Monday, May 07, 2012

Cambodia 'must admit to logging' [in Thailand - Hun Xen is OK with the killing of Khmer citizens by Thai soldiers?]

7/05/2012
Anucha Charoenpo
Bangkok Post

The Foreign Ministry has urged the Cambodian government to admit its people are illegally felling rosewood in border areas.

It should make the admission for the sake of preserving healthy bilateral ties, ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdi said yesterday.

At a meeting with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had admitted Cambodians were conducting illegal logging and that Thai authorities were right to attempt to defend their territory.

On Saturday, 20 natural resource protection officials from Si Sa Ket province which borders Cambodia spotted a group of more than 10 men felling rosewood in the Plan Ta Muan forest south of Ban Huay Jan village in tambon Huay Jan of Si Sa Ket's Khun Han district.


When the Thai authorities identified themselves to make an arrest, the illegal loggers fired at them. The Thais believe the loggers were Cambodians. Both sides exchanged gunfire for about five minutes before the loggers fled the scene.

Thai officials yesterday found a chainsaw, three containers holding about 60 litres of petrol, food, rucksacks, 16 planks of processed rosewood and trails of blood at the location.

Mr Thani said the Cambodian Foreign Ministry had asked Thai soldiers not to fire at Cambodians, but didn't refer to the problem of Cambodians intruding into Thai territory for illegal logging.

Meanwhile, Cambodia's Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry on Saturday rejected Mr Thani's allegation that Cambodia has deliberately placed landmines along the Thai-Cambodian border.

Mr Thani made the comment after a Thai soldier was badly injured by one of the devices on Wednesday.

The Thai army believed the landmine was planted to retaliate against Thai troops who cracked down on log poachers.

"The area near the Preah Vihear temple was previously a battle zone and a sanctuary of Khmer Rouge forces who must have laid many landmines to protect their position during the war," Cambodia's Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"The area near the Preah Vihear temple was previously a battle zone and a sanctuary of Khmer Rouge forces who must have laid many landmines to protect their position during the war," Cambodia's Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

THis CPP dogs doesnt know the Khmer history. K5 Planning was implimented by the Hun Sen Government in the 1980s. It was also the Hun Sen government that created the biggest landmine field to chase otu the Pol Pot into Thailand.

Why is this CPP dog blaming the Pol Pot of planting landmines? This CPP dog is barking without understanding the where the landmine came from.

Anonymous said...

If PM admitted that Khmer cross border for logging that means PM recognised the border that has not yet proper demarcation.

Do not be crazy PM, stop comment if you do not know the consequences for Cambodia. Thai may say that PM recognised Thai territory when come to proper demarcation. You have created more uncertainty for Cambodia