបៀនខ្មែរទេ។សៀមខ្លាចខ្មែរក្រហម
ជាងលន់ នល់ តែបើខ្មែរណារត់គេចពីខ្មែរ
ក្រហម សៀមមិនសូវធ្វើបាប។
ក្រោយពីយួនវៀតកុងហ៊ុន សែនវាយសម្រុកចូល
ស្រុក ខ្មែររត់គេចពីយួន ព្រោះខ្លាចយួនសម្លាប់
រត់ចូលសៀម ខ្មែរក្រហមដាក់មីន ថៃធ្វើបាប
ខ្មែរមែនពិត។បើខ្មែរនៅស្រុក ខ្មែរអត់បាយ បើ
ខ្មែររត់ចោលស្រុកទៅសៀម សៀមវាធ្វើបាប។
ខ្មែរចុះទឹកក្រពើស៊ី ឡើងលើខ្លាយួនស៊ី។
ខ្ញុំជាជនភៀសខ្លួនមួយរូប សៀមវាធ្វើបាបខ្មែរ
មែន ប៉ុន្តែយួនធ្វើបាបដោយត្រជាក់បំផុត ហើយ
ខ្មែរស្លាប់ច្រើន យួន ប្រើរបៀបសម្លាប់ខ្មែរម្ដង
បន្តិចៗ វាធ្វើឲ្យខ្មែរក្រ ខ្មែរឈឺ ខ្មែរហិនហោច
ទ្រព្យសម្បត្តិ តាមការរិបអូស។
សៀមក៏មិនល្អ យួនក៏អាក្រក់។
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