Wednesday, February 9, 2011

KI Media

Posted by sam auto blog tune up at 5:09 PM

KI Media

Captured [Thai] private was asked to sign document in Khmer

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 04:42 PM PST

Captured Thai soldier before his release (Photo: CEN)
10/02/2011
Wassana Nanuam
Bangkok Post

An army private who was detained and later released by Cambodia has been questioned by his superiors including the army chief and the defence minister.

Pvt Songkran Thongchompu was captured during a clash with Cambodian soldiers in Si Sa Ket on Sunday.

He was released in Phnom Penh on Tuesday and taken to Aranyaprathet district in Thailand's Sa Kaeo province on the evening of the same day.

He was then immediately taken to the outpost of the army's Suranaree Task Force in Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket as senior army officers learned that Cambodian authorities asked the private to sign a document before his release.

A security source said Pvt Songkran's superiors asked him what had happened during his detention in Cambodia.


The private said he had been well treated but Cambodian authorities demanded that he sign a letter in exchange for his release.

"Pvt Songkran said it was a letter to ask Somdej Hun Sen [Cambodian prime minister] to help him return home," the source said.

The private was unable to read the letter as it was written in Khmer. The source said there was concern the private might have been made to sign a confession to the effect that Thailand had attacked and invaded Cambodia. "We must wait and see what happens," the source said.

Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha visited soldiers in Kantharalak district yesterday and spoke to Pvt Songkran.Gen Prayuth said he did not think Pvt Songkran had made a confession or signed a statement that could damage Thailand.

Strongman father dreams of glory for 'heroic' son

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 04:37 PM PST

Papa Hun and Baby Hun

10/02/2011
Wassana Nanuam
Bangkok Post

Hun Manet is no stranger to the Thai military. Even ordinary Thais know about the eldest son of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen from the border conflicts near Preah Vihear temple. The Thai military top brass has kept a close watch on Hun Manet since he went to West Point in the United States more than a decade ago.

The Cambodian strongman attended the graduation ceremony of his son at the famous US military school in 1999. Since then the Thai army has known that Hun Sen has a long-term plan to place his son in control of the Cambodian armed forces and succeed him in the top job of the Cambodian government.

The first step was fulfilled when Hun Sen defied criticism from opponents to promote Hun Manet to the rank of a two-star general, as deputy chief of the unit assigned to specifically protect Hun Sen.

Senior Thai military officers noted that Hun Sen was also using his son as a military link between Phnom Penh and Washington - as seen in the increased military aid and training, including US anti-terrorism tactics, given to the Cambodian forces.


After graduating from West Point, now-Maj Gen Hun Manet pursued a Master's degree in economics in the United Kingdom, where he started building contacts with Thai students and officers studying there. His connections with Thailand expanded when he had several chances to attend military conferences in Thailand and made numerous trips to Bangkok.

"Hun Manet is down-to-earth even though he is the prime minister's son. He is an easy-going guy and very friendly," one of his Thai friends in the army said. "We all know that he is destined to be the next Cambodian prime minister.

"Hun Sen loves his son, always listens to him and sometimes gives his son some advice," the same officer added.

It is believed that Thai army officers used their personal contacts with Maj Gen Hun Manet to convince his father to help the 7 Thais, including Democrat Party MP Panich Vikitsreth, after they were arrested by Cambodian security authorities on Dec 29.

His name is now well-known among the Thai people after he was given his new assignment: commander of the Cambodian forces fighting Thailand in the present conflict over the 4.6 square kilometre area. The Cambodian media reported his participation - with Lt Gen Chea Mon, chief of the Cambodian army's fourth region, and Lt Gen Srey Duek, who is in charge of the Cambodian province of Preah Vihear - on Jan 28 after the Thai army pressured Cambodia to demolish a stone tablet bearing the statement "Here is Cambodia" at Keo Sikha Kiri Savara pagoda two days earlier, followed by a call from Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva that Phnom Penh remove the Cambodian national flag at Wat Keo Sikha Kiri Savara, which is situated in an area also claimed by Thailand as part of Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket province. The tablet was destroyed but Mr Abhisit's counterpart, Hun Sen, refused to remove the flag. Instead, he ordered his son to be stationed at Preah Vihear to lead the Cambodian army in the border clashes instead of ordering him to return to Phnom Penh.

"Since then Thai intelligence officers who monitor Cambodia's military communication lines have heard his voice commanding Cambodian soldiers", including the communique on Feb 4 when the first clash took place, a Thai intelligence officer said.

After the second clash on Feb 6, the Thai army has not heard his voice, and there has been speculation that he has been injured. That rumour turned out to be false.

Another rumour was that his younger brother, Col Hun Mani, was injured on Feb 4 when his tank was hit by a Thai artillery shell which, according to the Thai army's claim, killed 64 Cambodian soldiers, damaged 15 other tanks, six artilleries and four BM 21 multi-rocket launchers.

But even this could not be confirmed.

Maj Gen Hun Manet took the leading role in the fighting on the night of Feb 6, in what the Thai army believes was in retaliation for the loss of Cambodian forces and the slight damage to Preah Vihear temple. The target of that raid were the Thai soldiers based at Phu Ma Khua, and he decided to launch the attack at night because he realised that timing and experience would give his troops an advantage. One thing gave the Thai army the upper hand: superior weapons.

There has been no report of any losses among the Cambodian soldiers as they were aware that radio communications had been intercepted by Thailand. On the Thai side, 14 Thai soldiers and two villagers were injured. One of the troops later died.

Thai army officers believe that Hun Sen's decision to send his son to lead Cambodian soldiers in the border clash was intentional. "Hun Sen wanted his son to get credit and recognition from the Cambodian people, to pave the way for him to be promoted in the army," one Thai army source noted.

Leading the fight against "Siam" has already put his name in the Cambodian history books, the source added.

After the latest clash on Feb 6, Maj Gen Hun Manet "approached" Thai army leaders including chief of the 2nd Army, Thawatchai Samutsakhon, and army C-in-C Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha. "I have been in contact with Hun Manet. Both Thai and Cambodian commanders have already reached an understanding," Lt Gen Thawatchai said.

"I can confirm that Thai soldiers did not start the war. We got shot first. We never started any invasion and were on the defensive. But let me assure everybody that we are not the underdog," he said, speaking of the Thai position.

Whatever the outcome of the clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, one sure thing is that Maj Gen Hun Manet has become a hero to his Cambodian countrymen.

Wassana Nanuam reports on military affairs for the Bangkok Post.

Sam Rainsy Party's MPs delegation led by MP Son Chhay visit Preah Vihear on Wednesday morning

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 04:19 PM PST

SRP MP Son Chhay spoke briefly to the soldiers before handing over some foods, medicine and other equipments while MPs from CPP and SRP looked on

From left to right: SRP MP Khim Laky, Nut Rumduol, Cheam Channy, Son Chhay, Van Monyvan and Kong Bora standing in front of the troops.

MP Son Chhay spoke to the press after handing over gifts to the soldiers.

