Friday, January 15, 2010

Cambodia reinforces Thailand border amid simmering tensions

Cambodian soldiers stand guard near the Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province. Cambodia says it plans to reinforce the border.

Friday, January 15, 2010
Liam Cochrane, Alex Khun
Australia Network News

Cambodia is reinforcing its border with Thailand, establishing new villages full of soldiers, building roads and buying new equipment.

The strengthened military presence is part of an ongoing dispute over land surrounding the Preah Vihear temple on the Cambodia-Thailand border.

The 12th century temple has been the site of numerous violent clashes between the two countries in recent years.

Cambodia's Ministry of Defence made the announcement and said the program was necessary for national protection.

It says the military bulwark is part of a five-year plan, with work already underway on five new villages that will be populated with soldiers.

Preah Vihear program officer for the Wildlife Conservation Society, Tan Setha has witnessed the flurry of new construction activity.

"At the moment I can see the government establish some new village for the army family along the border."

It's believed a total of 14 new villages will eventually be established at a cost of hundreds of millions of US dollars.

A multi-ministerial committee, headed by former Phnom Penh governor and long-time Preah Vihear supporter, Chea Sophara, is driving the development.

Development

Cambodia is clearing land along the heavily-mined border so new infrastructures can be built to sustain the permanent relocation of soldiers and their families.

Heng Ratana, from the Cambodian Center for Mine Action says more than 300 de-miners are clearing land for the first five new villages being built for soldiers and their families.

"In Preah Vihear province, we've deploy more than 300 de-miners there to support demining activity which [has] tasks prioritised by local community and provincial community there."

"Our team is clearing a number of areas for supporting their development activity there, such as building new schools, new roads, irrigation system and so on."

The plan comes amid ongoing tension between Cambodia and Thailand over who owns 4.6 square kilometres of land surrounding the ruins of Preah Vihear.

Since July 2008 there have been several deadly clashes on the border and troops from both sides are prepared for a long standoff.

The paved road that leads from the Thai side to the foot of the temple, gives Thailand a distinct military advantage over Cambodia where dirt roads are full of pot holes, making the movement of troops and equipment difficult.

But that looks set to change, with this major investment to boost the number of Cambodian troops in the area and enhance their capacity to respond to any future incidents.

The troubled relationship between the two countries have been recently inflamed by Cambodia appointing former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra as an economic advisor.

It's understood Mr Thaksin will make his next visit to Cambodia later this month.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

it seem to me about reviving in khmer rouge's army: agressive, cold blood, fearless.. it's alright though, becuz khmer is warior, only by using the propaganda: "revenge.." it should work like what khmer rouge did during 1970-75, and the victory belong to u. we'll be proud and support u all khmer over the world, good luck to u for protecting our lands.

Anonymous said...

But this will benefit Hanoi.

Hanoi is encraoching and moving border into khmer lands at eastern borders.

Thje 3rd and 4th Indochina War will be imminent in the near future.

Anonymous said...

As we are KHMER when it come up for the national interest we must together. Thai is the bad people most people come to live oversea during wartime has sufer by thai solder rap or killed. So now we must show thai that Cambodia inside and out is together againe the thai solder aggresive. KHMER SOTH.

Anonymous said...

remember the wise saying, only isolation and ignorance are the enemies of cambodia, ok!

Anonymous said...

I'm with you post 9:05AM! when it came up with national interest, we all must stick togther and fight back and fight off our greedy enemy...! we don't care if people from CCP or Sam-3, all Khmers united and ready, from living abroads or inside our beloved Cambodia...!

Anonymous said...

Cambodia army must be well prepared with heavy weapons, i think Thailand is up to something right now! Kashit head kept saying Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak is build inside Thais Soil..?? this is telling me that Thais may ready to use force again...Khmer must teach them a big lessons this time!! No more Mr. Nice Guy!

Anonymous said...

My idea is being put to use!! We need troops and their families to live along the border, build communities there. Protecting the encroachment from the N, NW AND THE EAST.

Thumb up for Hun Sen.

Anonymous said...

How come they never shut up about the Preah vihear lands? they drew their own Map and take somone else lands..? what ta fuck!

Anonymous said...

With Thaksin visiting cambodia again! the third time, Abhisit and KaShit really really pissed off..! those khmer soldiers must be ready dude!...line up those T-55, heavy artillery for backing up...

Anonymous said...

Thailand only bluffing all along...No needed to worry my childs!

Anonymous said...

Pathetic. Just watch ah HUN Sen will say that he will prepare coffins for those Cambodian soldiers preparing to face off with ah Siems. Ah Hun Sh*t will always be known as most stupid mather f*cker of all who only knows how to abuse and kill the Cambodian people. Just watch, ah Siems will f*ck ah Hun Sh*t face and cum all over his blind eye as well. Ah Hun Sh*t is only good at being a cruel mather f*cker to only the Cambodian people. He never dares does anything to Ah Siems or ah YOUNs, especially.

Anonymous said...

Now what tha hun sen needs to do now is to built new villages along vietnam border for the khmer soldiers and their family. You can do it, tha Hun. Don't afraid of ho chi minh

Anonymous said...

I agree! why don't Hun Sen say anything about populated the border on the EAST with Vietnam..? we must do the same with Vietnam border...

Anonymous said...

Cuz ah kwak he's chicken to the V.C. peoples.

Anonymous said...

9:32 Ah Pleu!Ah chkuot! look to the east all shrinking! Thumb up Ah Choy M'rai Ey!

Anonymous said...

8:54 So far and history has shown also Khmers are only good in beating Khmers! don't forget Viets beats Khmer rouge very badly and the thais overan preah vihear in the early sixty!

Anonymous said...

8:54 seems you are so proud of khmer rouge army! your ass should have lived in their regime, when they tear apart baby legs and smash their head to palm tree!

Anonymous said...

Overconfidence leads to underestimating the enemies and eventually to the defeat!

Anonymous said...

8:54 seems you are so proud of khmer rouge army! your ass should have lived in their regime, when they tear apart baby legs and smash their head to palm tree and the babies are khmers!

Anonymous said...

You know what, those village created at the border was a sanctuary of YOUN. They are YOUN's camp. They will make Khmer fight Thai..And now since the YOUN took refuge on the Khmer/Thai border, soon the YOUN border will their on the Khmer/Thai.

Anonymous said...

Im not going to put myself into propaganda war because of Youn ideologies at all.

Anonymous said...

Ah Hun Sen's army is the most stupid sh*t in the entire world. Ah Hun Sh*t army couldn't even defeat ah defeated homeless Khmer Rouge and now ah Hun Sh*t thinks he can square off with Thailand, what a jokester. Ah Hun Sh*t is nothing but lowly gangsters born to serve ah YOUNs.

Anonymous said...

Khmer soldiers still have junky old rusty weapons, they really needed to have moderns weapons in order to compete with the world today! just take a look these soldiers, they wore a mismatch uniforms and flip flop caps...? WEAPONS today are computerize, Laser guide, very very modern....stuffs!

Anonymous said...

Khmer don't need modern weapon just to kills all them black Thais-thief? CAMBODIAN SLINGSHOT IS PERFECT..! those Thais black azz will be death like cockroach....!

Anonymous said...

3:20- Just a dream brother......

Anonymous said...

Yes, Khmer solders are strong as they can killed the enemy with their bare hand. So proud of them and congratulation to Hun Sen for making Khmer soldiers so strong.

Anonymous said...

Keep your dream alive......

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen need ex. Khmer Rouge spirit to help.

Anonymous said...

Ah Hun Sen's troops are not of any help to Cambodia. In fact, all Hun Sen's troops are thieves and killers of Cambodians. Did any of you see the Hun Sen troops at the Cambodia-Vietnam border recently on youtube video??? Ah Hun Sen troops said that Cambodian people are not allowed to on their own ancestral land bordering Vietnam at all. Cambodian farmers asked the Hun Sen troops as follows: "I thought Cambodian soldiers job is to defend the country territory, so why are you hurting the Cambodian farmers deep inside Cambodia and let the Viet soldiers roam freely inside the Khmer territory at the border. Go go defend the Khmer territory because the Viets are mocking at you guys now." Remember this: These soldiers are not of the Cambodian people, they are instead of the Viet slave name HUN SEN. They are defending and working for the benefits of the Viets. The Thais see through all of this and they will smash these Hun Sen's troops in no time. Again, they are not of Cambodia but of Hun Sen instead. Hun Sen is of the Viets, he is thief of the Khmer nation. His troops will be defeated by brave Thai troopers. Guerilla technique my ass. If it is true then ah HUN Sen troops could defeat the Khmer Rouge already. Thailand needs to put these Hun Sen dickfaced soldiers to the test.

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen's troops belong to the commandership of the Viets because the Viets command Hun Sen. Hun Sen troops worship the expansionist policy of the Viets against Thailand, and that is why every year on January 7, Hun Sen worship the Viets for expanding in Cambodia and into Thailand. When Viet army was stationing in Cambodia, Viets soldiers expanded into Thailand territory. So Thailand must see through all of this. Hun Sen clearly states again and again that Cambodia has no problem with Thailand. This means that it is the Viets who are sending Hun Sen's troops to fight Thailand so that Vietnamese can reap up the profits. Viet did it before. The invasion of Cambodia by the Viets was speareheaded by Hun Sen's troops on the frontline. There has to be a distinction made between Cambodia's troops and Hun Sen's troops. Hun Sen's troops serve the benefits of the Viets as is shown by the way Hun Sen troops mistreated and abused the simple Cambodian farmers living near the border of Cambodia-Vietnam and never say a single word to the Vietnamese encroachers occupying the Cambodian farmers' ricefield. In fact, Hun Sen government issued a statement saying that if any Cambodian farmers do not their ricefields to be affected by honorable Vietnamese occupation, then those Cambodians should learn how to plant rice in the sky. Those Hun Sen's troops in the picture will be defeated by brave Thai soldiers in no time. Hun Sen's troops fully equpipped with loaded weapons will only bow their dog tails when they see the weaponless Viet soldiers walking around. This means Hun Sen's troops are full of demoralized fear and they will be defeated as always. Hun Sen = Vietnam; NOT Cambodia.