Thailand, Cambodia investigate allegations that Cambodian troops fired on Bangkok Airways jet

Thursday, July 12, 2012
Associated Press

BANGKOK — Authorities in Thailand and Cambodia are investigating reports that Cambodian troops fired on a Bangkok Airways passenger jet after mistaking it for a spy plane.

A senior Thai army officer says Cambodians opened fire as the plane circled the border region in bad weather this week. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

There were no reports of damage.

Thailand’s Foreign Minister Surapong Tovijakchaikul denies the reports.

Fresh fighting breaks out on Thai-Cambodian border

Apr 23, 2011
DPA

Bangkok/Phnom Penh - Thai and Cambodian troops clashed Saturday in the second day of fighting near a disputed temple on their common border in a conflict that has already claimed at least seven dead and 19 injured.

'Fighting started at 6:15 am (2315 GMT Friday), but no casualties have been reported yet,' said Thai army deputy spokeswoman Colonel Sirijan Nathong.

'We're still investigating who started it,' she said. 'They are using artillery but the fighting is not as heavy as yesterday's.'

Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan again blamed Thai forces for instigating the clashes, which he confirmed were taking place in the same area as Friday's fighting. He said there was no word on casualties.

Phay Siphan said Thai F-16 warplanes were staging mock attack runs on Cambodian positions.

'This time we have seen on a number of occasions Thai F-16 airplanes. This time they are not just doing reconnaissance, but air support, but they have not dropped bombs,' he said.

Bullies will get their comeuppance

February 22, 2011
By Allen Myers, Phnom Penh
Posted by The Nation

PM Abhisit is working overtime to prevent international observers seeing what his troops have been and are doing. But can he hide them from the Buddha?

Who, if anyone, is in charge of the Thai Air Force?

Is it the Thai Defence Minister? Someone else in the government? A military commander? The yellow shirts? The question arises because all of these people, and more, seem to be issuing orders to Thailand's Air Force and/or explaining its actions. And mostly they disagree with each other.

Let's start with the yellow shirts. Although they put PM Abhisit into office by occupying the Bangkok airport, they are upset with his inability to disband Unesco, overrun Preah Vihear or convince the rest of the world that Thailand is the only country that has any heritage worth mentioning.

On February 3, there was a yellow-shirt demonstration in Bangkok led byMajor-General Chamlong Srimuang. According to The Nation, Chamlong called on the Thai government "to withdraw Thailand from membership of the World Heritage Committee, disavow 2000's memorandum of understanding on bilateral border demarcations" with Cambodia and to "send F-16 fighters flying over the controversial spots along the Thai-Cambodian border". The report continued: "The Thai Air Force could be used in lieu of ground or naval forces against the Cambodians, who only have some dilapidated MiG-21 fighters."

Thai Air Commander To Visit After Violations

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
10 September 2009

Thailand’s chief air marshal, Itthaporn Subhawong, will come to Cambodia next week to meet high-ranking military commanders, following reports that Thai aircraft had crossed as deep as 30 kilometers into Cambodian territory.

The commander of Thailand’s air force will be accompanied by 30 senior officers when he visits Sept. 14, defense officials said.

Thai fighter jets have reportedly flown into Cambodia three times over Pailin province recently, and a reconnaissance plane more than 10 times in the area near Preah Vihear temple, where a military standoff is underway between the neighbors. Prime Minister Hun Sen has warned he could order such flights shot down.

Nevertheless, Cambodian military officials said Itthaporn’s visit would be one of cooperation.

“This visit is very important for the Cambodian and Thai air forces to exchange their experiences with each other and to strengthen their cooperation,” said Chhum Socheath, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense.

Itthaporn is expected to meet with Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh, Pol Saroeun, commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, and Sin Samnang, commander of Cambodia’s air force.

The delegations “may raise the problem of Thai jet fighters violating Cambodian airspace,” Chhum Socheath said.

Thailand has written official apologies for the violations, claiming they were due to the presence of dark clouds over the border.