MP Son Chhay spoke to the press

Displaced people from the war zone: The are nearly 3,000 families who have moved out of their villages and need help.

US Boots on the Ground Near Thai-Cambodian Border Fight

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 04:08 PM PST

Thursday, 10 February 2011
By Richard S. Ehrlich
Scoop.co.nz

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thousands of U.S. troops are currently training Bangkok's poorly disciplined, coup-prone military to "defend Thailand" while a bloody artillery duel between Thailand and Cambodia has disrupted their border, and a decades-long southern Muslim insurgency smolders out of control.

America's 30th Cobra Gold, from February 7 to February 18, is one of the biggest multinational land-based military exercises on earth, involving 11,220 people, including 7,200 U.S. service members.

U.S. and other foreign forces are using Thailand's Vietnam war-era Utapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield in Chanthaburi province and other facilities, about 280 miles (450 kms) southwest of the fighting along the Thai-Cambodian border.

The U.S. Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Third Marine Expeditionary Force, is deployed in Korat, about 180 miles (290 kms) west of the clashes.

U.S. boots are on the ground in this Buddhist, Southeast Asian, non-NATO ally, while a shooting feud between Thailand and Cambodia has killed at least eight people on both sides, since February 4, along their border.


Thailand and Cambodia attacked each other's jungle-based positions with artillery, mortars, rocket-fired grenades and other weapons, occasionally pausing for a "cease-fire" and then shooting again.

They fought for at least one hour on February 7 after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said, "We need the United Nations to send forces here and create a buffer zone to guarantee that there is no more fighting."

Elsewhere in Thailand, the U.S. military's Cobra Gold planned several live-fire demonstrations and other assaults.

Thailand's Lt. Gen. Surapun Wongthai serves as exercise commander, with U.S. Marine Lt. Gen. Kenneth Glueck Jr. as deputy commander, the Stars and Stripes newspaper reported.

Among the U.S. Marine units participating in Thailand are: Okinawa's 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment acting as its ground combat element; Marine Wing Support Squadron 172; Marine Aircraft Group 36; and Combat Logistics Regiments 35 and Combat Logistics Regiment 3, it said.

The Sasebo, Japan-based USS Essex, USS Germantown and USS Denver are also involved.

Cobra Gold training exercises include service members from Japan, South Korea, Singapore and -- for the first time -- Malaysia.

An amphibious assault is scheduled for Thursday on Thailand's southern Hat Yao coast.

The Cobra Gold 2011 opening ceremony was held on February 7 in Thailand's second largest city, Chiang Mai, about 485 miles (780 kms) northwest of the Thai-Cambodia battle site.

"Cobra Gold 2011 is the 30th Thai-U.S. military exercise designed to ensure regional peace through a strategy of cooperative engagement, and strengthens the ability of the Royal Thai Armed Forces to defend Thailand," wrote Lance Cpl. Alejandro Pena of the Third Marine Expeditionary Force, on the official U.S. Marine Corps website.

The cross-border fighting by Thailand and Cambodia was not expected to spill into areas used by Cobra Gold.

Each side repeatedly said the other country's forces fired first after shells landed in Thailand and Cambodia, hitting nearby villages, setting homes and shops on fire, and forcing hundreds of people to flee.

Both Bangkok and Phnom Penh claim to own the thin slivers of disputed border land, and possession over the stone rubble of an 11th century Hindu temple, built by Cambodians when their Khmer kingdom stretched across much of present-day Thailand.

The cross-border fighting damaged the Preah Vihear temple, which was part of an ancient network of scattered Hindu shrines when Cambodia's nearby Angkor Wat complex acted as a center of political and spiritual power more than 900 years ago.

Preah Vihear also occupies a strategic military position because it is on a high cliff, overlooking northern Cambodia's flatlands 1,722 feet (525 meters) below, about 150 miles north of Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital.

If Thai forces can dominate Preah Vihear, or its surrounding territory on Thailand's eastern border, they would enjoy a high ground position against Cambodia, making both sides wary of each other's military forces close to the Dangrek Mountains' cliffside zone.

"Thailand is gravely concerned about the use the temple of Phra Viharn [Preah Vihear] by Cambodia for military purposes," Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva wrote to the UN Security Council on February 7.

The temple is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and lucrative tourist attraction.

Both countries want to profit from the growing number of travelers seeking to visit the ruins, and who use restaurants, shops, hotels and other facilities during their journey.

The temple was awarded to Cambodia in 1962 by the International Court of Justice, but a two-square-mile (4.6-sq-km) area on the surrounding cliff is disputed, while both countries point to different historical maps.

The office of UN Security Council Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York said on February 6: "The secretary-general appeals to both sides to put in place an effective arrangement for cessation of hostilities, and to exercise maximum restraint."

Bangkok's internal political problems are also a wild card in the volatile mix which could concern Cobra Gold.

During January, Army Chief Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha announced he "did not want to stage a coup," despite his role in a 2006 putsch.

Thailand's military has staged more than 18 coups and attempted coups since the 1930s, with the most recent in September 2006 which overthrew the popularly elected government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

In April and May, the army battled pro-democracy Red Shirt protesters who blockaded Bangkok's streets, resulting in 91 deaths -- mostly civilians -- amid protests against the coup and demands to restore Mr. Thaksin to power.

The Red Shirts did not oppose last year's Cobra Gold, but Sean Boonpracong, a Red Shirt spokesman at the time, warned "if the United States ignores us, we would put forth more opposition to the next Cobra Gold exercise" in 2011.

"We have tens of millions of followers," said Mr. Boonpracong, who later distanced himself from the Red Shirts after being briefly detained by the army last year.

Earlier, the poorly disciplined Thai army suffocated to death more than 78 minority Malay-Thai Muslim men in 2004, after tying them up and laying them flat on top of each other in army trucks.

Each year, London-based Amnesty International and other human rights groups report alleged extrajudicial killings and torture cases committed by the army in the south, along Thailand's border with Muslim-majority Malaysia, where an unstoppable insurgency has left more than 4,000 people dead on all sides since 2004.
*************
Richard S Ehrlich is a Bangkok-based journalist who has reported news from Asia since 1978. He is co-author of "Hello My Big Big Honey!", a non-fiction book of investigative journalism. His web page is http://www.asia-correspondent.110mb.com

A VERY BIASED Thai view on the conflict between Cambodia and Thailand

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 03:53 PM PST

Understanding Cambodia's goal and strategy on the border


February 10, 2011
By Pornpimol Kanchanalak
The Nation
KI-Media Note: The author of this article is EXTREMELY BIASED!!! Some of his assertions are not backed up by any tangible proof at all!
Many years ago, MR Kasemsamosorn Kasemsri - one of the best diplomats Thailand ever produced - gave me an invaluable lesson in diplomacy and life. If we really want to get to the bottom of any matter, we must not simply ask "why?" but more importantly "why now?"

