Dispute turns deadly as Thai and Cambodian troops fight it out

BORDER CLASH
April 4, 2009
By SUPALAK GANJANAKHUNDEE
THE NATION

One Thai soldier, two Cambodians killed; PM cites misunderstanding

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has blamed a "misunderstanding" as the cause of a Thai-Cambodian border clash yesterday near the Preah Vihear Hindu temple in which one Thai and two Cambodian soldiers died.

Several other people, including officials, were injured as both sides exchanged gunfire on two occasions, in the morning and afternoon.

The first round at 7am lasted only five minutes and caused no casualties. But the second clash at around 2pm at Phu Ma Khua hill, west of the Hindu temple, killed one Thai soldier and injured seven officials.

Private Wuthikrai Weruwanarak died in the battle, the Thai military said.

Two Cambodian soldiers whose names were unknown were also killed, according to Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith.

The gunbattle and mortar explosions from the hill were heard for 25 minutes in the afternoon, said a local villager some 5 kilometres from the clash site.

Local residents did not panic and continued to work in their farms as usual since there was no instruction to evacuate, said the villager via a phone interview from Si Sa Ket province.

The afternoon clash erupted just seven hours after the morning's brief gun exchange and a phone call by Thai Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to discuss the problem.

The skirmishes followed a warning by Hun Sen last Tuesday that Thai soldiers should refrain from entering Cambodian territory. He said his soldiers had been instructed to fire on any intruders.

Prime Minister Abhisit, who returned from the London Group-20 Summit yesterday, said there may have been misunderstanding between troops in the area.

"It could happen - since both sides claim the same area as their respective territory. We try to use the existing mechanism of negotiation to prevent the conflict from escalating," Abhisit said.

Abhisit, who planned to visit Phnom Penh on April 18, said, if necessary, he might make a phone call to Prime Minister Hun Sen to discuss the situation.

"At this stage, I'll let the concerned officials of both sides work it out," he said.

The clash yesterday took place in the same area where, last October, fighting killed four soldiers on both sides.

Cambodia has claimed Thai troops had invaded its territory and would write a letter of protest to Bangkok.

The Thai Foreign Ministry said it had also prepared an official protest, since Cambodian troops apparently opened fire first on a Thai patrol.

Both sides should exercise utmost restraint since the Thai-Cambodia Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC) is working out a settlement to the border dispute and demarcation of the boundary, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat. The JBC is scheduled to meet in Phnom Penh on April 6-7.

Thai, Cambodian military seek to defuse border tensions

BANGKOK, April 3 (TNA) - Thai Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan on Friday said Thai and Cambodian military officers discussed defusing tensions, after the two countries border guard troops exchanged gunfire in an early morning border incident in disputed territory near the ancient Preah Vihear temple.

A Thai soldier lost a leg in a land mine explosion on Thursday but Thai and Cambodian officers disagreed over which country he was in at the time.

Gen. Prawit said the incident was the result of a misunderstanding between operations officers of both sides along the border.

His remarks came two days after the Cambodian premier Hun Sen warned Thailand that it would face fighting if its troops crossed the disputed border.

Maj-Gen. Thawatchai Samutsakorn, deputy chief of Thailand’s second army, said the exchange of gunfire took place about 7am on Friday, three kilometres west of Preah Vihear temple or Phra Viharn as it is known in Thailand. There were no reports of any casualties from either side.

The clash broke off in the yet-to-be-demarcated disputed area of 4.6 sq km (1.8 sq miles) where Sgt-Maj. Suwat Chanaboon lost his left leg after stepping on a landmine while patrolling the border, the senior military officer said.

Cambodian forces said the Thai soldier was on their soil when the mine exploded.

Cambodia accused Thai troops of crossing the border, a charge Thailand has publicly denied.

Gen. Thawatchai rushed to the clash site to discuss the situation with Cambodian military officers.

It was the latest incident in a long-standing conflict over contesting claims to land surrounding the historic Preah Vihear temple, awarded World Heritage Site status by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) last year.

The incident marked the first deadly cross-border shooting since last October's border clash which left four troops dead.

The two countries have not yet resolved their border dispute in recent border talks.

Thai, Cambodian army officers hold talks after border gunfire [-Thai troops deliberately provoking Cambodian soldiers?]