Thailand apologizes for repeated incursions into Cambodian airspace

Aug 19, 2009
DPA

Phnom Penh - Cambodia has received a letter of apology from the commander of a Thai airbase apologizing for a series of Thai air force flights that crossed into Cambodian territory in the past week, local media reported.

A Cambodian general told the Phnom Penh Post newspaper that the commander of Thailand's Chantaburi-Trat airbase, whom he did not name, had written that the incidents were due to bad weather affecting the navigation systems of the aircraft.

'We accepted the letter of apology by the Thai military but we have warned Thailand's airbase that we will not take responsibility for a second repeated airspace violation,' General Bun Seng said .

The general said incursions usually took place over disputed areas on the border between the two nations, but said this time Thai aircraft had flown 30 kilometres inside Cambodia.

'This is the first time they have flown so far into Cambodian territory,' he said.

A spokesman for the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the government accepted the apology, but warned that subsequent incursions would 'be dangerous.'

Cambodia and Thailand have a longstanding dispute over their 804-kilometre common border. In the past year several Cambodian and Thai soldiers have been killed and injured in skirmishes around Preah Vihear temple on the border in the north of Cambodia.

Thai plane violation of Cambodia's airspace was due to dark clouds: Is Thailand still flying antiquated WWI-era spy planes?

Is this the type of spy planes used by Thailand? Is this why it can't tell it violated Cambodia's airspace under dark cloud cover?

Cambodia warned Thailand for violating Cambodia’s airspace

August 18, 2009
Radio Australia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

On Monday, a group of Cambodian officials issued a new warning on the violation of Cambodia’s airspace by Thai planes. The officials indicated that, in the future, these airplanes will no longer be lucky as they were in the past if they continue to violate Cambodia’s airspace. The following is Khemara Sereyrath’s report from Phnom Penh:

This is a new reminder issued to Thailand, in spite of the fact that Thailand sent in a written clarification regarding its airplane flying into Cambodia’s airspace in Pailin province at the end of last week.

Koy Kuong, spokesman of the Cambodian ministry of Foreign Affairs, indicated that Cambodia just received the official apology letter explaining the violation of Cambodia’s airspace [by Thai plane]. In its explanation, Thailand claimed that the violation was due to the presence of dark clouds, that was why the plane violated Cambodia’s airspace, and Thailand also claimed that this technical mistake was due to the fact that maps were not consulted properly only.

Nevertheless, Koy Kuong expressed Cambodia’s concerns for the pilot’s safety, because of this lack of attention, the pilot could face danger when he violates Cambodia’s airspace again in the future.

Hun Sen warned that he’ll have Thai airplanes trespassing into Cambodian airspace shot down

01 July 2009
Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Prime minister Hun Sen issued a warning to neighboring Thailand, which is currently embroiled in a border dispute with Cambodia, that it should be careful with its planes so that they never fly into Cambodian airspace otherwise danger awaits them because Cambodian soldiers cannot hold back.

Hun Sen made this declaration during a ceremony to distribute diploma for 975 students from the Norton University on 30 June 2009.

Hun Sen also talked about the explosion incident which took place in the evening of 28 June and which was caused by the inattention of two soldiers who lit up their matches to look at the gas tank of their truck and caused a fire which led to the explosion of 29 BM-21 rockets loaded on the same truck. The explosion injured 2 persons, and Hun Sen said that Cambodia had these ammunitions since long ago, and they are not new. Each of the rockets costs $3,000 and Cambodia does not want to boast that these are merely medium-size ammunitions, [in fact Cambodia] has even larger size [ammunitions] than these and the exploded ammunitions make up only about 1% [of the total].

