Cambodia issues ultimatum to Thailand to withdraw

Tuesday, October 14, 2008
By KER MUNTHIT

"We do not object to redeployment so there is no confrontation" - Somchai Wongsawat

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia's prime minister issued an ultimatum to Thailand to withdraw troops from a disputed border area by noon Tuesday.

Prime Minister Hun Sen's warning came amid rising tensions over a stretch of border near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, which has been a source of dispute between the two countries for decades.

Hun Sen accused Thai troops of advancing on a border area called Eagle Field near the temple in an attempt to occupy Cambodian land.

"They must withdraw," Hun Sen said. "I have set the timeline for them to withdraw by 12 o'clock." Noon in Cambodia is 1 a.m. EDT.

"At any cost, we will not allow Thai troops to invade this area. I would like to be clear about this," Hun Sen said. He added that he had ordered Cambodia's army chiefs to "take full responsibility over this area. It is a life-and-death battle zone."

Thailand's Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said he had ordered the army to "take care of the situation so there is no violence."

"We do not object to redeployment so there is no confrontation," Somchai told reporters, adding that he was not aware of Hun Sen's deadline.

Both countries have long claimed Preah Vihear, but the World Court awarded it to Cambodia in 1962. However, sovereignty over some of the land around the temple has not been clearly resolved.

Tensions flared July 15 after UNESCO, the U.N. agency, approved Cambodia's bid to have the Preah Vihear temple named a World Heritage Site. Both sides deployed troops to the border.

A brief gunfight broke out between the two sides early this month, with one Cambodian and two Thai soldiers wounded. Both sides claimed the other fired first and blamed each other for being on the wrong side of the border. Three days later, two Thai soldiers lost legs when they stepped on land mines in the area.

Hun Sen met Monday with Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornwiwat, but the meeting appeared to end without a resolution.

He said Monday, "We told them that if they do not stop (trespassing), armed clashes will break out."

Hun Sen sets Tuesday noon as ultimate time for Thai troops withdrawal from border area

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen speaks to the media after a meeting with Thailand's Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Phnom Penh October 13, 2008. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen here Tuesday set 12:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) as the ultimate time for over 80 Thai troops to withdraw from the Veal Intry area, about 2,000 meters west of the Preah Vihear Temple.

Both commanders have been discussing the issue since 08:30 local time Tuesday at the area, the premier told the Fourth Asia Forum, which was attended by hundreds of foreign guests and diplomatic corps.

"If the talk fails, weapon conflict will break out. But we don't want to see weapon conflict occur," he said.

The Veal Intry area is a very important location for reaching the Preah Vihear Temple, he said, adding that the Thai troops want to cut the road to the temple.

"I told Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornviwat yesterday in a candid talk that he has to tell Thai premier that the Cambodian side won't bear any loss of its land to Thailand," he said.

Thailand shouldn't treat Cambodia like this, because both are members of ASEAN and neighboring countries, he said.

Cambodia and Thailand used to have good cooperation with each other, especially in the field of fighting against terrorism, he said.

"The (usual) relationship between the two sides still continues normally at this minute," he added.

Here Monday, Hun Sen once asked Thailand to evacuate its troops from the Veal Intry area within 24 hours, and warned of war otherwise.

"The Veal Intry area is the dead or alive point for us," he told reporters at the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation after meeting with visiting Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornviwat.

"The situation at the Veal Intry area is too hot. They have to remove tonight or tomorrow. If they don't remove from the Veal Intry area, war will be waged," he added.

The Veal Intry area is on the Phnom Trap hill side, approximately 2,000 meters from the west side of the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda, which is situated on the only way leading to the Preah Vihear Temple.

In July, tensions ran high after the ancient Preah Vihear Temple was awarded world heritage status by UNESCO, angering nationalists in Thailand who still claim ownership of the site.

The tension later turned into a military confrontation, in which up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops faced off for six weeks. In mid-August, most troops evacuated and just a few dozen soldiers stationed near the temple.

However, bilateral talks to discuss withdrawing troops from around the temple were postponed late August amid political turmoil in Thailand.

In October at the border area, at least one Cambodian soldier and two Thai troops were wounded during an exchange of gunfire, and two other Thai soldiers were seriously injured after stepping on a landmine.

War threat [-Sompong; No Thai troops will be withdrawn as of now]

Tuesday, October 14, 2008
By Thanida Tansubhapol and Wassana Nanuam
Bangkok Post

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered fresh troops to the border with an ultimatum to Thailand: Pull military forces back today or the border will become a "life and death battle zone".