BANGKOK, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Local-level Thai army officers were in the process to hold talk with those of Cambodian army officers after the two sides exchanged gunfire briefly early Friday morning on a disputed border area, Thai army spokesman Colonel Sansern Khaewkamnerd said.

The exchange of gunfire occurred after Thai soldiers went to tell around 20 Cambodian soldiers, who were at Tramareu area that Tramareu [Veal Entry in Khmer] belongs to Thailand, so they should not have entered, the Thai army spokesman told Xinhua during a telephone interview.

After the two sides separated from their meeting at Tramareu area, it was the Cambodian side that started opening fire, said the Thai army spokesman.

After the Thai soldiers did hear the shooting from the Cambodian side, they did fire back, said Colonel Sansern.

Meanhwile, Phay Siphan, Cambodian spokesman of the Council of Ministers, said the crossfire occurred around 07:15 local time (0015GMT), after a number of Thai soldiers trespassed on the Eagle Field, a piece of Cambodian soil.

According to a report by the website of Thai-language newspaper Thai Rath, the Cambodian soldiers claimed the shooting from their side was the accident.

By mid-Friday there was no report of casualty from the two sides.

On Thursday a Thai soldier during his patrol task stepped on a landmine and lost a leg at Tramareu area, and it was suspected that the landmine was planted by the Cambodian soldiers, Colonel Sansern said.

Tramareu area, which is around one kilometer from Preah Vihear temple, is in Kantalak district of Thailand's northeastern province of Sisaket, according to the Thai army spokesman.

In July last year, the tension over the long-disputed territory of the two countries started after the 11th century Preah Vihear temple at the border was granted UNESCO World Heritage status.

The two countries' troops clashed in the area in October and four soldiers died. The border dispute has not been resolved during subsequent talks by the two countries.

The two neighboring countries have never fully demarcated their disputed border, due partly to landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia.

The families of the dead soldiers received $US9000 each in financial assistance

Family members are mourning one of the dead soldiers.

Radio Free Asia, By Khim Sarorng
20th October 2008
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization

The families of the soldiers killed during the fighting with Thai troops on 15th October will receive $US9000 for each family in financial assistance from the government and ex-king Sihanouk.

Three Cambodian soldiers were killed during the fighting and three others were wounded.

The statement issued by the government on 17th October stated that the government has decided to assist the families of the dead soldiers to the amount of $US8000 and 1 million Riels for each family. The families of the wounded soldiers will receive $US2021 and 260,000 Riels each.

At the same time, ex-king Sihanouk has said from Beijing that he will donate $US1000 to each dead solders’ family and $US500 to each wounded soldiers’ family.

Other than financial assistance from the government and the ex-king, there were donations from government officials and other domestic and overseas donors as well.

The three dead soldiers were:

1. Colonel Phert Khambai, 47 years old, from battalion 121 embedded to Division 12. He was born in Narong village, Chhep commune, Chhep district, Preah Vihear province (near Laotian border). His wife’s name is Bea Sann, 46 years old. He has 7 children who live at Veal Rumpouk Barrack with battalion 121 in Kraing village, Preah Khlaing commune, Tbeng Meanchey district, Preah Vihear province.

2. Captain Toch Soeun, embedded with Border Protection Unit 404 of the Fourth Military Region. He was born in O’Kap Moan village, O’Mlu commune, Stungtrong district, Kampong Cham province. His wife’s name is Horm So-Onn, 42 years. He has 9 children who live in Toul Prosoeur village, Bak Anlong commune, Trapeang Prasat district, Oddor Meanchey province.

3. Captain Lon Deth, embedded with Border Protection Unit 431. He was born in Kroya village, Kroya commune, Santouk district, Kampong Thom province. His wife’s name is Sam Trea (deceased). He has 6 children who live at the headquarter of Border Protection Unit 431 based at Sra-Em village, Kantout commune, Choam Ksan district, Preah Vihear province.//
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1. If you would like to make a donation to the dead soldiers' families, please visit: Appeal for donations to the dead soldiers' families.

2. Khmerization's comment: All our dead soldiers are officers. Is it possible that they were executed by the Thais while they went to negotiate with the Thai troops to prevent the armed clash or for the ceasefire? The circumstances of their deaths should be fully investigated and reveal to the public.