Sunday, July 10, 2011

Thai troops on alert near Cambodian border

July 10, 2011
By Pongpat Traipipat
The Nation on Sunday
Si Sa Ket

The Thai military has vowed to fight to protect the country's sovereignty if they are pressured to withdraw from the border areas following reports that the Cambodian army has reinforced troops and heavy weapons along the border.

Reports doing the rounds say there are Cambodian troops fully equipped with tanks and cannons pointing at the Thai borders not far from Preah Vihear in tambon Sao Thong Chai of Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district.

The Thai military has been following the Cambodian troop movements closely after Cambodia's celebration of its successful application to list the temple as a World Heritage Site, although it has yet to fully develop the temple due to the border dispute with Thailand.


Both countries have reinforced troops at the disputed 4.6 kilometres area amid reports that the Unesco World Heritage Convention will require Thailand to withdraw troops from the disputed zone on July 18 when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivers its verdict.

Phnom Penh has asked the court to clarify the scope and meaning of the 1962 ruling on Preah Vihear. As it awaits the interpretation, it has also asked the court to set provisional measures forcing Thailand to withdraw its troops, banning them from any military activities in the area or taking any action that could violate Cambodia's rights.

Although Thailand had earlier walked out of the World Heritage Convention with the intention of quitting as a member of the committee, the resignation is not official without a written document.

Colonel Thanasak Mitrapanont, Ranger Force Regiment 23's Special Task Force chief, said he had been instructed to lead his unit to protect the country's sovereignty and safeguard Thais to the best of his ability.

Banyong Tangsuk, a village head of Ban Phumisarol, said the locals had high hopes that there would not be a repeat of skirmishes that took place in February, as they were confident in the Pheu Thai Party. "The party is believed to be in negotiations with Cambodia. At least they will have respect for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra because he served as its economic adviser for some time,'' he said.

However, Banyong said he was a bit worried that if the formation of the new government was delayed there could be border clashes.

"We hope peace really returns to the border area. Locals have to face the unfortunate fate from the Thai power struggle. We wish for peace but we also do not want to lose our territory. At the same time we do not want war,'' he said.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

ក្នុងគោលបំណងអ្វី

Anonymous said...

The Thai always wants to invade Khmer friends because they are jealous of you guys and is also due to their internal political bickering.
I wish your country Cambodia survive stronger from this but your leader is tight with his hand on the eastern front as well. A hugh debt owed to them since Jan 1979.

www.lengelectronics.com
10th July 2011

Anonymous said...

Because the former Abhisit government and thais military did not accept the electoral victory of the red shirts.

In case of coup to overthrow the Red Shirts , the yellow shirt have any interest to spread the thai political crisis in Cambodia.
These nationalists did not accept their political and military adventure against Cambodia failed.
Extend the thai crisis in Cambodia can divert attention from the thai public opinion and international opinion on the new military coup, to obtain the support of
nationalists thai in the conflict with Cambodia and complicate a possible international sanctions ( UN, ASEAN…) after the new military coup.

For thai nationalists, extending the thai political crisis in Cambodia is not very risky for them because Cambodia is a small country militarily weaker than thailand.
Cambodia can only defend and not attack.

Because also to spread the thais political crisis to Cambodia, the thais nationalists can count on the supports of the political sworn enemies of Mr. Hun Sen's regime to destabilize its government.

The political provocations of some opposition politicians in the eastern border, the virulence of opposition attacks on the political management of the border with Vietnam, and political exploitation of the ideological rhetoric of the loss of Kampuchea Krom in some political speeches of some Cambodian politicians involved in this endeavor to destabilize the Hun Sen's regime and exploited by the thais nationalists.

But the important question is to know if the Thai people and especially Cambodia people will be misled and manipulated by politicians.

And whose interests these people can take of all these political maneuvers?

Anonymous said...

khmer government, needs to bring adhisit's team to UN war crimes
by using illegal weapons such cluster, without fail.

Anonymous said...

* The New Thai Govt go Left
*Thai Bad Generals Armies Forces are will goes RIGHT.
*The short War between Thai-Khmer will APPEAR soon [September/2001].
CHEEP HAYY

Anonymous said...

