Thai soldiers shelled Khmer territories near Ta Krabey temple

Khmer soldiers on patrol near Phnom Trop.

Radio Free Asia
By Sav Yuth
17th Feb, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

Khmer villagers living along the borders in Boss Thom village of Kork Kposs commune in Banteay Ampil district, Ouddor Meanchey province claimed that Thai soldiers based on top of Phnom Thmor Roy (Mount Hundred Rocks) about 2 kilometres east of Ta Krabey temple have shot many artillery rounds into Khmer territories near Ta Krabey temple on the morning of 17th February, 2009.

The villagers said that they heard many rounds of artillery shot by Thai troops based on top of Phnom Thmor Roy at 11 o'clock in the morning.

The villagers said that one shell landed inside Khmer territories about 3 kilometres from their village causing panic among the villagers. One village said: "The Thai soldiers based on top of Phnom Thmor Roy fired the artillery... The villagers here all heard the sounds..... they are the sounds of artillery fires. Some shells landed on the mountain and about 10 shells landed on the foot of the mountain causing the people to gather their children in a safe place."

The Thai soldiers cannot be contacted for any comments regarding the allegations.

Khmer military officers from Battalion 42 said that at around 12 midday on Tuesday (17th) they heard many rounds of artillery shelling but they don't know of the reasons why the Thai side shelled the Khmer territories. Now, the Cambodian border troops have been sent to investigate. The same officer said: "Yes, there are shelling..artillery shelling. I cannot tell you in details because I don't know yet. My troops have been sent to investigate the matters."

Brig-Gen. Pov Heng, Deputy Commander of the Northern Region, said through telephone that there were shelling but he did not know of the reasons. He said: "We are sending our troops to investigate the matters."

Until 2 o'clock in the afternoon there is no news of the reasons for the Thai shellings but no one was injured by the shelling.

News from the Preah Vihear frontline said that about 30 Thai soldiers have entered Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak pagoda and stayed there many hours. They came to forbid the Cambodian monks residing in the temple not to build a new bathroom and extend the dining hall.

The news said that from 1 pm the same day, all Cambodian soldiers in the areas were ordered to remain in their positions on high alert, after news that the Thai shelled the Cambodian territories.

Situations in the disputed border areas on 30th November, 2008

Thai soldiers set up camps near the Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak pagoda on the 4th of October, 2008,

By Sav Yuth
30th March, 2008
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization

A Cambodian military officer said that Thai commanders wanted to redeploy their soldiers inside Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak pagoda after those troops were withdrawn from the pagoda a long time ago. Recently they attempted to reinforce the troop numbers to set up camps in the frontlines.

Cambodian deputy commander of the Intervention Force of Division 12 based at Preah Vihear area, Brig-Gen. Yiv Vanthorn, said that on 29th November, the Thai commander of division 6 of the Suranaree Force, Col. Chayan Huay Songnern, has requested to Cambodian authority to station 10 soldiers, wearing onlycivilian clothes, inside the Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak pagoda at night time with the supervision of the Thai delegation.

The same Khmer military officer (Brig-Gen. Yiv Vanthorn) said that the Thai request has been rejected. But on the morning of Saturday, a group of Thai soldiers have crossed the borders by attempting to set up camps in the frontlines but they were forced to leave the areas by Khmer troops.

The same military officer (Gen. Yiv Vanthorn) said: “Yesterday Thai troops came to see us. Their forces that have been redeployed (withdrawn) from the Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak pagoda came back wearing civilian clothes and said to us that when their leaders came to monitor the situations there they wanted to stay inside the temple without carrying any weapons. We did not agree with their request. And they reinforced their troop numbers to the frontlines by attempting to set up camps there but we forced them to leave the areas.”

At the disputed border areas in Oddor Meanchey province, from Ta Moan to Ta Krabey temples, one police officer who wants to remain anonymous, said that on Sunday Cambodian border patrol unit saw a group of Thai soldiers have crossed the borders and set up two camps about 3 kilometres from O’Choup Koki district and they used these camps as their bases for patrols.

The police officer said: “Our troops are on around the clock patrols from Rumduol checkpoint all the way to Ta Krabey temple. They set up camps at a place called Chan Krohorp, about 4-5 kilometres east of O’Choup Koki. They built two huts there and sometimes they stayed there, sometimes they went back to their bases. But we are on constant patrols there as well.”

Some circles within the Khmer society and some Khmer politicians want the border disputes resolved as quickly as possible. But on the 28th of November, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said that the political turmoils in Thailand have affected the border talks for the planting of border pillars between Cambodia and Thailand which was supposed to be held in December.

Please note that since Thailand sent troops to invade the Preah Vihear areas on the 15th of July, 2008 there were many talks between Cambodian and Thai foreign ministers but those talks were always faced with obstacles due to complicated political situations in Thailand.//