Fighting Erupts on Preah Vihear Border

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
03 April 2009

Cambodian and Thai troops exchanged gun, rocket and artillery fire in clashes along the disputed Preah Vihear border on Friday, with both sides blaming the other for firing first in the most serious fighting to date in a months-long standoff.

Two Thai deaths and six injuries were confirmed by the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh, but Cambodian military sources said late Friday at least two more Thai soldiers were killed in afternoon battles. The Thai Embassy was not able to confirm the other two Thai fatalities.

There were conflicting reports of casualties from within the Cambodian government.

Ten Thai soldiers were being held as a result of the fighting, said government spokesman Khieu Kanharith, who told VOA Khmer no Cambodians were injured or killed.

However, Royal Cambodian Armed Forces commander Gen. Pol Sareoun said two Cambodians had been killed, in fighting started by the Thais.

Around 7:15 am, five Thai soldiers entered Veal Entry, or Eagle Field, encountering a forest encampment of Cambodian soldiers, who ordered them to turn back, military officials in Phnom Penh and on the border said.

Cambodian infantryman Chan Chhorn, who was monitoring radio traffic near Eagle Field Friday morning, told VOA Khmer the Thais had fired first.

The Thai Embassy could not confirm who shot first, but a Thai military spokesman told CNN in Bangkok that the fighting was sparked by an “intrusion” of Cambodian troops on Thai soil.

By 1:30 pm, the fighting had spread to three other sites—Phnom Trap, an area known as “Beehive,” and Krom market, near Preah Vihear temple—according to Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan, who provided reporters a map of the fighting late Friday.

A civilian market area burned and portions of Preah Vihear temple were damaged by rocket and machine gunfire Friday afternoon, Chan Chhorn said.

The fighting had stopped by Friday evening, officials said.

No civilians were reported dead Friday. A villager living near the temple said those who had motorcycles or cars had fled the area.

The shooting follows the injury to a landmine by one Thai soldier near Eagle Field Thursday and a tense armed standoff without shooting at Eagle Field on Monday and Tuesday. Eagle Field was also the site of fighting in October, where at least one Thai and three Cambodians died.

Thai and Cambodian troops have been amassed along the border since July 2008, when Preah Vihear temple’s Unesco World Heritage listing sparked protests in Bangkok and on the border. Friday’s fighting was the most serious so far, in a series of escalations since July.

Both sides lay claim to a small stretch of land near the ancient cliff-top temple, with each using different map versions to mark the border.

Friday’s fighting had not canceled a scheduled meeting between joint border committees in Phnom Penh on Monday and Tuesday, according to Var Kimhong, chief of Cambodia’s border committee.

Prime Minister Hun Sen is expected to attend an Asean forum in Thailand next week. Officials could not confirm whether that trip will be canceled as a result of Friday’s fighting.

30 additional Thai black-clad soldiers trespass into Veal Entry on Thursday morning

Thursday, March 26, 2009
Dap-news
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

At 9:30AM on 26 March 2009, 30 Thai black-clad soldiers trespassed into the Veal Entry zone one more time while a group of another 100 Thai soldiers who also trespassed into the Veal entry area on 25 March have not left yet in spite of the request made by Cambodian troops based in Phnom Troap and Veal Entry for them to pull out.

A source from Cambodian soldiers based on the frontline near Veal Entry area indicated that at 9:30AM on 26 March, the new trespassing Thai soldiers along with those who trespassed into Cambodian territories yesterday have no plan to pull out of the Veal Entry are, unless there is a written agreement between the army commanding officers from both sides.

The same source added that the negotiations at the regional levels could be held near the Beehive area, next to Preah Vihear temple or at the Preah Vihear city.

At 1:30PM on 25 March 2009, about 100 armed Thai aggression troops trespassed into Cambodian territories near Veal Entry, close to Preah Vihear temple, where firearms exchange took place in the past.

