Thread: Thai and Cambodian troops clash

TAN_Network TAN News Network

ThaiTV reporter in Si Sa Ket says shots still being heard

tulsathit tulsathit

6 died from clash so far; 2 Thai soldiers, 1 Thai civilian, 1 Cambodian soldier, 2 Cambodian civilians.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingn...isputed-temple

Cambodian, Thai troops clash

• Published: 4/02/2011 at 10:31 PM
• Online news:

Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged heavy fire near a disputed temple on the two countries' shared border on Friday, killing a civilian, officials said as tensions between the neighbours boiled over.


View of the Preah Vihear temple on the disputed Cambodian-Thai border. The World Court ruled in 1962 that the Preah Vihear temple belongs to Cambodia, but its main entrance lies in Thailand. A civilian has been killed as Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged heavy fire near a disputed temple on the two countries' shared border, as tensions between the neighbours boiled over.

One villager was killed by artillery shelling and five Thai soldiers were injured in the fighting near the ancient Preah Vihear temple area, Thai public health minister Jurin Laksanawisit said.

"I have ordered the hospitals along the border to be on standby," he said.

Chhum Socheat, a spokesman for the Cambodian defence ministry, said that four Cambodian soldiers had been injured, one seriously, and four Thai soldiers had been captured in fighting that lasted for nearly three hours.

The area around the temple is claimed by both sides and Cambodian foreign ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said Phnom Penh planned to complain to the United Nations over what it termed the "Thai invasion".

"We will lodge a complaint with the UN Security Council on Saturday," he told AFP, adding that Thai soldiers had fired artillery shells some 18 to 20 kilometres (11 to 12 miles) into Cambodian territory.

But Thai Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon played down the significance of the incident. "We are negotiating now and I am sure that everything will be fine," he said.

Both Thailand and Cambodia accused the other of starting the fighting, the first since April 2009.

A Thai army official at the border said fighting broke out at 3.10pm local time (0810 GMT) at Phu Makuea, near the 11th-century temple.

Residents in several villages along both sides of the border have been evacuated, officials said.

Ties between the two countries have been strained since July 2008 by a series of deadly border clashes over land surrounding the temple after it was granted UN World Heritage status.

Both sides have been talking tough on the border issue, which some observers say serves nationalist goals at home on both sides.

The World Court ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear itself belonged to Cambodia, although its main entrance lies in Thailand. The exact boundary through the surrounding grounds remains in dispute.

The Thai-Cambodia border has never been fully demarcated, partly because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia.

Another border spat has focused on the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda, which is built in the disputed area. Thailand on Monday demanded that Cambodia remove its flag from the pagoda, which it said was situated on disputed territory.

The fighting erupted just hours after Thailand's Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya held talks with his counterpart in Cambodia.

Tensions between the two countries have flared in recent weeks in the wake of the arrest of seven Thai nationals for illegal entry into Cambodia in late December.

Five of the group were given suspended sentences and have since returned to Thailand. The other two, high-profile nationalist activist Veera Somkwamkid and his secretary, were sentenced to lengthy jail terms for spying, in a case that has caused outrage among Thailand's "Yellow Shirts".

Hundreds of Yellow Shirts have camped out around Government House in Bangkok since last week, demonstrating against its handling of the border dispute, and the group plans a larger rally on Saturday.

Yellow Shirts are a force to be reckoned with in Thailand's colour-coded politics and have helped to claim the scalps of three governments in under five years, including that of fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011...-30148015.html

Border clashes kill six

By The Nation
Published on February 5, 2011


PM says Thai troops reacted to Cambodian firing in worst flare-up over a decade; Phnom Penh vows to take the issue to UN Security Council today

Artillery exchanges between Thailand and Cambodia yesterday in the disputed area near the Hindu Preah Vihear Temple killed at least six soldiers and civilians on both sides as well as damaged property in one of the worst border flare-ups in a decade.

Phnom Penh plans to complain today to the United Nations over what it terms a "Thai invasion", Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said yesterday.

"We will lodge a complaint with the UN Security Council on Saturday [today]," he was quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying.

However, Thai Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan played down the significance of the incident. "We are negotiating now and I am sure that everything will be fine," he said.


Army chief Prayut Chan-o-cha said the situation calmed down after 6pm and some Thai soldiers were slightly injured but a soldier on the ground contacted by The Nation via telephone said they were still engaged in the battle late last night. "So far we have lost two, and I was injured. We cannot go down the Phu Ma Khua hill," the injured soldier said in a short conversation before the line was cut.