The latest border fight between Cambodia and Thailand provides a case in point. The artillery fire started by Cambodia (allegedly aimed, as stated by the latter, at a Thai construction site and machinery for road building in the border area) came out of nowhere and caught Thailand off guard. The road construction in and around the area by both countries has been a matter of bilateral dispute, as each has claimed that that area of construction is within its own territory.

Leaving the legitimacy of the territorial claims aside, it's worthy of note that:

1. Cambodia has purposely chosen the Preah Vihear Temple as the launch site for its own cannons and rockets. The basic rule of military engagement is that return fire be aimed at the launch site of the offensive artillery. If the temple is so precious to Cambodia, as it claims, and there is no other overriding hidden agenda, how can Cambodia knowingly put the temple at risk by originating its firing from there?


2. Cambodia claimed "heavy damage" was done to the structure of the temple by the rounds returned by Thai guns. The fact of the matter is that the temple was damaged extensively over the years by the Khmer Rouge's heavy shelling to root out General Lon Nol during the country's civil war. Any genuine conservationist would never place artillery at the site of the temple. By so doing, Cambodia is using the temple as a pawn and gambling it away as a hostage.

3. Recently it seems that the campaign by Thailand and its friends for Unesco to halt the completion process of the World Heritage registration - submitted by Cambodia to include the entire surrounding area - is gaining ground. Cambodia cannot want to see its plan slip through its fingers. Something must be done by the Cambodian leadership to invigorate and fuel the fire in the bellies of diehard conservationists everywhere, and for Unesco to wrap up the process quickly per the Cambodian design, to prevent further possible destruction to the temple.

If Unesco accepts the Cambodian registration request in its entirety, the territorial question will be nullified, as the Unesco ruling will make the Cambodian territorial claim a fait accompli, and a Thai appeal or any further action would be rendered futile. It would likely be put in the "unsportsmanlike-like" and "hostile" categories.

The aforementioned factors can explain the "why now?" question. Now on with the Cambodian strategy and tactics.

Simultaneous to its military manoeuvre, Cambodia launched an all-out appeal to the United Nations as well as Unesco. The trump cards it has are several. And the Cambodian strategy will go down as a best-case study in diplomacy for years to come. It's a multi-pronged, multi-level strategy, taking full advantage of Thailand's serious internal divisions and misplaced nationalism of a vociferous few.

On the international stage, Cambodia is perceived as a smaller country and at a lower developmental rating than Thailand. The perceived notion of a smaller and weaker sibling falling prey to a bullying bigger brother always attracts sympathy. Cambodia also knows that it has a staunch ally in France on the UN Security Council. And Paris is not the only friend Cambodia can count on in this UN body.

Quite suspiciously the ceasefire mutually reached by both Thailand and Cambodia, and the fanfare over the latter's release of captured Thai soldiers, happened the day before Cambodia's petition to the UN to get involved and to send its peacekeeping forces. The two incidents provide a perfect backdrop for the Cambodian plea, and portray Cambodia as a peace-loving and peace-seeking nation at the expense of Thailand the aggressor.

Hun Sen himself is a veteran in diplomatic affairs. He was foreign minister of the PRK/SOC regime in 1979 before becoming prime minister in 1985. He and experienced compatriots like Hor Num Hong know how to spin the matter in the international arena better than anyone. Diplomacy is where experience and wisdom count.

Hun Sen's efforts are paying off. His strategy has made both the UN and Unesco start ticking. Both bodies are sending "fact-finding" missions to the area. Unfortunately for Thailand, the commiseration card is in the possession of Cambodia.

If Cambodia is successful in convincing the UN to deploy peacekeeping forces to the disputed area, as it strongly requests, the whole disputed territory will be out of reach of Thailand's appeal. But for Cambodia it is only the first of two punches it can pull to finish off the whole affair. Worse, nobody can tell how big the area might be under the jurisdiction of the UN peacekeeping forces.

Unesco is at a crossroads with regard to Preah Vihear Temple. Its fact-finding trip may make it realise that it should not be dragged into becoming a part of one country's agenda, and becoming the cause of irreparable conflict between two of its members. Or it can resolve to put a stop to any further structural damage to this World Heritage site by swiftly ruling that the surrounding area belongs to the temple, as Cambodia requests.

As for Thailand, we have long insisted that the territorial dispute is a bilateral matter and should be settled accordingly. Meanwhile, Asean has indicated its willingness to mediate, as both Thailand and Cambodia are Asean members, and the prolonged conflict between the two cannot be good for the whole grouping. The question remains whether Thailand is willing to consider multilateralism as an option.

These are the factors that Thailand has to take into account in formulating an effective strategy and response. So far Cambodia has been a good disciple of Sun Wu Tzu, the great 6th century Chinese military strategist. It is making its plans "dark and as impenetrable as night, and when it moves, falls like a thunderbolt".

But it is not too late for Thailand to appreciate the same military master who espoused time honoured wisdom. "Know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster." And to remember the warning of the same sage: "Strategy with tactics is the slowest route to victory; and tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat."

Are Thailand and Cambodia Heading to War?

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 03:46 PM PST

A Cambodian soldier smokes a cigarette at the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple on the border between Thailand and Cambodia February 9, 2011. (Damir Sagolj/Courtesy Reuters)

Wednesday, February 9, 2011
By Joshua Kurlantzick
Council on Foreign Relations (USA)

Over the past week, fighting between Thailand and Cambodia over the disputed Preah Vihear border temple has left its bloodiest toll in at least a decade. At least seven people have been killed in recent days and dozens of soldiers on both sides wounded, as the Thai and Cambodian militaries trade rifle and artillery fire.

Now, the fact that people are getting killed over a small amount of disputed territory and an (admittedly beautiful) temple does, to many observers, seem absurd. But the conflict also points to a bigger problem: Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva seems to have diminishing control over the Thai military, which is largely responsible for his place in office. On the Thai side, the conflict is being pushed by nationalists linked to the People's Alliance for Democracy, but the military men taking action along the border often seem to be doing so either without informing Abhisit or informing his office well after the fact.


This is part of a disturbing and growing trend. It's widely known in Thailand that the military helped broker the coalition government, with Abhisit at the head, bringing down several pro-Thaksin governments that followed Thaksin's exile. But how much control does Abhisit have now over his armed forces? To take one example, the Thai military budget has roughly doubled in the past five years, yet the army is spending its money on seemingly useless projects like a new division based in the Northeast – a project long pushed by the military's godfather, Prem Tinsulonanda, but which has relatively little real use today. (After all, the money could easily be used in the south, home to a serious insurgency, or on the border with Burma.)

Abhisit also appeared to have little control over the military's actions during the violence in Bangkok during last April and May. And Abhisit seems unable to control the security forces' meddling in, or denying help to, the investigations into the killings in Bangkok last April and May.

Where might this all lead? It's not hard to imagine, particularly as the question of royal succession becomes more evident and the military increasingly feels it alone can defend the crown. Recently, army chief Prayuth chan-Ocha has been publicly denying that the military plans to stage a coup, as rumors of the possibility swirl in Bangkok. But, remember that only days before the last coup, in 2006, the military was denying it had any such intentions. Don't bet against it this year either.

