By Sinfah Tunsarawuth, The Associated Press
BANGKOK — Tens of thousands of Thai and Cambodian villagers returned Monday to homes they fled since military clashes flared on the border more than a week ago.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and other officials from both countries said with combat winding down to exchanges of small arms fire instead of artillery duels, people could safely leave makeshift refugee camps.
One Thai civilian and a total of 16 soldiers from both sides have died since the fighting began April 22. A decades-old dispute over patches of land along the border has been the trigger for combat, but nationalistic posturing for domestic political purposes on both sides has heightened tensions.
Serm Chainarong, the governor of Thailand's northeastern province of Surin, where most of the recent clashes took place, told reporters he has allowed 44,000 villagers evacuated from the combat zone to return home from 35 makeshift shelters.
Pech Sokhen, the governor of Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province opposite Surin, said 90 per cent of the 43,000 refugees on his side of the border had returned to their homes from 33 temporary camps, leaving behind just 250-300 families whose houses were in the immediate area of the fighting.
"These people have returned to their houses because the situation now is calm," he said. "I hope that the fighting between the two side will keep decreasing over time."
Local commanders for both countries last Thursday held talks that led to a de facto cease-fire, which did not actually end the clashes but reduced their intensity.
A Cambodian field commander, Col. Suos Sothea, said from the front-lines that Thai soldiers had carried out shelling with artillery and mortars from late Sunday through early Monday morning, with no casualties. Thai field commanders said the two sides exchanged automatic weapons fire Sunday evening but did not use artillery.
A Cambodian defence ministry statement released Monday "welcomed the discussion at front-line commander levels to build up confidence to reach the cease-fire resolutely and effectively."
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Associated Press writer Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, contributed to this report.
1 comment:
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,
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