After the fighting ended, Second Army Area commander Lt-General Thawatchai Samutsakhon and Si Sa Ket Governor Somsak Suwansujarit held talks with a Cambodian army commander at the Phra Viharn National Park about the clash.

Charoen Thahom, a 50-year-old resident of Si Sa Ket's Phum Srol village, was killed by an artillery shell that landed in his village while he was leading his family to seek shelter after the border skirmish broke out.

At least seven buildings, including one owned by Phum Srol School, were hit by artillery shells fired from the Cambodian side.

Three houses were set ablaze.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said last night that the Thai side fired warning shots and then responded to the Cambodian fire when the warnings were ignored. He added that the fighting now was over. However, he declined to confirm a report that Thai soldiers had been captured during the clash.

The clash occurred at a disputed border area near Phu Ma Khua hill at 3.15pm and the sound of gunfire was heard at Si Sa Ket province's Ban Phum Srol about 5 kilometres from the hill, villagers said.

"We were at a sports event when the sound of many weapons, including small arms and heavy weapons, was heard from the battlefield," a resident told The Nation via telephone.

Besides the civilian and soldiers fatality, five Thai soldiers were injured in the clash, according to Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit.

Authorities told villagers to seek shelter and later evacuated them to safe areas deeper into Thai territory. Some of them moved to a downtown area of Kantharalak district, about 30km from the Preah Vihear Temple.
Thailand and Cambodia have been at loggerheads over the border area adjacent to Preah Vihear for a long time.

Both sides boosted troop numbers in the area recently after the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) staged a protest near the Prime Minister's Office demanding the government use force to kick Cambodians out of the area.

PAD leader Chamlong Srimuang said he was not happy with the border clash, since it damaged both sides. "It happened because Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva showed weakness to Cambodia," he said.

Troops clashed in 2008 and 2009 in the same area, resulting in the deaths of more than 10 soldiers on both sides.

The clash this time was fiercer as it saw the use of artillery that hit civilians and their homes. Residents saw many shells land near their villages in tambon Sao Thong Chai.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Cambodian troops opened fire first, triggering the exchange of fire.

However, Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan said Thai soldiers had crossed 500 metres into Cambodian territory and opened fire first despite efforts of Cambodian troops to avoid violence.

"Although Cambodian soldiers tried to negotiate to stop the Thai soldiers from invading Cambodia, the Thai Army kept moving deeper into Cambodian territory and opened fire without provocation by Cambodian forces. We have the right to self-defence to protect our land against Thai invasion," he said.

Cambodian media reported that least two Cambodian civilians and one soldier died after Thai shells landed on the Cambodian side.

Cambodia reportedly held four Thai soldiers at Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda, which is in the disputed border area near Preah Vihear.

The clash broke out shortly after Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya finished a Joint Commission meeting with his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong in Siem Reap. They told reporters there that they were happy with the improving relations and agreed to use peaceful means to settle the boundary conflict.

There is an uneasy ceasefire holding, after a major two-hour clash at the Si Sa Ket frontier killed a Thai villager and a Cambodian soldier, and left five Thai rangers in Cambodian hands.

Bangkok Post : Cross-border flare-up

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

"We will lodge a complaint with the UN Security Council on Saturday," he told AFP, adding that Thai soldiers had fired artillery shells some 18 to 20 kilometres (11 to 12 miles) into Cambodian territory.

.....

as an example of how far removed the talking heads are , this went down in Phnom Penh at the same time .


Thailand and Cambodia agree to avoid incident leading to conflict
วันศุกร์ ที่ 04 ก.พ. 2554



SIEM REAP, Feb 4 -- Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to avoid any incident that could eventually lead to conflict between the two countries and will jointly build peace along their shared border.

The announcement followed talks between Thai Foreign Affairs Minister Kasit Piromya and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on the sidelines of the Thai-Cambodia Joint Commission (JC) on bilateral cooperation meeting on Friday.

Mr Kasit also said that both sides also agreed to push for the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting to be convened as soon as possible to move on the demarcation talks to ease tension between the two neighbouring countries.

"There is a lot of work to do together while waiting for the Thai Parliament to approve three previous JBC meeting reports," said Mr Kasit.

The Thai Constitution requires that any agreement made with other countries must first gain parliamentary approval.

Mr Hor Namhong said arial photography to locate the demarcation posts and an on-location survey by experts should be carried out in the meantime.

He added that now 33 posts have been located, 15 posts are in dispute and 25 have still not been found.

Mr Kasit said they have also agreed not to exaggerate the dispute over the flags at the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda and not to incite their people into misunderstandings or causing tensions.