UN Security Council likely to discuss Thailand, Cambodia row

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 03:36 PM PST

Feb 10, 2011
AGENCIES
TodayOnline.com

PREAH VIHEAR - Thailand and Cambodia faced growing diplomatic pressure yesterday to end a standoff on a stretch of border surrounding an ancient temple, as Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen declared their recent clashes a "real war".

Mr Hun Sen said the damage sustained by the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple constituted a war crime - indicating he has no intention of backing down despite a fragile truce that has silenced guns for two days.

"Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva must be held responsible for war crimes," he said, adding that the conflict was not just an armed clash.

Each country blames the other for starting the fighting last Friday which set off several days of artillery duels, leaving at least eight people dead.


Dozens of soldiers were wounded and thousands of civilians evacuated to safety, before fighting eased on Monday.

Diplomats at the United Nations Security Council said it could discuss the issue next week after the United States, China and the Association of South-east Asian Nations urged both sides to show restraint.

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya will fly to New York on Monday for a meeting with his Cambodian counterpart, Mr Hor Namhong, as well as Indonesian Foreign Minister and Asean envoy Marty Natalegawa.

Mr Kasit's secretary said the three foreign ministers would then explain the conflict to the UN Security Council chairman.

Washington Cambodian-​American Protest against Thai Invasion!!​!

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 03:33 PM PST

Dear All:

Following the recent clashes near the Thai-Khmer border, The Cambodian-American Communities in the State of Washington is calling for your strong support to participate in the Peaceful Protest against Thailand for its invasion into Cambodian territory over the Preah Vihear Temple and border dispute.

We ask the American Government to use their power to stop the war!!!

We ask the United Nations and the International Community to intervene in this dispute!!!

Date: Saturday February 12th, 2011
Time: 10:00 AM – 02:00 PM
Where: White Center Business Area, Seattle

Meeting: 09:00 – 10:00 AM
DSHS White Center – Parking Lot
9650 15th Ave SW Seattle, WA 98106

Contacts:
206-658-7221/ 425-322-6480/ 206-850-7565/ 206-779-2193
206-713-2083/ 425-750-8226/ 253-592-1601

Flyer is attached!!!

Please feel free to forward and spread the words out to the Khmer Community.

Best Regards,

Khmer Unity for Cambodia (KUC)
Email: Khmerforumwa@gmail.com

OHCHR to be asked to intervene for two Thais held in Cambodia

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 09:21 AM PST



Wednesday, February 09, 2011
The Nation

The defence plans to seek the intervention of the Office of Untied Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to release two Thais convicted for illegal entry and spying in Phnom Penh, lawyer Natthaporn Toprayoon said on Wednesday.

The trial and verdict for Veera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipapatanapaiboon were unjust," he said, explaining why the defence wants to involve the OHCHR.

Natthaporn said the petition will be submitted to the OHCHR next week.

He said the defence will take a two-tracked strategy - involving the OHCHR and appealing to overturn the verdict and sentencing.

In regard its next step in the litigation, the defence was waiting to obtain the official copy of the verdict before filing for a bail review and launching the appellate review.

Last week, the Phnom Penh Court of First Instance found Veera and Ratree guilty and sentenced them to serve eight and six years in jail respectively.

Thailand, Cambodia Step Up Diplomatic Efforts

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 09:16 AM PST

A Cambodian soldier walks past armored vehicles during the National Assembly members' visit to troops in a military base near the Preah Vhear temple in Preah Vihear province, some 500 kilometers northwest of Phnom Penh, February 9, 2011 (Photo: AFP)
Ron Corben, VOA
Bangkok February 09, 2011

Thailand and Cambodia are stepping up diplomatic efforts to prevent more fighting along their border. But the two countries accuse each other of using banned weapons in their battles in the past few days near a 900-year-old Hindu temple.

The two countries exchanged allegations Wednesday, over the use of internationally banned cluster bombs.

The internationally funded Cambodian Mine Action Center says it is investigating the reports of cluster bombs. Cambodia's military says the artillery was from the Thai side of the border.

Hang Ratana, the CMAC secretary-general, says an investigation team has been sent to Sa'em commune, in Preah Vihear province. A team had been dispatched to brief civilians over the dangers of the bombs, which do not always explode on impact, and remain as land mines, posing a threat long after the conflict is over.

He says CMAC had found remnants of cluster bombs and saw that cluster munitions were spread in some areas. But the military situation has been tense and they will not be able investigate in many areas.


The Thai government denies using cluster bombs.

"The military confirmed to us that we don't use this weapon. Number two they also discovered those weapons in the area and they concluded that the weapons and are from Cambodia. The cluster shells were discovered in the area shot by the Cambodian side," said Panitan Wattanayagorn, the government spokesman.

Cluster bombs and mines are particularly sensitive issues in Cambodia. Decades of war in the last century left parts of the country littered with such weapons and every year scores of people are injured by unexploded ordnance.

The latest fighting is the most severe since 2008, when tensions rose after the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple received World Heritage status under the United Nations Scientific and Educational Organization.

Fighting flared up last Friday, and has left at least 10 dead and scores wounded, including many civilians. Thousands of villagers on both sides of the border have fled their homes.

Cambodian and Thai troops remain on high alert, with villagers reporting a build up of security forces. But Wednesday there were no reports of new fighting.

The Preah Vihear temple remained close to the public Wednesday. Cambodian officials inspected the Hindu site, which appears to have sustained some damage during the fighting.

UNESCO officials have called for calm and say experts will be sent to assess damage to the temple. But Thailand opposes the UNESCO inspection.

The foreign ministers of both countries are due in New York next week to discuss the situation at the United Nations.

In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled the Preah Vihear temple belonged to Cambodia, but a major access route lies in about five square kilometers of land that is in Thailand. In June the U.N. Heritage Committee is to meet to decide on a management plan for the temple.

The border dispute has been exacerbated by Thai politics. In late December, Cambodian officials arrested seven Thais, including members of Parliament, who were charged with illegally crossing the border in another disputed area. Two received lengthy prison sentences for spying, but five have been freed.

Thai nationalists demand that their government oust Cambodians from disputed lands and invalidate a memorandum of understanding the two countries signed on resolving border disputes. The government rejects the demands.

Four gopuras of landmark Shiva temple on Thai-Cambodia border damaged: Hindus concerned

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 07:28 AM PST

2011-02-09
ANI (India)

"Very serious" damage has been caused to four gopuras (towered gateways found at the entrances to temples) of landmark Preah Vihear Shiva temple, according to a Cambodian Government communique.

The communique from the Cambodian Government's National Committee for the World Heritage mentions about: very serious damages to the Gopura I, III, IV, and V of the Temple of Preah Vihear.

