Thailand sends fresh troops to An Ses pass

Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The RCAF commander for the Preah Vihear temple told Kampuchea Thmei in the afternoon of 20 October 2009 that a new group of Thai black-clad troops was added to the An Ses pass, located east of Preah Vihear temple, about 50 km from Choam Ksan district. The RCAF commander indicated that these Thai troops did not enter Cambodian territories yet, but that the Cambodian side saw that a large number of Thai forces was added in Thailand in front of the Cambodian line. When he saw the additional troops, the Cambodian commander asked the old Thai soldiers stationed there about these new troops, they told him that these new troops are not coming to station there, they just come to check their force stationed there, then they will pull back. Nevertheless, even with these additional fresh troops, the border situation still remains normal.

Thailand sends in additional troops to the disputed area with Cambodia

21 June 2009
By Savyuth
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer

A Cambodian military source indicated that a new unit of Thai paratroopers was recently sent in to set camp in front of Cambodian border troops at about 15 kilometers east of Preah Vihear temple.

Several Cambodian and Thai army commanders posted along the disputed frontline near Preah Vihear temple met each other in a Thai army camp known as the Red House located in front of Preah Vihear temple in the morning of 21 June. They were looking for ways to diffuse the tense armed situation along several unsolved disputed border areas.

General Srey Doek, the commander of Cambodian Battalion 3 stationed near the disputed Preah Vihear border, said on Sunday afternoon that the meeting between Cambodian and Thai army officers was done to find a way to diffuse the tense military situation and to avoid a new armed confrontation.

General Srey Doek said: “The goal of the discussion was to try to diffuse the tense situation … politics, politics for a resolution, the army commanders are staying on their own.”

Srey Doek added that, as of Sunday 21 June, the situation between Thai and Khmer troops in the disputed border zone near Preah Vihear temple remains normal still.

According to an RCAF officer stationed at the Choam pass, Preah Vihear province, located about 15 km east of Preah Vihear temple, a unit of about 400 Thai paratroopers came to build huts and camp inside the Thai border for the past 3 days. They are stationed in front of Cambodian troops: “They have a small unit of about 400 men.”

In the Chak Chreng area, Cambodian troops indicated that Thai soldiers who came to camp there for more than one month already have not pulled out yet. Several Cambodian troops were sent in to this area, and they have issued a warning to Thai soldiers, telling them not to go out on patrol without informing Cambodian soldiers beforehand.

The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia has dragged on for several months already, and the two governments that use to be compliant to each other and they have met to negotiate in the past, now, they are expressing strong reactions toward one another instead.

On Saturday 20 June, Hor Namhong, the Cambodian deputy-PM and minister of Foreign Affairs, lashed out at the Thai PM who said that the listing of Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site was the cause of the border dispute.

Hor Namhong said: “It happened twice already, if they want to send their troops to Cambodia for the third time, we welcome them.”

Since Thailand sent in several hundreds of black-clad soldiers to Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak on 15 July 2008, several border disputes erupted one after another, and they all dragged on until now, almost one year already. Troops from both sides are still facing each others in a tense armed confrontation.

Troop build-up at border: Incursion claims, two sides to meet Monday [-Thai civilian trespassers are still inside Cambodia]

Thursday July 17, 2008
BANGKOK POST AND AGENCIES

Thailand and Cambodia will hold an urgent meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC) on Monday to defuse the growing tension over the listing of the old Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site.

The decision comes as both countries are sending troop reinforcements to the sensitive border area.

Lt-Gen Sujit Sithiprapa, commander of the Second Army in charge of the northeastern region, has closed Khao Phra Viharn national park in Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket and sealed access to the border in the area, banning visitors from seeing the temple ruins from the Thai side.

The road is now closed from the forestry district office, which is 8km from the borderline at Pha Mor E-Daeng.

The closure means members of the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy will be unable to go to the border today as planned.

Si Sa Ket governor Sanee Jittakasem suggested they stage a protest in the district town instead.

About 900 Cambodians living on the mountain where the temple is located have fled their homes for a safer spot lower down, according to Cambodian border unit commander Seng Vuthy.

Three Thai protesters remained in the disputed area to meditate at Wat Phra Viharn, about 200m from the stone staircases leading to the temple. They were released on Tuesday after being detained, but refused to leave the 4.6 square kilometre disputed area.

The GBC, set up by the two countries to solve border issues, will meet for talks in Sa Kaeo province, the Foreign Ministry said.

The committee is co-chaired by the defence ministers of both countries. But it was unclear whether Defence Minister Samak Sundaravej and his Cambodian counterpart Gen Teah Banh will attend the talks or send representatives. The meeting was set for next month. The decision to bring it forward underlines the worry felt by both governments over the growing tension.

Thailand started reinforcing its troops yesterday after army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda ordered the First Special Warfare Unit to stand by at their base in Lop Buri province, and be ready for an airlift to the border in case of an emergency, an army source said.

Troops from the Artillery Regiment and the Third Infantry Division were already on their way to stations close to the border. The reinforcements from the three units would number about 800. Some 150 paramilitary rangers are already in the disputed area.

Air force chief ACM Chalit Phukpasuk assigned F-16 jets to patrol the border in Si Sa Ket yesterday and questioned the detention of three protesters by Cambodian soldiers in the overlapping zone.

''Ownership of the overlapping area is still open. As the boundary has not yet been established, does Cambodia have any right to arrest us if we enter the area?'' he said.

Pol Capt Soy Burin of the Cambodian border patrol unit said more Cambodian troops had been sent to guard the ruins.

Phnom Penh has 380 soldiers stationed at the temple, according to Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith.

Despite the presence of more troops at the border, Gen Anupong instructed soldiers to avoid a clash with Cambodian soldiers.

Lt-Gen Sujit insisted on the presence of Thai troops in the disputed area unless Cambodia moves its soldiers out.

''If Cambodia does not withdraw its soldiers, we won't either, because it is the overlapping area,'' he said.

Mr Khieu Kanharith backed off his assertion on Tuesday that Thai troops had been captured in Cambodia, saying it was a misunderstanding.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen told the public to remain calm and not to ''inflame [the situation] or add fuel to the fire.''