According to an army officer source based in Veal Entry are, Cambodian troops on the frontline are prepared just in case new fire exchange will take place with the Thai aggression troops, just like what happened on 15 October 2008.

A source from the Preah Vihear front indicated that Thai soldiers have pointed their guns towards Cambodian troops when Cambodian soldiers shouted to tell them to pull out immediately.

Bun Thean, the army commander in Phnom Troap, indicated that Cambodian troops did not take any action yet because they are still on high alert, and they are waiting for orders from the higher ups. Furthermore, among the more than 100 Thai soldiers who trespassed into Cambodia, they did not have fire exchange with Cambodian troops yet.

He added that the Thai and Cambodian regional authorities are meeting to resolve this tense situation, nevertheless, the Cambodian side demands for an absolute withdrawal of Thai troops from the Veal Entry area.

The tense situation between Cambodian and Thai troops sometimes led to armed confrontation following the listing of Preah Vihear temple as UNESCO World Heritage Site on 07 July 2008 during the 32nd UNESCO meeting in Quebec, Canada. Cambodians both inside and outside the country, as well as the government of Cambodia, have warmly welcomed this historical event. However, not even one week after the listing of Preah Vihear temple, on 15 July 2008, the Thai aggression troops trespassed into Cambodia along the shared border between the two countries, in particular near Preah Vihear temple. On 15 October 2008, Thai soldiers fired shots at Cambodian soldiers and caused injuries and casualties on both sides. Both Hun Sen and high-ranking government officials do not want to wage a war with a neighboring country, and Hun Sen went on to say on many occasions that armed confrontations are presently out of date.

Rockfall in Phnom Troap creates panic among Thai soldiers

04 Nov 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

At around 6:30 AM on Monday 03 November, a large white piece of rock fell off from the top of Phnom Troap mountain, creating a deafening noise like that of a bomb dropped from a plane. Frontline Thai soldiers stationed near the border at Phnom Troap immediately scrambled into their trenches, while others were waving their hands and shouting to Khmer soldiers not to shoot. It was later on that it was learnt that the explosion-like noise was no other than that of a rock falling from the mountain. A Cambodian soldier stationed in Phnom Troap said that it was sheer luck that the rock fall missed Cambodian soldiers stationed there and rolled towards Thai soldiers instead. If we were to believe in superstition, this must be another doing from the power of the spirit of ancient Cambodian troop commander Ta Dy.

Troops ready to fight following another landmine explosion

Thursday, October 30, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

A report form the border indicated that Cambodian troops were getting ready to fight following a landmine explosion which took place on Tuesday night. RFA reported that Cambodian troops at various locations stationed in front of Thai soldiers in Veal Entry (Eagle Field) in Phnom Troap, and in the frontline near Preah Vihear temple, were getting ready to fight again between Tuesday night and Wednesday 29 October, following the sound of a landmine explosion which took place during Tuesday night, at about 250-meter from the Veal Entry line. According to Cambodian troops, following the sound of landmine explosion, both frontline Cambodian and Thai soldiers plunged into their trenches getting ready to fight again, and the confusion among both troops continued on until Wednesday.

Cambodian Army Officials Say New Clashes With Thai Troops 'Inevitable'

Camps abandoned by Thai troops
Tents belonging to Thai soldiers who are too scared to return back

29 October 2008
By SAMNANG
kohsantepheapdaily.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Anonymous

Preah Vihear Temple: Although Cambodia's and Thailand's leaders have done their utmost to ease military tension, so far the troops have still been observed to be on the state of alert.

Expressing their views, Cambodian military officials said that inevitable armed clashes would break out again, because both Cambodia and Thailand had already prepared forces and weapons: when problems arose, fighting would erupt.

A Cambodian military official on the front line near Preah Vihear Temple told Koh Santepheap on the morning of 27 October that military activities on the front had not eased. On the contrary, the standoff had grown tenser, causing troops to be on permanent sentry duty, having no time to have comfortable sleep.

