Army denies Cambodian teenager killed by Thai military

BANGKOK, Sept 17 (TNA) - A senior Thai Army officer denied a report in a Cambodian newspaper that Thai soldiers shot a Cambodian teenager and burned him alive, saying that the military units along the Thai-Cambodian border denied that such an incident happened.

Lt-Gen Wiboonsak Neephan, commander of the Second Army Region responsible for security affairs along the northeastern border told Thai News Agency that he had inquired every units along Thai-Cambodian border and the officials confirmed that nothing similar to the news report ever occurred and that he did not know why there was such a report in the media.

He affirmed that Thai soldiers would not do such a barbaric act as reported in the Cambodian newspaper and stated he thought that the information could be incorrect.

Gen Wiboonsak affirmed that the Thai-Cambodian Border Peacekeeping Committee is working closely to avoid border disputes and to offer certainty that actions are within the legal framework and agreements.

He added that Thailand and Cambodia had agreement to solve border disputes and the incident should not have happened.

The English-language Phnom Penh Post on Monday quoted Thon Nol, governor of Samrong district in Oddar Meanchey province as saying that a Cambodian teenager named Yon Rith, 16, was arrested and burned alive after Thai armed forces accused him of illegally felling trees.

Another teenager from the same village in Kon Kreal commune, 18-year-old Mao Kleung, was also shot and seriously wounded, he said, but villagers managed to carry him to Cambodian territory, and he is now in an Oddar Meanchey hospital.

Meanwhile, foreign media quoted Cambodian Deputy Foreign Minister Ouch Borith as saying that he had seen evidence proving the incident took place and urged Thailand to investigate what he said was a "brutal and inhumane" act.

Mr Borith said he had seen photographs of the charred body of a boy. He did not provide any evidence Thai soldiers were responsible.

As for the planned rally of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) near the Preah Vihear temple, Gen Wiboonsak said the contested area was dangerous zone and had few accommodations to facilitate the demonstrators.

The PAD “Yellow Shirts” plan to rally at the border province of Si Sa Ket on Saturday to protest against the Cambodian government, urging the Cambodians to withdraw their military and civilians from occupying the 4.6 square kilometre contested zone surrounding the 11th-century temple.

He said the Thai military had provided an area for the protesters to gather and urged the people who joined the rally to demonstrate under the legal framework and to bear in mind safety concerns.

Gen Wiboonsak said he believed the public know about the Thai-Cambodian border disputes and it would depend on cooperation from the public to ease the problems. He added that the public should realise (the importance) oft bilateral relations between Thailand and Cambodia and admitted that the protest may cause difficulty for the border talks.

Meanwhile, a reporter in Si Sa Ket reported that police had set up barricades at Phoomsarol temple in Kantharalak district to block the road to Khao Phra Wihan National Park to inspect vehicles and people who pass the entrance to the park.

The reporter said paramilitary rangers and military personnel from the Suranaree Task Force had also set up barricades with barbed-wire and other obstacles at the Forest Fire Control Unit Office about100 metres from the national park checkpoint and did not allow anyone to enter the park, including media.

Khao Phra Viharn National Park is the Thai gateway to the ancient Preah Vihear Temple.

Twenty PAD members reportedly occupied the border cooperation office near the park checkpoint and security personnel detained them at the office.

In related developments, French news agency Agence France Presse quoted the Cambodian Defence Ministry as saying that Cambodia deployed riot police Thursday at an ancient temple on the disputed border with Thailand where Thai protesters are due to hold a protest at the weekend.

Cambodian defence ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat was quoted saying that 50 police with dogs, batons, and tear gas were deployed at Preah Vihear temple in case the Thai protesters illegally crossed the border to cause problems.

No troop readjustment at Thai-Cambodian border: Thai military commander

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, July 3 (TNA) - Thailand's 2nd Army commander on Friday said border troop deployment remained unchanged along the Thai-Cambodian border near the disputed ancient Hindu temple ruins, stating that any troop readjustment had to be carried out in conjunction with a similar move of Cambodia. Lt-Gen Wibulsak Neepal, second army commander, said the situation along border at Thailand's Si Sa Ket province remained calm, and there were no signs of any unusual troop movements, but precautionary measures have been taken to prevent possible clashes. Referring to talks Thursday with Cambodia's 4th Army chief Lt-Gen Chea Mon in Thailand's northeastern province of Surin, Gen. Wibulsak said both parties agreed to submit each other's proposal to their superiors for further consideration. He stressed there was no progress on any border troop reductions, but both sides pledged not to resort to violence and recommitted to peaceful means through talks to end the dispute. "Thailand will not be the first to remove any troop from the area claimed by both countries as the troop reductions had to be carried out by Thailand and Cambodia at the same time," the general said. "If it isn’t done, the standoff otherwise will remain as it is for the time being until the boundary committee can resolve the border dispute through (proper) demarcation," he said. Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban is scheduled to leave for the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh on Saturday to talk with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Mr. Suthep said the troop reductions should help ease border tensions. He and the Cambodian leader had agreed during their meeting last week border dispute should be settled by peaceful means. Border tensions have been escalating since the Thai government protested to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and its World Heritage Committee over their decision granting Cambodia's unilateral application last year to list Preah Vihear (Phra Viharn in Thai) temple as a World Heritage site. (TNA)

Thailand, Cambodia to hold operational level talks in July

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, June 26 (TNA) - Thailand and Cambodia will hold a regional border affairs meeting in Thailand’s northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima in July to discuss border problems, a senior Thai military official on Friday.

