Thailand, Cambodia talking after 2 Cambodians killed in border dispute

Wednesday, October 15, 2008
CBC News (Canada)

Thai and Cambodian generals have scheduled a meeting Thursday to discuss a dispute about land on the border that cost two Cambodian soldiers their lives Wednesday.

The foreign ministers from the countries were already talking, Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said. "Cambodia is a good neighbour. We will use peaceful means. If there is violence, we have to negotiate," he said Wednesday.

As Somchai spoke, Thailand was preparing aircraft to evacuate about 1,500 of its citizens from Cambodia if the situation worsened.

The fight over the disputed land near the 11th-century Preah Vihear Hindu temple appeared to be a short exchange of gunfire that ended in the afternoon.

A Cambodian official said two soldiers were killed and two wounded, while a Thai army spokesman said five Thai soldiers were wounded.

The two countries have disagreed over 4.6 square kilometres of scrub near the temple since 1962, when the International Court of Justice awarded the building to Cambodia.

But ownership of the nearby land along the border was not resolved, and Thailand still resents the 1962 decision.

The recent fighting arose in July after UNESCO approved Cambodia's request to have the temple declared a world heritage site.

That aroused Thai fears that its claim to the land would be prejudiced, and both sides sent soldiers to the remote area.

The soldiers were pulled back in August, but tension rose recently. A Cambodian soldier and two Thai soldiers were wounded earlier in October.

Thai foreign minister ready to evacuate nationals from Cambodia

15 October 2008
AFP

BANGKOK - Thailand's foreign minister said Wednesday he was prepared to evacuate Thai citizens in Cambodia if warranted, in light of renewed fighting on their disputed common border.

Heavy gunfire erupted on Wednesday as a row over land near the ancient Preah Vihear temple boiled over, with reports of 500 Thai soldiers massing on their side of the border.

“We have prepared an evacuation plan but we have to see how serious the situation is before the plan is executed," Foreign Minister Sompong Amornviwat said.

"We can confirm that Thailand was not the first to fire because the prime minister has a clear position on this," he added.

The fighting broke out in a small patch of disputed land about two kilometres (1.2 miles) from the 11th century Khmer temple, an UN World Heritage site which is on Cambodian territory.

Cambodia and Thailand have been sparring over land near the temple since July, and tensions soared this week after about 80 Thai troops entered a disputed area, enraging Cambodia.

Thai nationals were last evacuated from Cambodia in 2003 after nationalist violence erupted outside the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh over another temple dispute.

PREAH VIHEAR: Border tensions rise

Cambodian anti-riot police stand guard yesterday at the Preah Vihear temple near the Thai border in Preah Vihear province. Cambodia and Thailand further increased their forces in the fifth day of a tense standoff on disputed land near an ancient Hindu temple.

July 20, 2008
Sunday Nation

Commerce ceases, residents prepare for evacuation; Army says talks will ease temperatures

Some 60 shop owners have been ordered by the Army to remove their stock and leave their shops around Preah Vihear temple.

Tensions along the Thailand-Cambodian border continue to rise and fears of a military confrontation are increasing.

Shop owners from Mor-e-daeng market were told early yesterday morning to close their shops and remove stock, as the Army set up checkpoints preventing tourists, protesters and local and foreign journalists from getting close to the disputed temple compound.

Evacuation plans for residents have been drawn up and the area can be cleared in 30 minutes, soldiers say.

Shops cleared

A Ranger division was mobilised early yesterday morning and went shop to shop explaining it cannot be responsible for stock left on shelves in any engagement. The Army is checking and recording names of those moving out and others travelling routes in the area.

One Si Sa Ket kamnan, Veerayuth Duangkaew, says armed troops have entered the area and a lot of people have left the vicinity of the temple.

Local residents are fearful clashes with Cambodian troops are imminent. Shop owner Thonglar Cham-song, 43, doesn't expect the situation to improve anytime soon.

Police are on alert and are preparing for an evacuation. Bueng Malu superintendent Lt-Colonel Tippong Tipayakaset is worried about looting during an evacuation. "What's worrying is that in a war, while an evacuation is taking place, there will be looting. We are preparing for that."

Supreme Commander General Boonsrang Niumpradit is confident no clashes will ensue. He says everything will be done to avoid a conflict at tomorrow's bilateral negotiations with Cambodia's General Tea Banh. "Talks will be mostly about military matters and will touch on other subjects later. We already have the General Border Committee, which is composed of representatives from various organisations with the lead from the Defence Ministry.

"[Tea Banh] doesn't want an incident. Neither do we. So I reckon we can talk. The commanders on each side must try to reduce the temperature, because it's easy to lose tempers. We must carefully control that."