The same military official also said that since after the shootouts (on 15 October 2008), Thai troops had been on high alert. All of them were wearing bullet proof jackets and helmets. And it was not just that, they also dug trenches and cut down trees to cover them.

The official went on to say that before the clashes, Thai and Cambodian, who took positions opposite each other, could chat or had meals together, but now it was not possible; they stayed away from each other. He added that even the sound from a gun being loaded or any other sound could startle Thai soldiers, causing them to jump into trenches. As such, one day there might be misunderstanding that could lead to new inevitable clashes.

As for Brig. Gen. Chea Keo, deputy commander of the Fourth Military Region stationed in the region of Preah Vihear Temple, told Koh Santepheap by phone at midday on 28 October that the situation concerning the standoff between the Cambodian and Thai troops in the area had eased gradually. He added that we plan to give a party to which Thai commanders and troops will be invited to restore mutual empathy, but the venue has not yet been fixed. It is not yet certain if it will be held in the compound of Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak Monastery or at the front line.

Gen. Chea Keo also said that since the deadly clashes on 15 October, outside the monastery compound where it had been agreed that 20 troops from each side should be stationed, no soldier had yet been seen posted by either side.

The chief of staff of the 43rd Brigade, Lt. Col. Bun Thean, who had been posted to defend the field of Veal Entri on the hill of Phnom Troap, told Koh Santepheap at midday on 28 October that the Military Friendship bridge in the areas of Veal Entry and Phnom Troap where the shootouts broke out on 15 October remained intact, that both Cambodian and Thai troops stayed put in their initial positions, and that Thai soldiers no longer dared conduct patrols in an irresponsible manner as before. [passage omitted recalling the 15 October clashes between the Cambodian and Thai troops]

Latest Information about the deadly war from Sokhoeun Pang

October 16, 2008
By Sokheoun Pang
Originally posted at http://sokheounpang.wordpress.com

These few days I have tried to contact my counsin and my cousin-in-law who are soldiers stationing at the Cambodian-Thai border in the front line. Luckily today, I got their numbers and called them.

I was supprised about the news they told me:

• Today's negotiation is absolutely negative and the fight will erupt again any time. And now both sides are preparing for war.

The true causalty on Wednesday exchange fire:

• The Cambodian side: 2 died and two wounded.
• The Thai side: 12 died, 10 captured, 5 wounded. He told me that the 12 killed Thais were blown out by B40. They were killed at the Eagle Field as they entered the field and opened fired and Cambodian soldiers just targeted them at the spot with repeated blasts.

He said that the Thai side have tried to negotiate until now to take back the bodies but were refused by the Cambodian commanders. The Thai have proposed the Cambodian not to publish the news about their dead soldiers and even the 10 captured. The Cambodia accept it as the condition to pressure the Thai. Note: I asked them about what presure and they said they don´t know because it the higher policy.

These are only what I have received today and I hope this news to be true. I will keep updating it if I get anything new from my relatives on the field.

United We Win!

Cambodian PM gives Thailand border ultimatum

Mon Oct 13, 2008
By Ek Madra

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen gave Thailand an ultimatum on Monday to withdraw troops from a disputed stretch of jungle-clad border within 24 hours or his forces would turn the area into a "death zone".

"Thai troops must withdraw from Cambodian land by tomorrow at the latest," Hun Sen told reporters after meeting Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat in Phnom Penh. "We will not allow them to occupy our land."

The Thai army denied any incursion by its soldiers near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, which sits on the natural escarpment dividing the two nations and which has been a source of enmity for decades.

"Invasion? What invasion when the land is claimed by both sides?" army spokesman Sunsern Kaewkumnerd told Reuters.

Tensions have been high since July when around 1,000 soldiers on both sides faced off only yards apart in trenches dug into a hillside that until 10 years ago was under the control of remnants of the Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot's guerrilla army.

The area is still littered with landmines, and two Thai soldiers lost legs earlier this month the day after a brief exchange of fire in which soldiers from both sides were wounded.