Hun Sen told reporters in Phnom Penh that he had warned Thailand's visiting Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat that without a quick pullout, Thai soldiers could face being fired upon by Cambodian troops in "large-scale armed conflict".

"If they cannot withdraw tonight, they must withdraw tomorrow," said Hun Sen.

"We have tried to be patient, but I told the Thai foreign minister today that the area is a life-and-death battle zone."

His comments came after talks with Mr Sompong in Phnom Penh.

Mr Sompong also met with his counterpart Hor Namhong in a bid to resolve the dispute over the area near the ancient Preah Vihear temple.

The Cambodian foreign minister said yesterday's talks failed to end in agreement because his Thai opposite number "could not sign anything".

Hun Sen and Hor Namhong both told reporters that Cambodia could choose to take the border dispute before an international court if it was not resolved soon.

The comments made by the Cambodian prime minister and foreign minister surprised Mr Sompong and Thai officials, who were adamant that the meetings had not been a failure.

Mr Sompong said the tone during the meetings between the two countries had been different as the Cambodian leaders agreed that both sides had to be patient in resolving the border spat.

He said no Thai troop withdrawals would be made from the 4.6 sq km overlapping area between Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket and Preah Vihear province of Cambodia until the dispute over ownership is cleared through negotiations in the Joint Boundary Commission that was set up to demarcate the land border.

Thailand reiterated its ownership over the area, Mr Sompong said in Bangkok and rushed to report the talks to Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.

Suranaree Task Force commander Maj-Gen Kanok Netrakavaesana will hold talks with his Cambodian counterpart tomorrow on the border issues and the Thai and Cambodian defence ministers will meet next Tuesday , according to Mr Sompong.

Cambodian Deputy Defence Minister Gen Neang Phat said more Cambodian troops were heading to the area after up to 500 Thai soldiers had tried to cross the border near an ancient Hindu temple that is claimed by both countries.

"We are building up our troops at the border in response to Thailand, but I cannot reveal the number," he told reporters.

Maj-Gen Srey Deok, who oversees the Cambodian military in the disputed area, said: "Thai troops have already entered the area. They are confronting our troops."

But Maj-Gen Kanok denied that more troops had been sent to the disputed area near the Preah Vihear temple.

Thailand and Cambodia have 10 soldiers each at the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda near the Preah Vihear temple and 45 around the compound on joint patrol, according to the agreement between the two countries to ease border tension.

The two countries also have back-up troops near the border.

The number of soldiers there remained unchanged, Maj-Gen Kanok said.

Maj-Gen Kanok slammed Cambodia for distorting information and taking advantage of the political crisis in Thailand to launch an offensive move for its own political benefit.

The Suranaree chief, his patience wearing thin, called for a quick solution to the border spat and a clear direction to be provided by the government as it could become an armed conflict if it was left unsettled.

"I want the government to solve this problem and make it clear what to do. If it is left this way, nobody knows what is going to happen," he said.

Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia first flared in July after the Preah Vihear temple was awarded World Heritage status by the World Heritage Committee.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the temple belongs to Cambodia, but the surrounding land remains in dispute.

Tensions escalated into a military confrontation in which up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops faced off for six weeks.

The two countries have swapped accusations of violating each other's territory in the dispute.

(with Agency reports)

Khmer troops patrolling Prolean Entry (Eagle Field) in Cambodia's Phnom Troap, Preah Vihear province

Cambodian soldiers walk to Eagle field on Phnom Trop mountain, near the Thai border and the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh, October 7, 2008. Two Thai soldiers stepped on landmines near the Cambodian border on Monday, the army said, three days after a brief exchange of fire near the Preah Vihear temple. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
A Cambodian soldier patrols Eagle field on Phnom Trop mountain, near the Thai border and the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh, October 7, 2008. Two Thai soldiers stepped on landmines near the Cambodian border on Monday, the army said, three days after a brief exchange of fire near the Preah Vihear temple. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
A Cambodian soldier (R) talks to a Thai soldier near the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh, October 7, 2008. Two Thai soldiers stepped on landmines near the Cambodian border on Monday, the army said, three days after a brief exchange of fire near the Preah Vihear temple. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian soldiers patrol Eagle field on Phnom Trop mountain, near the Thai border and the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh, October 7, 2008. Two Thai soldiers stepped on landmines near the Cambodian border on Monday, the army said, three days after a brief exchange of fire near the Preah Vihear temple. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
A Cambodian soldier sits at Eagle field on Phnom Trop mountain, near the Thai border and the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh, October 7, 2008. Two Thai soldiers stepped on landmines near the Cambodian border on Monday, the army said, three days after a brief exchange of fire near the Preah Vihear temple. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea