By Chris Owen
Gadling.com
Ever since seven Thais were arrested in Cambodia in December for illegal entry and trespassing in the ongoing border dispute, tensions have been heating up.
Today, 2,000 nationalist Thai "Yellow Shirts" rallied in the streets of Bangkok to protest the government's handling of it all.
"We have made our suggestions to the government but they have failed to act, so we have no other choice," said one Yellow Shirt protester.
In the last two days security forces, some 3000-strong at times, have dealt with potential bomb attacks, a large rally by the rival "Red Shirts", and a Yellow gathering near Government House where they accused Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of failing to defend long disputed territory from Cambodia.
This is just the latest in the ongoing tensions between the once-friendly Yellows led by the Peoples Alliance for Democracy (PAD) who's 2008 rallies and protests helped make way for Abhisit to come to power. Since then, those same demonstrations that also closed two airports in Bangkok, stranding thousands of travelers caused Abhisit to distance himself from the Yellows.
In today's rally, Yellow's had three demands. They want the government to revoke a memorandum of understanding about the Thai/Cambodia border from 2000, withdrawal of Thailand from the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and to expel Cambodians from the disputed area.
Prime Minister Abhisit has made the government's position perfectly clear stating that the government would not agree to their demands.
So the Thailand/Cambodia border issues continues with the tension, rallies, demonstrations and violence escalating as it has for years along the long, common border between Thailand and Cambodia.
4 comments:
This is what happens when HUN SEN take those matter with the 7 Thai lightly. Now, they are testing or having a military drill near our Prasat Preah Vihear. What is Hun Sen going to do when they exercise really near our scared place??
You want to loose tie or loosing our 4.6km2 territory??
Please just don't be tough on our poor Cambodia or the opposition that always suggesting to protect our lands. You need to be tough toward all enemies of Cambodia.
Khmer Preah Vihear,
Chamrong Chroeun
This is just a games of flip flop that both country playing against each other, believed me, they will shake hand and screwed all of us Up again...Thailand will not dare fighting with khmer rouge army, they will pay a big price they dare...
Why Hun Sen ordered the stone tablet sign removed..?? You scared them Sir! Its inside our land, we don't need to listening to Thailand's order..?
I am prime minister not scare but I just would like to put more insult Thais to see them more angry at me
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