Cambodian Deputy Defence Minister General Neang Phat said more troops were heading to the area to oppose up to 500 Thai soldiers who had crossed the border.

"We are building up our troops at the border in response to Thailand but I cannot reveal the number," he told reporters.

Hun Sen said 84 Thai soldiers were "camping" on Cambodian soil about 30 metres (yards) away from his own forces.

At the heart of the dispute is 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub near the temple, which the International Court of Justice awarded to Cambodia in 1962, a ruling that has rankled many in Thailand ever since.

This year's flaring of the long-running argument started when protest groups seeking to overthrow the Thai government criticised Bangkok's backing of Cambodia's bid to list Preah Vihear as a U.N. World Heritage site.

Cambodia warns Thais over border

Monday, 13 October
BBC News

Cambodia has again warned Thailand against crossing a disputed border, saying such a provocation could lead to "large-scale conflict".

Foreign Minister Hor Namhong accused Thai troops of trying to cross into Cambodia near an ancient temple, the scene of a recent military clash.

Both countries claim they own the area around the Preah Vihear temple.

Hor Namhong made the comments after talks with his Thai counterpart Sompong Amornviwat failed to reach a deal.

Temple tensions

The standoff between the two countries centres on 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, which sits on a jungle-clad escarpment dividing the countries.

An international court awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but land surrounding it remains the subject of rival territorial claims.

The decision by the UN in June to list Preah Vihear as a Unesco World Heritage Site reignited lingering nationalist tensions over the issue.

In early July Cambodian troops detained three Thai protesters who had entered the site illegally, sparking the military stand-off.

The two sides have already held several rounds of talks on the issue, but failed to reach agreement.

Hun Sen asks Thailand to pull out its troop from Veal Entry (Eagle Field) within 24 hours ... otherwise war will be waged -sic!-

Cambodian PM asks Thai troops to withdraw from border area in 24 hours

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen here Monday asked Thailand to evacuate its 81 troops from the Veal Intry area near the Preah Vihear Temple on Cambodian soil within 24 hours, and warned war otherwise.

"The Veal Intry area is the dead or alive point for us," he told reporters at the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation after meeting with visiting Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornviwat.

"The situation at the Veal Intry area is too hot. They have to remove tonight or tomorrow. If they don't remove from the Veal Intry area, war will be waged," he said.

"They entered there (Monday morning) and are deploying and camping their tents about 30 meters from our soldiers. They said they stay here only one day," he said.

"Cambodia still keep our maximum restraints and won't mind if they go back to their own stronghold," he said.

"We want to solve the matter with a peaceful deal. We are trying to shorten the conflict," he said.

The international court is the best way for both sides to solve the border conflict and it can also avoid blame from the people of the two nations, he said.

In addition, Cambodia can't hand over concession land to Thailand, and Thailand either, he said.

The Veal Intry area is on the Phnom Trap hill side, approximately 2,000 meters from the west side of the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda, which is situated on the only way leading to the Preah Vihear Temple.

Earlier Monday, Sompong Amornviwat and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong decided to resume both sides' border talks between Oct. 21 and Oct. 24 in Siem Reap province.

In July, tensions ran high after the ancient Preah Vihear Temple was awarded world heritage status by UNESCO, angering nationalists in Thailand who still claim ownership of the site.

The tension later turned into a military confrontation, in which up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops faced off for six weeks. In mid-August, most troops evacuated and just a few dozen soldiers stationed near the temple.

However, bilateral talks to discuss withdrawing troops from around the temple were postponed late August amid political turmoil in Thailand.

In October at the border area, at least one Cambodian soldier and two Thai troops were wounded during an exchange of gunfire, and two other Thai soldiers were seriously injured after stepping on a landmine.

