The Nation
Army chief General Anupong Phaochinda yesterday described the rumour that ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra was behind the recent flare-up of violence along the Thai-Cambodian border unfathomable.
"It's an issue too deep to speculate about. Even if it were true, it would be impossible to confirm," Anupong said.
Speaking on TV Channel 3, Anupong and commanders of all of the armed forces, including the police chief, declined to speculate as to why Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had given Thailand an ultimatum to withdraw its troops from the overlapping claims.
Thai armed-forces commander General Songkitti Jakkabatra suggested Hun Sen might have been misinformed about the situation along the border.
Meanwhile, Thai and Cambodian troops along the overlapping claims near the ancient Preah Vihear Temple grinned nervously as their respective commanders announced the two sides would conduct joint patrols but hold their ground.
Lt-General Wiboonsak Neeparn, commander of the Second Army Area, told reporters after his meeting with Cambodian officials that joint patrol should "prevent this kind of incident from happening again".
He said artillery and heavy weaponry would remain in place and not be pulled back for the time being.
"Thailand keeps its promises, but if Cambodia does not, [violence] could happen again," he said after the five-hour meeting.
He said talks would resume next Tuesday in Siem Reap but cautioned that more fighting was possible.
While most soldiers along the border were tight-lipped, a group of Thai paramilitary rangers near Pha Moh I-Daeng cliff said joint patrols were not exactly progress.
"We already ate from the same rice pot with the Khmer soldiers and conducted joint patrols with them in the disputed territory. But one bad day, politicians decided the two sides should fight," said one ranger, who asked not to be identified.
"It's bad enough to be working in this mine-infested area. We don't need any more of this," said another.
Two Cambodian soldiers were killed and seven Thai troops injured on Wednesday when tensions spilled over into a shoot-out.
Immediately after the two-hour clash, political leaders from both sides worked hard to discredit each other's claims about who fired the first shot and who captured whom.
Major-General Srey Deok, commander of Cambodian troops in the disputed border area, said his men had released 10 captured Thai rangers and handed back their weapons. Thailand, however, insists that none of its troops was captured.
"It's an issue too deep to speculate about. Even if it were true, it would be impossible to confirm," Anupong said.
Speaking on TV Channel 3, Anupong and commanders of all of the armed forces, including the police chief, declined to speculate as to why Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had given Thailand an ultimatum to withdraw its troops from the overlapping claims.
Thai armed-forces commander General Songkitti Jakkabatra suggested Hun Sen might have been misinformed about the situation along the border.
Meanwhile, Thai and Cambodian troops along the overlapping claims near the ancient Preah Vihear Temple grinned nervously as their respective commanders announced the two sides would conduct joint patrols but hold their ground.
Lt-General Wiboonsak Neeparn, commander of the Second Army Area, told reporters after his meeting with Cambodian officials that joint patrol should "prevent this kind of incident from happening again".
He said artillery and heavy weaponry would remain in place and not be pulled back for the time being.
"Thailand keeps its promises, but if Cambodia does not, [violence] could happen again," he said after the five-hour meeting.
He said talks would resume next Tuesday in Siem Reap but cautioned that more fighting was possible.
While most soldiers along the border were tight-lipped, a group of Thai paramilitary rangers near Pha Moh I-Daeng cliff said joint patrols were not exactly progress.
"We already ate from the same rice pot with the Khmer soldiers and conducted joint patrols with them in the disputed territory. But one bad day, politicians decided the two sides should fight," said one ranger, who asked not to be identified.
"It's bad enough to be working in this mine-infested area. We don't need any more of this," said another.
Two Cambodian soldiers were killed and seven Thai troops injured on Wednesday when tensions spilled over into a shoot-out.
Immediately after the two-hour clash, political leaders from both sides worked hard to discredit each other's claims about who fired the first shot and who captured whom.
Major-General Srey Deok, commander of Cambodian troops in the disputed border area, said his men had released 10 captured Thai rangers and handed back their weapons. Thailand, however, insists that none of its troops was captured.
8 comments:
It was not Thaksin, it's King Bhumibol Adulyadej. He wants to take Prasat Preah Vihear back from Cambodia before he die. You don’t have to take my word for it, just go ask him yourself.
It's the stinky Anupong who provokes all this by sending he's soldiers on our territory.
But Thai are to blind who is the root cause of their problem.
Poor Khmer, you do not the situation in Thailand.
Focus on Koh Khong near Trad, the road from there to the casinos. Hun sen sold your land for Thaksin for a long time. They need the big news to clear the riot in Bangkok!!!!!
10:54 PM
You're the living proof of what I said.
Thai are blind.
Hun sen always say, "just kidding".
Anu-Pong or Moha-Pong just want to divert the public attention from Bangkok to the border because he don't have the gut to mount a coup asked by the PAD people . He ordered then the thai soldiers to shoot the khmer soldiers ,their joint-patrol team .
why taksin and not the dammy thai king?
Lt-General Wiboonsak Neeparn, commander of the Second Army Area,
sai "Thailand keeps its promises, but if Cambodia does not, fighing could happen again," --> Who can believe Thai ? Simple answer from all Khmer 'No, No at all'. Thai just buy the time and weeken fighting spirits of Cambodian troops only. . Pls keep in mind that all politicians of both countries said just only tactics and strategy. Just only a thing is to keep fighting spirits against Thai enemies with no reconcilation at all.
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