Khmer army commander meets with Thai commander in Phnom Troap

Thursday, April 9, 2009
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

According to the RCAF commander of Unit 42, General Srey Doek and Thai General Kanok are meeting each other for discussions in Phnom Troap at 9AM of 08 April 2009. This meeting is not that important, but the two commanders promised each others that there will be an end to fire exchange and troops movement along the border. General Srey Doek indicated that, during the clash on 03 April, Thailand’s Red House located in front of the Preah Vihear temple was turned into a base for numerous pieces of artillery equipments and they were used to shoot into Preah Vihear temple. General Srey Doek said that, right now, Thailand moved out those artillery equipments and they have replaced it with three vehicles equipped with radar equipment instead. Srey Doek added that 6 truckloads of Thai soldiers from the Burma and Laos borders were moved in here to help their troops in the Preah Vihear temple zone.

[Thai] Army won't send more troops to temple area [... or so it claims]

Forces will be rotated, tensions ease after talks

7/04/2009
BANGKOK POST AND AFP

The army will not be deploying more troops in the disputed border area in and around the Preah Vihear temple despite the clashes last week with Cambodia, Second Army commander Wiboonsak Neepal says.

Lt Gen Wiboonsak yesterday said instead of pouring in reinforcements, the army would rotate its forces to bring in fresh legs.

The rotation is necessary if morale and confidence is to be boosted in the area which was the scene of last week's clashes.

Tensions look to have eased after talks on Sunday between Suranaree Task Force commander Kanok Netrakawesan and Maj Gen Srey Doek, head of Cambodia's military division 3.

The two generals arm wrestled after their talks to ease tensions between the two armies.

Maj Gen Kanok said the two countries had no plan to withdraw their troops from the area, so the possibility of future confrontation could never be ruled out.

Nothing could be taken for granted no matter how disciplined the soldiers, he said.

Two Thai troops and two Cambodians were killed in the fighting on Friday. Another 10 Thai troops were injured, one seriously. The clashes took place in a 4.6 sq km area claimed by the two sides.

Thailand claims the area is in Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket, while Cambodia insists it is in Preah Vihear province.

Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon will hold talks with his Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh aimed at preventing more clashes at the general border committee meeting in Siem Reap on April 27-28, an army source said.

The two neighbours have also started joint boundary commission talks in Phnom Penh aimed at resolving competing claims surrounding the Preah Vihear temple.

"The incidents that have happened show that the border issue needs to be resolved very quickly in order to avoid more incidents," Var Kim Hong told reporters before the talks.

Var Kim Hong co-chairs the committee with Thailand's Vasin Teravechyan.

The last meeting of the JBC ended in February with the two sides failing to reach an agreement on any of the key points, including the spelling of Preah Vihear in official documents.

Cambodia insists on using Preah Vihear while Thailand wants to refer to it as both Preah Vihear and Phra Viharn.

The World Court in 1962 gave ownership of the ruins of the Hindu temple to Cambodia, but tensions flared last July when the cliff-top structure was awarded United Nations World Heritage status.

Cambodia, Thailand agree to prevent new border clash

April 06, 2009
Xinhua

Thailand and Cambodia agreed on Sunday during an urgent meeting that their commanders would increase their supervising over their soldiers to prevent re-occurrence of the Friday's clash, in which two Thai soldiers were killed.

Maj Gen Kanok Natrakawesana, commander of Thailand's Suranaree Task Force, held the urgent meeting with Cambodian Maj Gen Srey Doek in Preah Vihear Temple on Sunday morning, the website by The Nation newspaper reported.

"If any problem happens, commanders of both sides would immediately step in to prevent any new fighting," Kanok said, describing the urgent meeting as constructive.

Meanwhile, Srey Doek told Khmer media that the meeting was held in order to make the situation return normal and to make sure there 's no more gunfire.

"We have agreed to stay on our own sides of the border," Srey Doek said.

Concerning last week's exchanges of gunfire, Kanok said it was a misunderstanding and both countries had already discussed and solved the misunderstanding.

"We have agreed that we will cooperate more and such fighting would not happen again," Kanok said.

Thai-Cambodia border tensions ease

Cambodian and Thai commanders held talks over lunch to clear the "misunderstanding" [AFP]

Monday, April 06, 2009
Al Jazeera

Preah Vihear temple
The 11th-century temple was built in the reign of King Suryvarman I, during the 600-year Khmer empire.