Hindus have expressed serious concern at the reported damage. Notable Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that international community, UNESCO, and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) should immediately provide funding to bring back this Lord Shiva temple to its original shape as it was before Thai-Cambodia clashes began February four. These organizations should not shy away to shoulder their responsibility of saving the important heritage of the world and respecting the feelings of Hindus worldwide, Zed added.


Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, welcomed UNESCO statement of sending a mission to the area as soon as possible to "assess the state of the temple". It was a good "first step", Zed said of the UNESCO assessment team, and added that it should dispatch another "repair team" also soon. Besides temple repairs, some infrastructure in the area should also be provided for devotees and other visitors.

Rajan Zed stressed that this landmark age-old and revered Preah Vihear Hindu Shiva temple complex was important to Hindu heritage and must be preserved to pass it on to the future generations. Damage to 11th century Shiva temple was shocking and hurtful to the Hindu community world over. Lord Shiva, one of the major deities in Hinduism forming great triad with Brahma and Vishnu, was focus of worship of the Hindus, and it was important for them that Preah Vihear Hindu Shiva temple be protected. It was a world heritage and it was moral duty of the world to keep it intact for the coming generations.

Known as Preah Vihear in Cambodia and Khao Phra Viharn in Thailand, this remote temple at the border between Thailand and Cambodia, which had reportedly not been clearly demarcated, had been a source of tension for generations. Preah Vihear was said to even predate Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple complex by about 100 years and its stunning setting made it finest of all the ruins left from the mighty Khmer civilization, Zed stated.

Rajan Zed pointed out that world should not let this sacred site dedicated to Lord Shiva (situated where Preah Vihear province of northern Cambodia touched Sisaket province of eastern Thailand) be further damaged to advance political agendas of some as there appeared to be a no clear solution to settle the long-standing territorial dispute surrounding the temple, which was already a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and whose history could be traced to 9th century when the hermitage was founded.

Moreover, Temple of Preah Vihear, an outstanding masterpiece of Khmer architecture mostly created by Suryavarman I and Suryavarman II, was a unique architectural complex of a series of sanctuaries and was said to be exceptional for the quality of its architecture and carved stone ornamentation. It was reportedly dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva in his manifestations as Sikharesvara and Bhadresvara. It was also said to be marking representation of sacred Mount Meru, the abode of the gods, and showing a depiction of Churning of the Ocean, a Hindu scriptural episode, Zed said.


Cambodian Government's Committee describes Preah Vihear as: The site serves as a sacred place worshipping to the Hindu god Shiva manifesting as Sikharesvara (the Lord of Peak) and his figures are depicted on pediments and lintels.

Thai PM informs UN chief on Thai-Cambodian skirmishes: Foreign Ministry

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 07:22 AM PST

BANGKOK, Feb 9 (MCOT online news) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva telephoned United Nations secretary-general, reiterating to him that Thailand has exercised utmost restraint in dealing with its neighbour and that Cambodia had began firing at the Thai troops first, according to a senior foreign ministry official.

Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to the Thai Foreign minister, said the Thai premier called UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Tuesday evening.

During the 20-minute talk, Mr Abhisit reaffirmed to the world body chief that Thailand has used the utmost restraint in negotiating with Cambodia on the border dispute, but the clash occurred because the neighbour opened fire at Thai troops first and Thailand had to retaliate proportionally.


On the contrary, Mr Chavanond said, the premier told Mr Ban that some 16,000 Thais living along the border have had to evacuate their houses as they were targeted by Cambodian troops, but Khmer people are not the target of the Thai soldiers.

Mr Abhisit also urged the UN chief to reconsider the listing of the ancient Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage Site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as it ignited the conflict between the two kingdoms, said Mr Chavanond.

Mr Chavanond stated Mr Abhisit told Mr Ban that if the World Heritage agency goes ahead with the management plan, it will intensify the tension, saying that the UN chief reaffirmed that he will discuss the incident and its solution with UNESCO to prevent further tension.

The secretary-general added that the Thai prime minister also informed Mr Ban about the talks between Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong and Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa to encourage bilateral talks to resolve the problem under the support of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

Mr Chavanond said the UN chief said he would also discuss resolving the problem at the bilateral level with the United Nations Security Council, which Cambodia has petitioned regarding the latest fighting.

In response to Cambodian moves in international arena, Mr Chavanond said, the Thai foreign ministry will dispatch former Thai ambassador to the United Nations Assada Chaiyanam, in his capacity as chairman of the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), to Paris to clarify and create better understanding about the matter with UNESCO.

Mr Assada will bring all related documents and evidence to present at UNESCO and is scheduled to leave Bangkok on Friday, said Mr Chavanond, adding that a special representative will also be appointed to talk with 21 nations who are members of the World Heritage Committee.

Cambodia, Thailand at ‘war’: PM

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 07:18 AM PST

Wednesday, 09 February 2011
Cheang Sokha and Vong Sokheng
The Phnom Penh Post

Prime Minister Hun Sen has accused Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of war crimes, saying Cambodia has to prepare a "long-term" strategy in its "struggle" with Thailand. Speaking at Chaktomuk Theatre today, Hun Sen described the recent clashes as a "war" necessitating the involvement of the United Nations Security Council.

"This is a real war. It is not a clash," he said.

"This word has not been used for the call to the UNSC meeting; that's why Cambodia has called for an urgent meeting."

Both sides blame the other for the skirmishes, which erupted early on Friday and have claimed at least eight lives on both sides.

Hun Sen today thanked "all political parties and civil society" for their support of the government.


"Thailand is making this war, not Cambodia, and Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva must take responsibility for these war crimes.

"The shelling at the temple and pagoda are one among the war crimes.

"We have to take long action, not just one or two days to finish it," he said, citing the decades-long dispute over Preah Vihear temple.

"We have to make a long plan strategy to struggle with Thailand.

"To struggle with Thailand is not one day, one year, [but] many years."

Hun Sen also echoed earlier government claims that Thailand deployed cluster bombs during the skirmishes.

"They launched a cluster bomb. Is that a clash? This is the real war, it exchanged many heavy artillery," he said.

The government-run Cambodian Mine Action Centre released photos today of cluster munitions allegedly discovered in Kantuot commune, in Preah Vihear province's Choam Ksan district.

CMAC director general Heng Ratana said his organisation was "really disappointed that these kinds of weapons were used in this conflict", calling for international organisations to investigate the issue.

Speaking to a delegation of visiting parliamentarians at Sa Em village 27 kilometres from Preah Vihear today, RCAF deputy commander in chief General Hing Bunheang also alleged the use of the weapon.

"[Thailand] used 150mm, 105mm, 130mm and used BM [rockets] as well as cluster bombs," he said.

"Our soldiers responded to them effectively."

Thailand is known to hold stockpiles of cluster munitions, according to the advocacy group Cluster Munitions Coalition, which said last year that Bangkok had pledged that it would not use the weapons but had declined to sign the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions outlawing their use.

Thailand reportedly cited "challenges related to the destruction of its stockpiles" as its main obstacle to signing, the CMC said.