Lt-Gen. Viboonsak Neepan, Thailand's Second Army Region commander, overseeing the northeastern region which borders Cambodia, said he had fruitful talks with Lt-Gen. Chea Mon, Commander of Cambodia's 4th Military Region on Thursday.

Gen. Viboonsak said the parties agreed to hold their periodic Regional Border Meeting (RBC) in Nakhon Ratchasima to discuss unresolved border problems and troop deployments along the Thai-Cambodian border near the historic Preah Vihear temple, as it is feared that troop reinforcements of both countries may cause misunderstanding which may lead to clashes.

The Thai commander also insisted that despite the latest tensions at the border, both Thai and Cambodia's operational level officials can still meet regularly in order to understand each other to avoid confrontation.

Gen. Viboonsak added that he regularly reports any border difficulties to army chief Gen. Anupong Paochinda.

Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia arose again and troop reinforcements from both countries took place near Preah Vihear after Thailand expressed its opposition to Cambodia's unilateral listing of the temple as a World Heritage Site to the World Heritage body and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

UNESCO agreed to register Preah Vihear as a World Heritage Site under the aegis of Cambodia in July last year.

Thailand had proposed that the temple be registered jointly as a World Heritage Site by both countries, not unilaterally by Cambodia.

In 1962 the International Court of Justice ruled that Preah Vihear belongs to Cambodia, but the most accessible entrance begins at the foot of a mountain in Thailand, and both sides claim overlapping portions of the surrounding territory.

Armed clashes between the two countries’ military forces have occurred periodically since then, near the temple, especially in a 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area.

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: A two-head Siemese

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

Thailand and Cambodia resume border talks at Siem Reap

SIEM REAP, Oct 23 (TNA) - Thai army and government officials arrived at Cambodia's Siem Reap to attend a Thai-Cambodian Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting set for Thursday and Friday, aimed at seeking peaceful solutions to the ongoing border row between the two countries.

The historic town of Siem Reap is close to Angkor Wat, the former seat of the ancient Khmer empire, which once extended over much of present-day Thailand.

The Thai representatives are led by Second Army Region commander Lt-Gen. Wiboonsak Neeparn while the Cambodian counterpart team is headed by Fourth Army commander, Gen. Chea Mon.

The previous border committee meeting was held October 16 after several clashes near the ancient Preah Vihear temple on ther previous day.

One Thai and two Cambodian soldiers died and a number of Thai and Khmer troops were wounded during the three skirmishes which took place in the disputed zone which both countries claim on October 15.

On Thursday, an informal meeting would be held between the representatives of both sides, with the official talks scheduled to take place on Friday.

It was expected that the talks would mainly cover measures to ease the border dispute, but would also deal with the problems of immigrant workers, health care and border trade between the two countries.

The Thai cabinet earlier this week approved Vasin Teeravechyan, the kingdom's former ambassador to South Korea and formerly Director-General of the Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs as new chairman of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC) for Thailand.

Meanwhile, Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat expected to have informal bilateral talks with his Cambodian counterpart Prime Minister Hun Sen to discuss the two countries' ongoing border dispute on the sidelines of the Asia and Europe Meeting (ASEM) leaders summit that opens in Beijing on Friday.

[Thailand] 2nd Army Area Commander assures situation on Thai-Cambodian border on good terms

October 14th, 2008
By Amrit Rashmisrisethi
Source : National News Bureau, Public Relations Department of Thailand

The 2nd Army Area Commander affirmed this morning that the Thai-Cambodian border situation near the Khao Phra Wihan National Park in Si Sa Ket province has returned to normal after a minor clash between the two nations’ troops on October 3rd.

2nd Army Area Commander Lt.Gen. Wiboonsak Neephan revealed that relations along the Thai-Cambodian border following clashes between soldiers on October 3rd at Preah Vihear have improved consistently. He stated that both nations’ militaries have kept up communications and created a level of understanding. Lt.Gen. Wiboonsak asked for confidence that there is nothing to worry about at the border.

The army commander said that negotiations have yielded positive results with both sides reducing their troop numbers. He also remarked that morale is high amongst both countries’ military personnel and asked that all sides cooperate to resolve conflicts.