Many Cambodian people of Vietnamese descent live on the border in Trat.
Cambodian troops use guerrilla warfare, ambushing our troops.
They fire handguns, then hit us with heavy artillery attacks.
That's more the Vietnamese style of fighting. I believe the soldiers who are really in command are those troops who are descended from the Vietnamese.
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| Boonrueng: Battling vested interests |
2/05/2011
Bangkok Post
The Thai-Cambodian border skirmishes will be protracted, predicts Rajabhat University academic Boonrueng Katchama in Surin, the scene of the latest clashes.
Mr Boonrueng tells KING-OUA LAOHONG that the border conflict is unlikely to end any time soon because it is not a mere two-country affair.
Do you think any talks between 2nd Army commander Lt Gen Thawatchai Samutsakorn and Cambodia's Lt Gen Chea Mon, chief of the Cambodian 4th Region Army are likely to result in a ceasefire agreement?
A truce in the next couple of months will be hard to achieve. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen wants any talks to resolve the border conflict to be mediated by a third country.
He wants to include territorial disputes over the Ta Kwai and Ta Muen Thom temples in the wider process to settle the conflict.
This is to gain an upper hand in the process. But the whole issue illustrates the blunders committed by both Thailand and Cambodia as well as present and past committees in charge of border demarcation.
The first attempt at demarcation was made in 1867 and the most recent in 1907 during the reign of King Rama 5.
The border once had 73 demarcation posts, but only 40 or so of them can be found now.
Each time the border was demarcated, one side or the other would hand over land, but this was not the same as losing the country's territory.
Since 1907, no further demarcation work has been done.
After the Cambodian civil war, Khmer Rouge soldiers retreated to the Thai border and uprooted the demarcation posts. We didn't pay attention or fight to restore the posts, many of which were lost. Past governments were reluctant to raise the issue because it could put the country at a disadvantage and hurt their electoral support.
Thailand has insisted it is ready to talk and asked Cambodia to stop the fighting. Hun Sen, however, doesn't want to bend. How can the two sides come together?
Hun Sen is taking his usual approach and speaking in way that works in his interest. We want any talks to be bilateral but they want tripartite talks.
If we can't talk to each other, there should be a mediator. It's not just about security, but also national pride. The two countries don't want anyone encroaching on their territory.
Both countries want peace and we must find a middle ground.
In my view, if Cambodia wants a third country to step in, we should let them, because we have nothing to fear.
With a third party involved, we should include the border area near Preah Vihear temple in the talks.
What do you make of the clashes at the Ta Kwai and Ta Muen Thom temples?
Many Cambodian people of Vietnamese descent live on the border in Trat.
Cambodian troops use guerrilla warfare, ambushing our troops.
They fire handguns, then hit us with heavy artillery attacks.
That's more the Vietnamese style of fighting. I believe the soldiers who are really in command are those troops who are descended from the Vietnamese.
The ethnic Cambodian soldiers take a lesser role.
Is there a possibility of all-out war if talks are not an option?
The question before us is, are we fighting only with Cambodia?
We're not. We're also up against Vietnam, China, Japan, Australia and South Korea which have vested interests in Cambodia.
True, these countries are also our friends. But when their interests are at stake, it's not a black and white issue. They will want to protect their interests as well.
Do you see a way out of this problem? Those most affected are the villagers near the border.
Thailand and Cambodia must make some concessions by proposing that the Phanom Dong Rak mountain range dividing the border be turned into a world heritage site, plus the 4.6 square kilometre area as well as the Ta Kwai and Ta Muen Thom temples.
The areas must be co-managed equitably by the two countries if peace is to return. Otherwise, territorial disputes will carry on endlessly.
10 comments:
Stupid, dumb ass lecturer ! Talks from his ass hole.
It' s true that a lot of Viets are living around Preah Vihear and usually those people like to live in the water not the jungle like Preah Vihear.
Youn are not living around Prasat Preah Vihear. Most of them are Khmer Krom and member of the the RACF. It was the educational system of their parents Khmer Krom. They are ready to die to protect the Land of their ancestors "Cambodia."
Khmer Surin might be happy to be Thai and attack Cambodia, but not Khmer Krom. They also don't want to be call Viet by Thai.
Most of the Viets (Thai brother from Nan Chao) are living in Bangkok and all over Thailand.
Khmer use the word Youn. Thai will not call Youn, they use the word Viet.
12:00PM, Are you sure those speak broken Khmer are Khmer Krome who STILL CAN speak Khmer, not the Viet who just LEARN to speak Khmer?
Only black Khmers from ex Khmer Rouger army are fighting the siem at P/vihear and Ta Moan, Ta krobey.
Khmer readers must stop being fooled by Thai and yuon propanganda.
But don't go to the eastern border and stage demo there coz the yuons would shoot your heads off with hun sen's accomplice, if you want to know the truth.
Cambodian troops use guerrilla warfare, ambushing our ( THai)troops.
It is true. Cambodian soldiers have full experience to defeat ennemies from the front and from the rear.
Abhisit and his army have attempted to take Tamon and Ta Krabey for 11 days. They cannot
AH Boonrueng Katchama is speaking from his arse! For most people as they get older and they also get wiser! But this old fool is speaking base on Siem unilateral map and Siem fake history! Maybe this old fool can tell me where is Nanchoa the birthplace of all Siem people!
The Siem thuggish leaders can end the conflict right now at this moment by respecting International Court decision!
Yes, there are some khmer krom living in Preah vihear, last time i visited there, i met them. I know from their khmer language, it is different from ours. they told me they are khmer krom. they live in front of a land i bought there a long road to Preah Vihear temple.
Khmer Krom are not Khmer Surin. We don't accept, that other call us Youn or Viet. We Khmer Krom did not colabore with Youn. But Khmer Surin colabored with Thai, served the Thai to attack Cambodia.
OK for Khmer Surin, you are happy and enjoyed to be Thai. But please leave Cambodia and Khmer Krom in peace.
This is sheer conjecture as usual from the Thai side, especially when their inexperienced military comes up against tougher opposition than they anticipated. The Thais claimed Vietnamese intervention also when they fought against Laos in the 1980s.
Both Laos and Cambodia are much smaller, in many respect, including the size of their arm forces as compared to that of the Thais. So by claiming Vietnamese role in the fighting against them, the Thais want to give over the impression that they are up against a much more substantial foe than those two neighbouring countries.
This largely exaggerated claim also allows the Thai generals to justify the ever growing stake or influence of Thailand's military and defence related budget.
As for the use and familiarity with guerilla tactics, this is hardly new to the Cambodian soldiers of whichever faction who had deployed them for several decades against each other in the past.
Ko-Prey
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