Cambodia also has yet to sign on to the Convention, though Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said the Kingdom's forces "do not use" the weapons.

"The cluster bomb is the bomb that the international community condemns," he said.

Cluster bombs, launched from the ground or dropped from the air, split open before impact to scatter multiple bomblets over a wide area.

Many initially fail to explode and can lie hidden for decades, maiming civilians who inadvertently happen upon them.

US forces used cluster munitions during the bombing campaign in eastern Cambodia in the 1970s, rendering the Kingdom one of nations most heavily affected by the weapons.

Denise Coughlan, director of Jesuit Services, noted that Preah Vihear temple was not significantly affected by the American bombing campaign.

"If it does prove to be true, I deplore the humanitarian consequences that are going to be caused by the use of cluster bombs," she said, adding that it might encourage the Kingdom to sign on to the international cluster munitions ban.

Colonel Veerachon Sukondhadhpatipak, deputy spokesman of the Royal Thai Army, denied the charge earlier this week, saying Thai troops had only deployed conventional artillery.

"This is just a normal one, not something against international law or standards. We completely deny the reports," he told The Post.

Carl Thayer, a professor at the Australian Defence Force Academy, said cluster munitions were typically deployed over a large area as anti-infantry weapons.

"Usually they're fired in barrages," he said. "They land and they take out a whole football field."

Thayer said that if true, Thailand's use of cluster munitions would constitute "an outrageous escalation" of the conflict, though he cautioned against taking reports from the Cambodian government on the issue at face value.

"From 2008 to now, they've always tried to grandstand on this issue … and paint Thailand in the worst possible light, so I'd be initially suspicious," he said.

Cambodian soldiers stationed close to Preah Vihear temple said there was no sign of fighting since early Monday, but the situation remained tense.

"We're ready because we can't trust the Thais any more," said RCAF soldier Muong Van.

Ung Oeun, governor of Banteay Meanchey province, said Thai officials and military had requested a meeting with Cambodian officials tomorrow along the border in O'Chrou district's O'Beichoan commune in order to avert the threat of further clashes.

"Even though the situation is calm, our armed forces are on high alert because we have no belief in the Thai military."

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JAMES O'TOOLE, THET SAMBATH, SEBASTIAN STRANGIO AND REUTERS

Fighting Clouds Thai Election Picture

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 07:11 AM PST

Wednesday, February 09, 2011
By JAMES HOOKWAY
The Wall Street Journal

BANGKOK—Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Wednesday said he plans to call national elections by the middle of this year, even as a border conflict with Cambodia threatens to complicate his party's bid to remain in power.

At least eight people have been killed in sporadic skirmishes that began Friday near Preah Vihear Temple along Thailand's northern border with Cambodia. The violence has prompted the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to send a team to assess damage to the thousand-year-old Hindu temple, which was designated as a Unesco World Heritage site in 2008 and is regarded as one of the high points of the Khmer civilization that once dominated much of mainland Southeast Asia. The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to discuss the issue next Monday.

Thailand and Cambodia have wrestled for years over control of the temple, which the International Court of Justice awarded to Cambodia in 1962, as well as over 4.6 square kilometers of nearby land. Ownership of this scrubby patch of land has become especially politicized in both countries recently; in Thailand, nationalist street protesters are currently surrounding the main government headquarters in Bangkok, demanding that Mr. Abhisit's government do more to back up the Thai claim to the site.

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has also used the issue to burnish his nationalist credentials domestically.


Political analysts say the dispute, which could intensify at any moment, is a double-edged sword for Mr. Abhisit, raising questions about whether he'll be able to proceed with planned elections and bring some long-term stability to one of Southeast Asia's linchpin economies.

In mid-January, Mr. Abhisit already appeared to be in full campaign mode, launching a heavily publicized welfare program live on television. Under Thai law, Mr. Abhisit must call elections by the end of this year, and analysts say he is eager to do so as quickly as possible hopes of establishing his own popular mandate. He was elected premier by Thailand's parliament in late 2008.

Mr. Abhisit, 46 years old, also faces continuing criticism for his response to massive street protests in Bangkok last April and May against his government and in support of populist former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in a military coup in 2006. Over 90 people were killed, many shot by security forces that established live-fire zones in some of the city's most expensive neighborhoods.

Protesters were calling for early elections, and even now elections would go a long way toward resolving Thailand's problems and restoring Mr. Abhisit's standing overseas, some analysts say. Although analysts have long believed supporters of Mr. Thaksin would easily win a national election, some have begun to question that assumption in recent months: Thailand stabilized following last year's protests and posted strong economic growth in the second half of the year, they note, which could improve Mr. Abhisit's chances. But waiting until late in the year could give opponents more time to regroup and regain momentum, especially since economic growth is expected to weaken amid rising inflation.

On Wednesday Mr. Abhisit told a closed-door gathering of investors in Bangkok that he intends to hold a vote in the first half of the year. "The Prime Minister has made it clear he will not stay until the end of his term, and the election will be held within the first half of the year," said a government statement summarizing Mr. Abhisit's remarks.

The conflict with Cambodia, though, is raising questions as to whether Mr. Abhisit's government and his allies in the military and the powerful nationalist, anti-Thaksin "Yellow-Shirt" lobby are reading from the same page.

People familiar with the situation say some members of the armed forces and other Thaksin opponents—worried that elections might return Mr. Thaksin's supporters to power at their expense—may be seeking to short-circuit any election plans by distracting Mr. Abhisit with the Cambodia issue.

"I would say the internal politics in Thailand are very much responsible for what's happening on the border with Cambodia," says a prominent Thai academic, Pavin Chachavalpongpun. "That's not to say the conflict wouldn't happen without it, but it is a significant factor."

The Thai and Cambodian armed forces blame each other for triggering the conflict. But whichever side started it, the standoff could make it more difficult for Mr. Abhisit to hold a national vote, despite his announcement Wednesday. Though the prime minister intends to call an early election, said his acting spokesman, Panitan Wattanayagorn, "there need to be three elements in place before he can do that: an economic recovery, some constitutional amendments due to be voted on this Friday, and a peaceful overall environment."

Mr. Panitan says Thailand's government and armed forces are in constant communication, but that "peaceful environment" is bit of a stumbling block at the moment.

Although Mr. Thaksin is now living overseas to escape imprisonment on a 2008 corruption conviction—which he dismisses as politically motivated—he and his populist policies still have a strong following in vote-rich parts of north and north-eastern Thailand. In recent months crowds of up to 40,000 antigovernment Red Shirt protesters, many of them allied with Mr. Thaksin, have rallied in Bangkok pressing for new elections and the release of protest leaders arrested and charged with terrorism during last May's marathon rally. The size of the crowds has caught many government and security officials off guard.

Write to James Hookway at james.hookway@wsj.com

Cambodian FM to attend UNSC meeting over Cambodia-Thai border dispute

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 07:05 AM PST

February 09, 2011
Xinhua

The United Nations Security Council will hold its meeting on Feb. 14 to discuss over the border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand, said Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday afternoon.