Military denies it laid mines

Wednesday, 08 October 2008
Written by Thet Sambath
The Phnom Penh Post

Preah Vihear Province

Cambodian officers deny they planted explosives on border

CAMBODIAN military commanders in Preah Vihear province, where Thai soldiers lost limbs to land mines on Monday, have denied laying new mines on the disputed border, countering claims by Thai troops that they are planting explosives.

"I completely deny the accusation by Thai soldiers that Cambodian troops are putting down new mines," said Yim Phim, commander of RCAF Brigade 43, which is stationed in the area near Preah Vihear temple. "All of these mines were laid during the war in the 1980s and 1990s," he added Tuesday.

The border area in northwest Cambodia remains one of the most heavily-mined regions in the world, the result of fierce fighting during the Kingdom's protracted civil war.

A senior provincial official in Thailand's northeastern Si Sa Ket province said Monday that the two wounded Thai troops "stepped on a land mine that was most likely planted by Cambodian troops before they left that area".

The mine incident followed last Friday's firefight between Cambodian and Thai troops that slightly wounded three soldiers and was the first armed clash to erupt on the border since a standoff over disputed territory began in July.

After an apparent detente that saw hundreds of troops from both sides deployed away from the border following a series of crisis talks between Cambodian and Thai officials, the violence has cast a cloud of uncertainty over the future of the negotiations on land that both countries claim.

The de facto front line remained tense Tuesday, with Cambodian troops stockpiling ammunition, saying they were worried about a Thai assault.

Villagers living in the area also said they feared fighting. "The situation looks worse and worse every day," said restaurant owner Sieng Leng. "The soldiers sometimes tell me to leave.... The situation is still very confused and people are worried about security."

Bangkok continues to maintain that last week's shootout was started when Cambodian troops crossed into Thailand and that Thai rangers had only fired back in self-defence. But on Tuesday Thailand softened its tone towards the incident, which it had previously called a "brutal and aggressive act".

"The whole incident may have resulted from a misunderstanding," the Thai foreign ministry said on its website, adding that the land mines that wounded the Thai troopers "were likely placed there some time ago, though this had to be verified".

Khem Sophoan, director general of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre, the country's main demining agency, said he knew of no new plan to lay land mines. "Even if there was a plan, [RCAF] could not do it because it's illegal," he said.

Both sides have expressed cautious optimism that the border dispute will come closer to resolution when the prime ministers from the two countries meet Monday. "If the meeting is fruitful, it will help things, but we don't know what will happen," RCAF's Yim Phin said.

Cambodian military boosts presence in disputed border area

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) — The Cambodian army has reinforced troops in the disputed border area on Phnom Trop mountain where Thai and Cambodian forces clashed briefly Friday, national media reported Wednesday.

"We want to make a stronger frontline after the situation occurred Friday," Sar Thavy, Preah Vihear provincial deputy governor, was quoted by the Cambodia Daily newspaper as saying.

Sar Thavy said the troops now stationed at the site of Friday's skirmish, which left one Cambodian and two Thai soldiers injured, were taken from the contingent of troops already present around the Preah Vihear temple.

He declined to say how many soldiers have been moved into the Trop mountain area, though the Cambodian troops around Preah Vihear temple were previously reported to number at least 800.

The armed confrontation occurred about 2 km northwest of the Preah Vihear temple.

Meanwhile, Srey Dek, regional military commander at the temple, said troops had only been sent to patrol the area as he had received information that Thai troops had once again entered the area, which both countries claimed as their own.

The border row between the two neighbors erupted after Cambodia 's arrest of three Thai nationalist protesters on July 15, whom authorities allege crossed illegally into Cambodia close to the disputed Preah Vihear temple site.

Since then, Thailand and Cambodia have been building up their forces near the temple and tensions have escalated, spreading to other temple sites along the border.