Hun Sen added that he frankly told Thailand’s defense minister and its deputy-PM during their meeting with him last weekend that [Thailand] should be careful with its planes trespassing into Cambodian airspace. Hun Sen added that earlier, Cambodia destroyed 270 shoulder-launched missiles, but Cambodia has replaced them with even more modern ones and he cannot order those who have their fingers on the trigger. Therefore, Thailand should be careful and look at its maps properly and not fly into someone else’s airspace. Hun Sen said: “I am telling you frankly that even if each missile costs $200,000, I will still buy them.” Hun Sen added: “I am concerned that they fly into [our airspace] when they are transporting Thai leaders in them, because we do not have planes to fly back and forth, only Thailand flies airplanes and they circle them around, what if those who are below can not hold back.”

Hun Sen said that he frankly told Thailand that the number of Cambodian soldiers along the border will remain the same, and there is no troops pullout as long as the 30 [Thai soldiers] are not being pulled out, their bones will be [buried] there.”

Regarding his private meeting with Suthep Thaugsuban, Thailand’s deputy-PM, on 27 June at his residence in Takhmao, Hun Sen said: “Samlor Kor-ko (mixed vegetable soup allegedly cooked by his wife) was very good” because, like what Hun Sen said before, there were no discussions about Preah Vihear temple.

Hun Sen added that, nevertheless, in this issue, he is not boasting to Thailand. Thailand has more modern weapons than Cambodia, and it has more troops than Cambodia: Thailand had 300,000 troops, and Cambodia has only 100,000 soldiers. However, in the national defense, Cambodia will be pleased to oblige Thailand to the end. Hun Sen added that: “We don’t want war with neighboring countries, but it is an automatic right to defend when it comes to one’s border.”

Hun Sen also criticized [Singapore] Channel News Asia which falsely reported that he discussed Preah Vihear issue with Thailand’s ministers. In reality, whatever Hun Sen said, that’s how it was, and there was no need to talk about Preah Vihear issue. We have several issues to discuss with each other, including the overlapped maritime sea area between the two countries in order to bring in joint development, and also the border problems between the two countries where tension and confrontations must be lowered.”

To conclude, Hun Sen claimed: “I will not lose a single minute to tell the Thai counterpart to pull their troop out of Cambodia. It is a fact that I have to tell them, if I forget this point, it means that I am forgetting my own nation.” Hun Sen added that this is the actual problem, but the results will have to wait for the upcoming negotiations.

Two Thai jet fighters violate Cambodian airspace 5-6 kilometres deep inside Khmer territories

Cambodian border soldiers manning the borders.

Reaksmei Kampuchea newspaper
6th March, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

Two Thai jet fighters have flown three times, 5-6 kilometres deep inside Cambodian territories along the Ouddor Meanchey-Banteay Meanchey provinces.

The Thai violations over Cambodian airspace took place between 12 to 12:30 midday on the 4th of March, 2009. The Cambodian side had lodged a formal complaint with the Thai side already.

Mr. Leng Mary, chief of land administration of Thmor Puok district and many other officials based at Thlea village in Banteay Chhmar commune, said that they all saw the jets flying over their heads. They said that the jets were flying about 500-600 metres above their heads from Rumduol village in Banteay Ampil district, Ouddor Meanchey at border marker number 27 to Thlok village in Banteay Chhmar commune, Thmor Puok district in Banteay Meanchey province at border markers number 85-86.

Brig-Gen. Plon Dara, commander for Ouddor Meanchey province, said on the 5th of March that these two Thai jets have violated Cambodian airspace 10 kilometres in length and 5-6 kilometres deep inside Khmer territories.

From 2008 to 2009, Thai jet fighters had violated Cambodian airspace on numerous occasions along the borders of Preah Vihear, Battambang, Ouddor Meanchey, Koh Kong, Pursat and Banteay Meanchey provinces. In Banteay Meanchey alone, Thai jet fighters had violated Cambodian airspace 42 times in 2008 and 6 times in the first two months of 2009.

These Thai violations of Cambodian airspace happened after Cambodia and Thailand are locked in disputes over the ownership of the Preah Vihear areas, Ta Moan Thom and Ta Krabey temples as well as other border areas, after the Thai invasion of the Preah Vihear areas on 15th July, 2008.