Cambodia will send Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong, minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, to explain the meeting about Thai aggression into Cambodian territory near the 11th century temple, said Hun Sen while closing the annual conference of the Ministry of Commerce.

"Now the United Nations Security Council decided to hold the meeting on Monday, the minister Hor Namhong is preparing documents to explain to the UNSC meeting," he said. "We will meet each other at the UNSC."


He said the Thai side will send its Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya to the meeting and Indonesia, as the chair of ASEAN, will also be invited to the meeting.

"Now you (Thailand) can deny in front of the UNSC and deny in front of the ASEAN," he said.

The spokesman for the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Koy Kuong said Wednesday that the schedule of Hor Namhong's departure for New York is not yet set, "but he will arrive in New York before the next Monday meeting."

France offers old maps to help resolve Thai-Cambodia spat

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 06:49 AM PST

Feb 9, 2011
AFP

PARIS - FRANCE offered on Wednesday to help resolve a festering border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia by providing maps it made at the start of the last century when it ruled Indo-China.

French officials made the maps in preparation for the Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907, which delimited the area over which the two countries are squabbling.

Foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero told reporters that Paris was happy to provide the documents 'to any country that asks us to consult them or to make a copy of these documents'. At least eight people have been killed in four days of cross-border violence between Thailand and Cambodia around the ancient temple of Preah Vihear, which forced thousands of families to flee on both sides of the frontier.

Hun Sen bully boy: Kasit [-Kasit is becoming paranoid?]

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 06:46 AM PST

Wednesday, February 09, 2011
The Nation

Kasit labels Cambodian PM as bully boy, expresses suspicion Russia, India, China behind Cambodia's aggressiveness

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya Wednesday called Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen a bully boy who launched attacks against Thailand with hope to seize control of the disputed plot near Preah Vihear Temple.

Kasit was speaking at a seminar on Thai-Cambodian relationship at Parliament held by the Senate committee on foreign affairs.

Kasit told the seminar that the conflicts between the two countries happened because the Cambodian government incited hatred among its people towards Thailand.


Kasit said the Cambodian government told its people that Thailand had been bullying Cambodia during the past 600 and 700 years.

"Cambodian people were told that Thailand has been hitting Cambodians' head throughout 600 or 700 years," Kasit said.

Kasit said Thailand should have learnt a lesson from Cambodia winning the world court's ruling related to the Preah Vihear temple.

He added that although Cambodia may seek another ruling of the world court over the disputed 4.5 kilometre plot near the temple, the problem would not end "because Cambodia is using Thailand as a political tool".

Kasit said Cambodia now aimed only at completing the world heritage registration process of the ancient Hindu temple and seeking ownership of the 4.6 square km plot.

"But he may think that the Thai government is too slow to act on the dispute because the Thai government must first win approval from Parliament before carrying out any action. He may think that the prime minister is collaborating with Parliament to drag feet on the issue," Kasit said.

"So a way to push for what he wants fast is to start a severe battle like what happened on 4 February. And he did it successfully probably with help from other countries like Russia, India and China. Then, Cambodia filed a complaint with the UN Security Council," Kasit said, adding that he will travel to explain the issue to the council on February 14.

"I am ready to defend Thailand in all venues. We should not forget that we have the US a true friend.

"Although Cambodia created perception that it was harassed by Thailand and tried to win sympathy from the International Community, Thailand would not allow Hun Sen, a bully boy, to bully Thailand," Kasit said.

"Now, we have a bully boy harassing us near out house but we are a kind-hearted adult and allow Cambodians to enter our country without the need to get visa first."

ANALYSIS: Domestic politics muddy Thai-Cambodian border spat

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 01:58 AM PST

Feb 9, 2011
By Peter Janssen and Robert Carmichael
DPA
Hun Sen might also be under pressure to speed up the Thai-Cambodian border conflict for budgetary reasons.
Bangkok/Phnom Penh - The UN Security Council might think twice before getting too involved in the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia over land around an ancient temple on their border.

The confrontation, which has claimed the lives of three Thais and five Cambodians this month and forced more than 25,000 people to flee their homes, is steeped in recent history and murky domestic politics.

The conflict surrounding Preah Vihear, an 11th-century Khmer temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, is a powder keg for nationalistic sentiments on both sides of the border.

Firstly, many in Thailand never accepted a 1962 ruling by the International Court of Justice that said the temple compound belonged to Cambodia.


The French, the former colonial masters of Indochina, delineated the Thai-Cambodian border in 1904, using the watershed along the Dangrek mountain range as one of the landmarks. Although Preah Vihear is rather clearly on what is now the Thai side of the cliff, on the French-composed map, the temple was inside Cambodia.

Because Thailand had never officially objected to the French map, it lost Preah Vihear to Cambodia.

'Preah Vihear was not a big deal to Thailand 100 years ago,' Thai historian Charvit Kasetsin said. 'They just wanted to have peace with France and preserve Siam's independence.'

Expansionism became more popular in modern-day Thailand under its later military dictators.

'I think we are still suffering from the ultra-nationalist sentiments which have been propagated by Thai governments since World War II,' Charvit said.

The Preah Vihear issue has been taken up by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), a Thai nationalist movement that has vowed to topple Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for his poor handling of the border.

'We want a new government that will protect our territory and our motherland,' PAD spokesman Panthep Wongpuaphan said.

The PAD helped exacerbate the recent flare-up when six of its members were arrested for illegally crossing into Cambodian territory in December. Two remain imprisoned.

Abhisit's PAD problems are somewhat mirrored in Cambodia by the opposition Sam Rainsy Party's hounding of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The party accused Hun Sen of neglecting land controversies in the border demarcation process with Vietnam while highlighting the confrontation with Thailand.

'He is trying to avoid the border issue with Vietnam,' said Chhaya Hang, executive director of the Khmer Institute of Democracy, a Phnom Penh-based non-governmental organization.

'If you look at the score - what he is doing on the Thai border and what the political opposition is doing on the Vietnamese border - it is one-all,' he said.

Hun Sen might also be under pressure to speed up the Thai-Cambodian border conflict for budgetary reasons.

With local elections set for next year and a general election in 2012, the economy could take a hit if the fighting drags on.

'When the smoke clears and we go into the number crunching, the military will ask for more cash, and the people will want to see how [Hun Sen] is faring with the budget,' Chhaya Hang said.

Preah Vihear has long been a thorn in the side of the two nations. The sovereignty spat first flared up more than five decades ago, prompting a suspension of diplomatic ties in 1958.

Both governments agreed to take the dispute to the International Court of Justice. While the temple went to Cambodia, the court's ruling stopped short of defining where the common border lies.

The current confrontation is not over the temple itself but a 4.6-square-kilometre plot nearby, which is claimed by both sides. Both Cambodian and Thai troops are in the disputed zone.

Bangkok blames UNESCO for escalating the conflict in 2008 when it designated Preah Vihear a world heritage site despite Thai objections.