Khmer troops patrolling Prolean Entry (Eagle Field) in Cambodia's Phnom Troap, Preah Vihear province

Cambodian soldiers walk to Eagle field on Phnom Trop mountain, near the Thai border and the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh, October 7, 2008. Two Thai soldiers stepped on landmines near the Cambodian border on Monday, the army said, three days after a brief exchange of fire near the Preah Vihear temple. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
A Cambodian soldier patrols Eagle field on Phnom Trop mountain, near the Thai border and the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh, October 7, 2008. Two Thai soldiers stepped on landmines near the Cambodian border on Monday, the army said, three days after a brief exchange of fire near the Preah Vihear temple. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
A Cambodian soldier (R) talks to a Thai soldier near the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh, October 7, 2008. Two Thai soldiers stepped on landmines near the Cambodian border on Monday, the army said, three days after a brief exchange of fire near the Preah Vihear temple. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian soldiers patrol Eagle field on Phnom Trop mountain, near the Thai border and the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh, October 7, 2008. Two Thai soldiers stepped on landmines near the Cambodian border on Monday, the army said, three days after a brief exchange of fire near the Preah Vihear temple. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
A Cambodian soldier sits at Eagle field on Phnom Trop mountain, near the Thai border and the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh, October 7, 2008. Two Thai soldiers stepped on landmines near the Cambodian border on Monday, the army said, three days after a brief exchange of fire near the Preah Vihear temple. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Khmer soldiers on high alert as Thai soldiers persevere in trespassing into Cambodia

Cambodian soldier guarding the border near a tree on 06 October 2008. Khmer soldiers are on high alert following the explosion of landmines at Phnom Troap, near Preah Vihear temple. (Photo: Sav Yuth, RFA)

06 October 2008
By Sav Yut
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

On Monday 06 October, the military situation in Prolean Entry (Eagle Field) located on Phnom Troap mountain, about 3-km from Preah Vihear temple, is becoming tense again because Cambodian soldiers are on high alert following the 10 AM explosion of two landmines at about 100-meter from their line. These explosions are believed to be Thai soldiers persevering in trespassing into Cambodian territories.

An armed Cambodian soldier posted at Prolean Entry immediately chased away a group of journalists who traveled there, for their own safety sake, because Khmer soldiers know that Thai troops are persevering in moving their troops into Cambodian territories in that area: “Today, there were 2 explosions already, they (Thai troops) used to sneak in like that, they sneaked in several times already. In the past, there were black-clad soldiers only, now they are joined by their paramilitary soldiers and their fighting troops. In the past few days, we are always on high alert, for example, in a 5-soldier guard, 2 sleep and the 3 others are on the lookout, then we switch with each other.”

According to report provided by Cambodian troops over telecommunication line, the landmine explosions severed both legs of a Thai soldier, and another Thai soldier got one leg severed. A Thai army helicopter came and took them out of the area. Nevertheless, there is no clarification from the Thai army regarding the actual number of Thai soldiers injured from the explosion.

An anonymous Cambodian army official belonging to Unit 43 overseeing this area, said that on Monday morning, Thai troops are still persevering to invade and occupy the Prolean Entry area, so that they can also move in to occupy the 05 January zone, and then they can cut road leading to the Preah Vihear temple.

The same Cambodian officer indicated: “Their goal is to occupy the 05 January zone, so they fought to take over the Prolean Entry zone. At the end, we heard over their communication line that their plan is to have their troops find a corridor bypassing us so that they can build a bridge, an access road so they can send in their troops. When they came in, they never leave, they never do. So now we push them out, we must be careful.”

An anonymous Cambodian official from the Council of Ministers considers the actions taken by Thai soldiers as provocation attempts, their attempts to trespass into Cambodian territories are clear violations of the negotiations concluded by ministers of Foreign Affairs from the two countries who agreed that there will not be any troops movement, nor will there be any firing either.

On 03 October, an armed clash took place between Cambodian and Thai troops at Prolean Entry in Phnom Troap mountain. The incident injured one Cambodian soldier and 2 Thai soldiers.

