Khmer soldiers on high alert after mine explosion at Prolean Entry

A Khmer soldier patrolling at Phnom Trop on 19th, October.

By Sav Yuth
29th October, 2008
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization

There are reports that there is a mine explosion on Tuesday night at the areas where fighting between Khmer and Thai troops took place on the 15th of October which caused the Khmer soldiers to take up positions.

Many Khmer soldiers at Prolean Entry, Phnom Trop and at the frontline areas near Preah Vihear temple took up positions from Tuesday night until Wednesday morning when they heard a mine explosion 250 metres from their positions at Prolean Entry.

Deputy Commander of Division 43, Col. Bun Thean, said that at 11 PM on Tuesday night there was a mine explosion 250 metres from the frontline, but till Wednesday morning they still didn't know what exactly caused the mine to explode. He added that maybe the animals stepped on it or maybe the Thai soldiers stepped on it because the Cambodian soldiers dared not go to check the area because it was laden with landmines left from a long time ago.

Col. Bun Thean said: "We heard the explosion at 11 o'clock and 10 minutes last night. But when I asked our soldiers to check they didn't find anything. We did not dare to go deep into that area."

On Wednesday, the Thai military cannot be contacted for the information about whether there were any Thai soldiers who were injured from the explosion.

But a Khmer military official from Division 12 said that at around 8 AM on Wednesday, they saw a Thai helicopter landed near the explosion site but they are sure if the helicopter came to pick up the wounded soldiers or came for other purposes. He said: "This morning we saw a helicopter landed there but we are not sure if it came to pick up the wounded soldiers or for other purposes."

Sources from the Cambodian soldiers said that after they heard the explosion, both the Cambodian and Thai soldiers jumped into their trenches and stayed there until the next morning.

In relation to mine clearing, Chairman of Cambodian Border Committee, Mr. Var Kim, said that on Tuesday morning he when to the disputed zone at Preah Vihear to investigate the sites for mine clearing for future border demarcations, if the Thai agrees to do the same thing.//

War threat [-Sompong; No Thai troops will be withdrawn as of now]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

Khmer soldiers on high alert as Thai soldiers persevere in trespassing into Cambodia

Cambodian soldier guarding the border near a tree on 06 October 2008. Khmer soldiers are on high alert following the explosion of landmines at Phnom Troap, near Preah Vihear temple. (Photo: Sav Yuth, RFA)

06 October 2008
By Sav Yut
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

On Monday 06 October, the military situation in Prolean Entry (Eagle Field) located on Phnom Troap mountain, about 3-km from Preah Vihear temple, is becoming tense again because Cambodian soldiers are on high alert following the 10 AM explosion of two landmines at about 100-meter from their line. These explosions are believed to be Thai soldiers persevering in trespassing into Cambodian territories.

An armed Cambodian soldier posted at Prolean Entry immediately chased away a group of journalists who traveled there, for their own safety sake, because Khmer soldiers know that Thai troops are persevering in moving their troops into Cambodian territories in that area: “Today, there were 2 explosions already, they (Thai troops) used to sneak in like that, they sneaked in several times already. In the past, there were black-clad soldiers only, now they are joined by their paramilitary soldiers and their fighting troops. In the past few days, we are always on high alert, for example, in a 5-soldier guard, 2 sleep and the 3 others are on the lookout, then we switch with each other.”

According to report provided by Cambodian troops over telecommunication line, the landmine explosions severed both legs of a Thai soldier, and another Thai soldier got one leg severed. A Thai army helicopter came and took them out of the area. Nevertheless, there is no clarification from the Thai army regarding the actual number of Thai soldiers injured from the explosion.

An anonymous Cambodian army official belonging to Unit 43 overseeing this area, said that on Monday morning, Thai troops are still persevering to invade and occupy the Prolean Entry area, so that they can also move in to occupy the 05 January zone, and then they can cut road leading to the Preah Vihear temple.

The same Cambodian officer indicated: “Their goal is to occupy the 05 January zone, so they fought to take over the Prolean Entry zone. At the end, we heard over their communication line that their plan is to have their troops find a corridor bypassing us so that they can build a bridge, an access road so they can send in their troops. When they came in, they never leave, they never do. So now we push them out, we must be careful.”

An anonymous Cambodian official from the Council of Ministers considers the actions taken by Thai soldiers as provocation attempts, their attempts to trespass into Cambodian territories are clear violations of the negotiations concluded by ministers of Foreign Affairs from the two countries who agreed that there will not be any troops movement, nor will there be any firing either.

On 03 October, an armed clash took place between Cambodian and Thai troops at Prolean Entry in Phnom Troap mountain. The incident injured one Cambodian soldier and 2 Thai soldiers.