Several borders skirmishes followed. The latest broke out Friday and lasted four days.

It remained to be seen whether the United Nations would move swiftly to help Hun Sen, who has asked it to intervene in the Preah Vihear squabble.

He has long been abrasive with the world body, even as recently as November when UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was in Phnom Penh.

'He hasn't got many political friends at the UN,' Chhaya Hang said, 'but he's certainly trying to get the body to act.'

Thailand Supports UNESCO's Inspection Of Preah Vihear Temple

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 01:50 AM PST

BANGKOK, Feb 9 (Bernama) -- Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Wednesday that he supports the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to inspect the Preah Vihear Temple along the Thai-Cambodian border, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported.

In response to the UNESCO's proposal to inspect the Preah Vihear Temple in the wake of a series of crossfire between Thai-and Cambodian border troops--which erupted last Friday, Suthep, who oversees national security, acknowledged that it is good for the UN organisation to find out the truth.

Asked if Thailand should be careful of Cambodia's movements in any forum after the United Nations has rejected Phnom Penh's request for it to be a mediator to settle border rows between Thailand and Cambodia, the Thai deputy premier said Thailand, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has already made it clear that Thai-Cambodian border clashes have not justified any intervention by a third party, namely the UN or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), as both concerned countries should seek a way out by themselves and he considers the Thai-Cambodian border issues remain negotiable.


In response to the Thai Defence Ministry's call for Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to phone his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen, the Thai deputy prime minister said that it should not be the right time to do so, noting that, to uphold national honor and dignity, everything is to follow proper procedures.

Meanwhile, Thai Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan said that he believes the Thai military can handle the situation along the Thai-Cambodian border, and that Thailand has not planned any retaliation against Cambodia and the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs is arranging bilateral talks between Thai and Cambodian authorities concerned.

The Thai defence minister was speaking to reporters before visiting border areas near the Preah Vihear Temple in Thailand's northeastern Si Sa Ket Province with Thai Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha earlier Wednesday.

Preah Vihear temple: Map of damages inflicted by the Thai army

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 01:43 AM PST


Click on the map to zoom in
Map Legend

Damages on 04-05 February 2011 
Yellow: Building burnt by shells
Cicled Pink: Area set ablaze by shells
Red: Zones where shells fell on
Pink: Zones damaged by automatic rifles and shrapnels
Blue: World Heritage signs

Damages on 06 February 2011
Purple: Zones where shells fell on
Green: Zones damages by shrapnels

Thai soldiers have no respect for Buddhism: Damage report for Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak Pagoda from Thai shellings

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 01:35 AM PST

Click on the report in Khmer to zoom in



Map Legend:

Pink: Monk dining hall damaged by shells
Red: Temple damaged by shells
Magenta: Monk housing and houses damages by shells

Thai FM to address UN on Cambodia border dispute

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 01:24 AM PST

Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Australia Network News

Thailand's Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya will brief the UN Security Council next week on a deadly border dispute with Cambodia.

Both countries have been invited by the United Nations to explain the situation.

Mr Kasit's secretary Chavanond Intarakomalyasut says a meeting with Cambodia's foreign minister Hor Namhong in New York was "possible", without providing more details.

The two last met on Friday, just hours before the fighting erupted.


Cambodian government spokesman Ek Tha says he is not sure on who will represent Cambodia.

He also says Cambodia's government does not have confidence in bilateral talks with Thailand.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has contacted both governments offering to help negotiate an end to military clashes near the ancient temple of Preah Vihear.

Thailand has said it sees no need for third-party mediation.

There's been a lull in the violence since three Thais and eight Cambodians were killed in clashes that started last Friday.

At least 34 Thais and 55 Cambodians have been wounded.

The border clash was deliberately provoked by the Thai Patriot Network

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 01:17 AM PST

Villagers are evacuated from the border near the Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province, some 500 km northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Feb. 5, 2011.[Xinhua]
Thai domestic turmoil behind border clash

February 9, 2011
By John Sexton
China.org.cn

At least eight Cambodians and two Thais have died in four days of border clashes around the ruins of an 11th century Hindu temple. Thailand contests a 1962 World Court ruling that the Preah Vihear site is on Cambodian territory. But the recent flare-up has more to do with Thailand's polarized domestic politics than disputed territory.

The border clash was deliberately provoked by the Thai Patriot Network (TPN), a splinter group from the extreme right wing People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD). Mass mobilizations by the mainly middle-class Yellow Shirts of the PAD have overthrown two governments in the last 5 years.

In December, seven TPN supporters, including an MP from Thailand's ruling Democratic Party, were arrested after walking into Cambodian territory. A Phnom Penh court later jailed TPN leader Veera Somkwamit and his secretary for spying, but released the other five. The Yellow Shirts and their allies from the TPN and the Santi Asoke Buddhist sect brought their supporters back onto the streets of Bangkok to demand a tough response from the Thai government.


The rightists aim to derail elections that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva promised to call before the end of 2011. Abhisit made the promise after using the army to disperse demonstrators from Thailand's Red Shirt opposition, the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), who had demanded immediate elections. Nearly 100 protesters were killed last May, including UDD security chief Khattiya Sawasdiphol who was shot in the head by a sniper while being interviewed by the New York Times.

[Thai] Villagers flee Cambodia-Thai shelling

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 01:12 AM PST

Border checkpoints 'shouldn't close'

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 01:12 AM PST

9/02/2011
Bangkok Post

The Ministry of Finance has ordered the Customs Department to try to keep its checkpoints along the Thai-Cambodian border open to trade, Deputy Finance Minister Pradit Phataraprasit said on Wednesday.

"I have ordered customs officials to do their best not to close the border checkpoints, despite the recent clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops, because it could hurt border trade," said Mr Pradit.

Director-general of customs Prasong Poontaneat said his department was ready to close the border if ordered by security units.

Deputy Prime Minister for security affairs Suthep Thaugsuban said on Wednesday that it was not necessary to reduce the level of ties between Thailand and Cambodia at this time.


Any such a move would hurt people living along the border, particularly those involved in border trade. The border conflict was not caused by the residents in the border area.

He said Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will not make a direct call to Cambodian premier Hun Sen at this time . He will allow the appropriate state offices to do their job.

"It would be a loss of dignity for the country if the prime minister contacts Hun Sen first," Mr Suthep said.

"Also, Cambodia might use it to claim that Thailand has surrendered," said Mr Suthep.

Asked about Cambodia's claim that the Preah Vihear temple has been damaged by the border fighting and Unesco would send its team to inspect the ancient temple, Mr Suthep said it would be good if the international agency helps establish the facts.

The deputy premier confirmed he had received a report that Cambodian troops had used Preah Vihear temple as a base to attack Thailand.

He was not concerned about the People's Alliance for Democracy's plan to go to Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district, because the border district is now under the martial law.

 

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Zona Cerebral | WP Premium Adsense Ready Blogger Template | Original WP Premium theme by WP Remix
Copyright 2008. R.Bhavesh. All rights reserved