Two Thai soldiers left one leg each on Cambodian soil

A Cambodian soldier stands guard after hearing two explosions from anti-personnel landmines at Engel field on Phnom Trop mountain near the Thai border and the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple October 6, 2008. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Landmines wound Thai soldiers on Cambodian border

Mon Oct 6, 2008

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Two Thai soldiers stepped on landmines along the Cambodian border on Monday, the army said, three days after a brief exchange of fire near the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple.

The army rangers, each of whom lost a leg, were patrolling on Thai territory and stepped on the mines only 400 metres (430 yards) from where soldiers from both sides clashed on Friday, Colonel Sirichan Ngathong told Reuters.

"We don't know whose mines they were, but we have dispatched a mine expert to check out the area," she said.

Phnom Penh said the mines, believed to have been laid years ago by the Khmer Rouge, were on Cambodian soil.

Bangkok and Phnom Penh have accused each other of unprovoked aggression in Friday's contact between two border patrol units in which two Thais and one Cambodian were wounded.

It was the first clash since the two sides agreed in August to withdraw most of the 1,000 troops that had been facing off for a month near the historic Hindu ruins that sit on the jungle-clad escarpment dividing the countries.

Sompong Amornvivat, Thailand's fifth foreign minister in a year, told reporters he would discuss the issue with his Cambodian counterpart next Monday during a visit to Phnom Penh by Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.

"I plan to talk to my counterpart in great detail during the visit and hope to end this misunderstanding," Sompong said.

The two countries agreed in July to find a peaceful end to the spat, which centres on 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub near the temple.

The argument started when protest groups seeking to overthrow the Thai government criticised Bangkok's backing of Cambodia's bid to list Preah Vihear as a U.N. World Heritage site.

Tensions have eased considerably since Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's victory in late July in a general election in which the temple, and nationalism, featured heavily.

Both sides have claimed Preah Vihear for decades. The International Court of Justice awarded it to Cambodia in 1962, and the ruling has rankled in Thailand ever since.

Phay Siphan: Thailand presented their apologies to us for the incident which took place on Friday, and they recognized that their soldiers started it

A return to normalcy at the Cambodian-Thai border

06 October 2008
By Duong Sokha
Ka-set
Unofficial translation from French by Tola Ek
Click here to read the original article in French
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

Phay Siphan, the new secretary of state and spokesman for the Council of Ministers, assured on Monday 06 October that the situation is returning to normal at the location about 2 kilometers from the Preah Viheat temple, where a shooting between soldiers from the two countries took place.

“We visited the location. Officials from the two armies met each other on Saturday. Thailand presented their apologies to us for the incident which took place on Friday, and they recognized that their soldiers started it. To date, the meeting between the two prime ministers [Cambodia and Thailand] planned for 13 October in Phnom Penh, at the Council of Ministers at 9:30 AM, has not been changed. I hope that the border issue will be approached during the discussions,” Phay Siphan explained while indicating that Cambodian troops deployed at the border remain at their position.

On Saturday, Hor Namhong, the Cambodian minister of Foreign Affairs sent a letter to the Thai embassy in Cambodia to express his wrath. Recalling the facts – i.e. that Thai soldiers trespassed into Cambodian territory of Phnom Troap and that they shot on Cambodian soldiers posted in the disputed zone of Preah Vihear and injured Cambodian soldiers – he explained that Cambodian soldiers returned the fire in “self-defense.” This exchange of fire between the two camps is a first since the start of border crisis between the two countries on 15 July.

“The Royal Government of Cambodia considers the action perpetrated by Thai soldiers as a serious armed provocation” which is contrary to the agreements concluded during the meeting of the two ministers of Foreign Affairs on 28 July in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and also on 18-19 August in Cha-am, Thailand, the ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated.

The Cambodian government “sharply protest,” – words written in capital letters in the communiqué – against this “deplorable and intentional armed provocation” by Thai soldiers. Hor Namhong called on the Thai government to prevent such incident from taking place again in the future, and he also warned that these incidents could lead “to very serious consequence, notably to the opening of general armed confrontations which would negatively affect the current efforts made by the two governments to find a peaceful and amicable solution to the current border problems.”