Presumably, the sitting prime minister has a few more days, why not have the unfinished business taken care before disappear.

The prime minister is so childish and arrogant, and he must be taught a lesson. I'm sure that our military might will overwhelm him and his followers.

Anonymous said...

I saw black/white pol pot's film, khmer rouge has this kind of tank too..M-113! But vietnamese may take them all after they return to vietnam..?

Anonymous said...

it's called diplomacy. siem is weak with dioplomacy, you know!

Anonymous said...

youn used cambodia to get involved in the vietnam war, now siem is doing the same by trying to drag cambodia into siem political infighting among themselves, etc! cambodia have to unite to become strong and tell siem and viet/youn to stop using cambodia as their buffer zone!

and for sam rainsy and his political group, they have no backing from the khmer military or khmer armed forces, so that why they are ineffective and nothing more than just political acitivists. to be effective as political group, they have to have the khmer military support like in thailand or siem country, they have their military support the pad nationalists which is no more then followers of bumibol. so, the problem with sam rainsy is he keeps running away from cambodia nd hide overseas, so the military do not support or back him up, that's why he is not that good for cambodia as he cannot convince the khmer military to support him you know!

Anonymous said...

FROM CHEEP HAYY
September/2001 correct to September/2011
CHHEEP HAYY

Anonymous said...

The Abhisit V. power was over.
If Thai will have a coup,yes he is.
The Thai power is in Yingluck hand.
Her brother is her guide and who
will help to lead her govt.
These Thai troops protect their
border in case of Vietcong troops
getting trough Cambodia to help
Thaksin and Yingluck.
Because 20,000 Vietcong are already
in Cambodia.
Thai troops won't fight with Khmer
troops,but With Vietnam.

Anonymous said...

កងទ័ពថៃ ព្រះមហាក្សត្រថៃ និង ប្រជាពលរដ្ធ
ថៃក្រុង​បាងកក អាវលឿង ដប់លាននាក់ ត្រៀម
ខ្លួនជាស្រេច ដើម្បីប្រយុទ្ធ និង ក្រុមកុម្មុយនិស្ត
អាវក្រហមជនបទថៃ។
ឧត្តមសេនីយ កងទ័ពថៃដែលមិននិយមអាវក្រ
ហមភាគច្រើន បានយាមល្បាតតាមព្រំដែនខ្មែរ
ដើម្បីការពារកងកម្លាំងវៀតកុងដែលមានបំរុង
ចាំវាយកងទ័ពសៀម ២០ពាន់ កងពលលាក់
ខ្លួនពួនអាត្មាក្នុងទឹកដីខ្មែរ។
អាយួនស្រកីល្មោភទឹកដី ចិត្តអន្ធពាលចង់បាន
ប្រទេសភូមាឲ្យចូលជាបក្សកម្មុយនិស្តឥណ្ឌូចិន។
ជាការប្រសើរណាស់ដែលកងទ័ពសៀមប្រុង
ការពារកងទ័ពយួន តែមិនមែនទប់ទល់និងខ្មែរ
ទេ។

Anonymous said...

cambodia should be a role model for asean nations, really!

Anonymous said...

This typ of tank is out of service in the US army for a long time ago. That is no wunder with tank.

Anonymous said...

This is what you called military surplus weapons from the US army!

I wish Uncle SAM can sell Thailand a thousand more and with great numbers and Cambodian military will be on the run! ahhahhahhahahh

If Cambodia continue to play weak and act stupid and the Siem military thugs will hijack Cambodian politic for their own political game!

Anonymous said...

Thailand have never sent millions of illigal migrants to live in Cambodia, but Vietnam has, so now you know which country poses the most serious threat to Khmer existance.

Anonymous said...

5:07 AM

This animal is a traitor of khmer nation.

Anonymous said...

The Siem and Viet want to take over Cambodia by all mean! Cambodia is the last country on Earth where neighboring the Siem and the Viet still have ambition and long to take over by force or by population assimilation!

Cambodian King and Cambodian leaders are weak and not willing to submit to God but to the Viet and the Siem domination! This is fucken strange!