Built to honour the Hindu god Shiva, the temple has withstood decades of war.

In 1998, hundreds of Khmer Rouge guerrillas made their final surrender at the temple.

Unesco deemed the temple a world heritage site for its location, rare architecture, religious function and carved stone ornaments.

Tensions at the Thai-Cambodia border which flared last week have eased, Thailand's prime minister says.

"The tension, which resulted from a misunderstanding, has eased," Abhisit Vejjajiva said in his weekly television broadcast.

The statement comes after Thai and Cambodian military officials met at the disputed border area which was the scene of deadly clashes that left at least two Thai soldiers dead and a dozen wounded on Friday.

Both sides had accused each other of firing the first shots in two separate clashes which were the latest in a long-running feud over a 900-year-old Hindu temple and its surrounding area.

Lunch

Field commanders from both sides talked about how they could avoid further fighting over lunch on Sunday, according to Thai and Cambodian officials.

"We held the meeting in order to make the situation return to normal and to make sure there's no more gunfire," Major-General Srey Doek, a Cambodian commander, said after the talks.

Major-General Kanok Netrak Thavesanak, a Thai commander, said both sides would "communicate to solve problems" in the future, adding that "sometimes there are misunderstandings".

No further clashes were reported since troops exchanged fire with assault rifles and rocket launchers along the border near the ancient Preah Vihear temple complex.

Troops were seen chatting and some even stowed away their weapons, but said they were ready to fight after the clash, the biggest burst of violence over the territory since four people were killed in October.

Abhisit said he expected leaders of neighbouring countries to discuss the incident at a regional summit next week in the Thai coastal town of Pattaya, about 60km from the capital, Bangkok.

Abhisit's measured tone echoed remarks by Hun Sen, his Cambodian counterpart, downplaying the clashes as a mere "incident" between neighbours that would not erupt into a war.

"It's like next-door neighbours ... when their chickens fight, the owners get into a dispute too," Hun Sen had said on Saturday.

The Cambodian leader said Friday's fighting started when Thai soldiers advanced into heavily-mined territory claimed by Cambodia and ignored warnings to turn back.

But Thai officials denied any intrusion, saying they were trying to clear the area of explosives after a Thai soldier lost his leg when he stepped on a mine on Thursday.

Ownership of the temple was awarded to Cambodia by an international court in 1962, but ownership of the surrounding land has remained in dispute.

The recent listing of the temple as a Unesco world heritage site has revived nationalist tensions in Thailand and Cambodia.

Cambodians, Thais talk after fighting

Monday, April 06, 2009
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Cambodian and Thai officials have held talks to prevent more fighting on their border after months of tensions over land near an ancient temple flared up into deadly gunbattles.

A third Thai soldier died in hospital following Friday's clashes, which plunged relations between the neighbors to a new low.

Military officials from both sides met over lunch in disputed territory near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple yesterday, while Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was arranging to meet Thai officials in Phnom Penh.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he would raise the issue with Hun Sen at a Southeast Asian summit in Thailand this week.

Asean Summit to discuss border clashes : Thai PM

April 6, 2009
The Nation

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday the problem of Thai and Cambodian military clashes in a disputed border area will be raised at this week's Asean Summit in Pattaya.

The two neighbouring countries agreed their commanders would strictly supervise their men to prevent another gunfight like last week when Thai and Cambodian soldiers were killed. They firmly agreed their troops must keep to their own territory.

Abhisit said in his weekly TV talkshow that the border friction around the Preah Vihear Temple had gone on for some years, but had become more worrisome since last July, after the ancient site was granted world heritage status by Unesco.

The latest incident last Friday saw troops tangling twice near the ancient temple. Two Thai and two Cambodian soldiers died in the exchange while nine Thai soldiers were wounded.

Abhisit expressed condolences to the families of the dead and wounded soldiers.

He said he had earlier discussed with his Cambodian counterpart Prime Minister Hun Sen about settling the border dispute through the Thai-Cambodian Joint Border Committee, which will meet in Phnom Penh today and tomorrow.

The session was planned before last week's escalation of tensions.

Both Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan have been in constant contact with Cambodian authorities to settle the "misunderstanding", Abhisit said, adding that he expects the situation has now eased.