Furthermore, several overseas Cambodian associations have launched a joint petition on Sunday 05 October, in order to obtain 1 million thumbprints from their compatriots to call on the UN and member-countries to review “the issue of the violation of Cambodia’s integrity and sovereignty by neighboring countries,” the communiqué explained.

Photos from Phnom Troap: Injured Khmer soldier TECK MIENG; Khmer soldier defending border BAREFEET

Teck Mieng (C), a Cambodian soldier injured during a clash with Thai soldiers, is seen at Phnom Trop mountain near the Thai border in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh, near the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, October 4, 2008. Cambodia protested to Thailand on Saturday about a border shooting incident in which three solders were wounded and said in a letter to the Thai ambassador that such "intentional armed provocation" could lead to conflict. Two Thai soldiers and one Cambodian soldier were injured in what was the first clash in the disputed territory near the Preah Vihear temple since the two countries agreed to pull back in August after a serious confrontation. REUTERS/Stringer
Cambodia soldiers sit on Phnom Trop mountain near the Thai border in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh, near the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, October 4, 2008. Cambodia protested to Thailand on Saturday about a border shooting incident in which three solders were wounded and said in a letter to the Thai ambassador that such "intentional armed provocation" could lead to conflict. Two Thai soldiers and one Cambodian soldier were injured in what was the first clash in the disputed territory near the Preah Vihear temple since the two countries agreed to pull back in August after a serious confrontation. REUTERS/Stringer

Cold border standoff turns hot

Saturday, 04 October 2008
Written by Thet Sambath and Brendan Brady
The Phnom Penh Post

Cambodian and Thai troops suffered injuries during an exchange of gunfire Friday afternoon near Preah Vihear temple, in the first real military fighting of the prolonged border standoff, say Cambodian officials.

"One Cambodian was shot in the arm, and we believe one or two Thai soldiers were injured," according to Yim Phim, the commander of brigade 43, which is stationed in the area.

He said the incident started at around 3:00pm when about a dozen Thai soldiers approached a Cambodian army encampment at Phnom Troap, just a couple kilometres from the World-Heritage listed temple, and demanded troops there leave.

"They showed them a Thai-made map and told the Cambodians to get off the land. An argument went on for a while," said Yim Phim. "The Thais then withdrew about ten meters and started firing."

"Thai soldiers first fired an M-79 (grenade launcher), and Cambodians shot back with a B-40 (grenade launcher). Then both sides fired with machine guns," he said.

He said the Thai soldiers withdrew across the border after dark, around 5:30, while the Cambodian soldiers remained in their original position.

"In that area, soldiers from both countries used to stay close to each other, but the situation has changed and now everyone is on high alert."

Srey Doek, the highest-ranking military official stationed inside the Preah Vihear temple complex, told the Post Saturday morning that his Thai counterpart had requested to meet him Saturday afternoon in the local pagoda, but he still did not have authority from his superiors to attend.

Cambodian government and army leaders have thrown a wet blanket on the first reported violent military clash since the standoff began more than 11 weeks ago, characterizing it as a localized incident that would not threaten to spread to other points along the border.

Chea Morn, head commander of Military Region 4, which includes Preah Vihear province, corroborated that "a clash", as described by the brigade commander, had taken place, but said it was "just a small problem... and would be resolved."

Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs would contact its Thai counterpart to discuss to incident, but called it "a problem between the soldiers stationed in that area... and not a problem between the governments."

"The government's position is still that diplomatic negotiations must be used to solve this dispute."

Just earlier this week, in the sidelines of the UN General Assembly summit in New York, top foreign affairs officials from both sides reiterated the commitment of their governments to resolving the dispute peacefully.

Phay Siphan said talks between the Cambodian and Thai prime ministers on October 13 in Phnom Penh would proceed as planned.