Maj General Kanok Natrakawesana, commander of the Suranaree Task Force, said his urgent meeting with Cambodian Maj General Srey Doek at the Preah Vihear Temple in the morning was constructive.

Soldiers guarding the border would not be allowed to bring any alcoholic drinks into the area, he said.

"If any problem happens, commanders of both sides will immediately step in to prevent any fighting." Last week's violence was a misunderstanding and both countries have already discussed and cleared it up.

"We have agreed to cooperate more closely and such fighting won't happen again," he said.

Srey Doek told Khmer media that the meeting with the Thai military was held to normalise the situation and ensure there's no more gunfire.

"We have agreed to stay on our own sides of the border," he added.

Bid to ease Thai feud

Preah Vihear, Cambodia
April 6, 2009
AFP

CAMBODIAN and Thai officials have held urgent talks to prevent fresh fighting on their border after months of tensions over disputed land near an ancient temple flared into deadly gun battles.

A third Thai soldier died in hospital following Friday's clashes, which plunged relations between the neighbours to a new low.

Military officials from both sides met over lunch in the disputed territory near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple yesterday, while Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was set to meet Thai officials later in the capital Phnom Penh.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the issue would come up when he meets Mr Hun Sen at a summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations and its regional partners in Thailand next week.

The Thai and Cambodian leaders sought to play down the latest crisis on Saturday, saying that it was the result of a misunderstanding and that the countries were not at war.

Cambodia, Thailand agree to prevent new border clash

BANGKOK, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Thailand and Cambodia agreed on Sunday during an urgent meeting that their commanders would increase their supervising over their soldiers to prevent re-occurrence of the Friday's clash, in which two Thai soldiers were killed.

Maj Gen Kanok Natrakawesana, commander of Thailand's Suranaree Task Force, held the urgent meeting with Cambodian Maj Gen Srey Doek in Preah Vihear Temple on Sunday morning, the website by The Nation newspaper reported.

"If any problem happens, commanders of both sides would immediately step in to prevent any new fighting," Kanok said, describing the urgent meeting as constructive.

Meanwhile, Srey Doek told Khmer media that the meeting was held in order to make the situation return normal and to make sure there 's no more gunfire.

"We have agreed to stay on our own sides of the border," Srey Doek said.

Concerning last week's exchanges of gunfire, Kanok said it was a misunderstanding and both countries had already discussed and solved the misunderstanding.

"We have agreed that we will cooperate more and such fighting would not happen again," Kanok said.

Thai, Cambodian field commanders agree to avoid clashes in future

General Srey Doek (R) shakes hand with Thai General Kanok Netrakavaesana (L) at the Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak pagoda, near Preah Vihear temple on 05 April 2009 (Photo: Savyouth, Radio Free Asia)

SI SA KET, April 5 (TNA) -- Two days after deadly clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers erupted near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, field commanders of the two neighbouring countries agreed Sunday to avoid future battle through talks.

Thailand’s Suranaree Task Force commander Maj-Gen. Kanok Netrakavaesana told a press conference that he had discussed with Cambodia’s local commander Lt-Gen. Srey Deok at a temple atop Preah Vihear earlier in the day, agreeing maintain tighter discipline over their field commanders to keep the peace in the temple vicinity.

If any problem arises in future, army commanders of both sides in the area will come to the negotiating table and find ways to solve the problem, Maj-Gen. Kanok said.

The latest clashes were purely “accidental” and both sides agreed to avoiding future clashes, he said.

The latest incident broke out last Friday when soldiers of the two countries clashed twice near the ancient temple. Two Thai soldiers and two Cambodian soldiers died in the fighting while nine Thai soldiers were wounded.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear temple – called Khao Prah Viharn by Thais -- belongs to Cambodia, but the most practical entrance is from a mountain in Thailand, and both sides claim some of the same portions of surrounding territory.

On reports that Cambodian soldiers have moved six tanks to two villages near Preah Vihear which could be interpreted as reinforcing their troops in the area, Maj-Gen. Kanok said it was Cambodia’s concern, but the number of Thai troops in the area remained unchanged.

“Future problems can be settled through talks immediately,” he added, “because Thailand and Cambodia are friendly long time ago,” he added.