Thailand earlier demanded that Cambodia remove both the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda and the Cambodian flag flying over the pagoda gate, while reasserting that the pagoda is on Thai territory. Thai troops also erected a Thai national flag in the disputed area in response.

After the meeting, Mr Kasit visited Veera Somkwamkid, a coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network and his secratary Ratree Pipatanapaiboon, who were sentenced by a Cambodian court to eight and six years in jail respectively for illegal entry, trespassing military zone and espionage, and discuss with them what further help could be provided by the Thai government.

mcot.net

The spokesperson stressed that he did not want to say who started the shooting first because the fight might be caused from misunderstanding; however, he confirmed that the Thai troops normally would not open fire first.

Army: Thai troops did not open fire first : National News Bureau of Thailand

Border clashes leave one Cambodian soldier dead
Cheang Sokha
Additional reporting by Chhay Channyda in Phnom Penh
Friday, 04 February 2011

Preah Vihear province

Fighting on Friday between Cambodian and Thai troop along the border has left one Cambodian dead and more than 10 injured, according to a military official,

An exchange of gunfire and artillery erupted at 3:10pm near the Preah Vihear temple complex and continued until about 5:30pm, said the official, who asked not to be named, adding that troops on both sides employed heavy artillery, tanks and machine guns.

Cambodian casualties, some of them severely wounded, were sent to a military health centre, the official said.

Preliminary reports from the frontlines stated that a Thai military base and two tanks had been destroyed in the exchange of fire, though there are no reports yet of Thai casualties, he said.

The official said that a Cambodian military meeting hall near the temple complex and a military-owned house several kilometres away were destroyed by Thai rocket fire.

The latest round of military clashes followed a Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation meeting this morning between Cambodian Foreign Ministery Hor Namhong and his Thai counterpart Kasit Piromya.

Hor Namhong said Friday evening that Cambodia would appeal to the United Nations regarding what he characterised as an invasion.

“We will appeal to the UN Security Council about Thailand’s invasion into Cambodia tonight if we can do it on time, or tomorrow morning,” he said at Phnom Penh International Airport on Friday night.

He said that at about 3pm, more than 300 Thai soldiers entered Cambodian territory at Wat Keo Sikha Kiri Svara adjacent to the Preah Vihear temple complex and fired mortars and artillery – 105mm, 130mm and 150mm shells – into Cambodian territory.

Hor Namhong added that Thai shells dropped as far as 18 to 20 kilometres beyond Preah Vihear temple inside Cambodia, and that Cambodian troops had arrested four Thai soldiers during the clashes.

The hostilities follow the sentencing Tuesday of Veera Somkwamkid, a well-known activist within Thailand’s nationalist Yellow Shirt movement, and his associate, Ratree Pipatanapaiboon, to eight- and six-year prison terms respectively.

Veera and Ratree were convicted by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court of espionage, illegal entry and unlawfully entering a military base after being arrested in Banteay Meanchey province last month.

The fighting also comes amid a public spat with Thai Prime Minister Ahbisit Vejjajiva over the placement of Cambodian flags at Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvara, a pagoda adjacent to the Preah Vihear temple.

Yim Phim, commander of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Brigage 43 in Preah Vihear, said on Thursday that troops on both sides of the border had received reinforcements and additional equipment this week.

Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith, government spokesman Phay Siphan and Srey Doek, commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Military Division 3 at the border were unavailable for comment on Friday.

Periodic skirmishes between Cambodian and Thai border forces have killed at least seven soldiers since 2008.

phnompenhpost.com

Fresh fighting at Thai-Cambodian border: army source
Suy Se Suy Se


A view of the Preah Vihear temple on the disputed Cambodian-Thai border. Thai and Cambodian soldiers …
AFP

PHNOM PENH (AFP) – Thai and Cambodian soldiers briefly exchanged fire again on the two countries' border early Saturday, a military source said, hours after heavy clashes left one soldier and a civilian dead.

Renewed gunfire broke out at around 6:00 am local time (2300 GMT) near the disputed Preah Vihear temple, a Cambodian military commander who did not wish to be named told AFP by telephone.

The fighting appeared to subside shortly afterwards.

"The fighting lasted between 20 and 30 minutes," the source said.

He added that one Thai soldier had been captured, but that there were no reports yet of any injuries.

One Cambodian soldier was killed on Friday afternoon, the same source said, after clashes between the two neighbours erupted for the first time in more than a year as simmering border tensions boiled over.

A Thai villager was also killed by artillery shelling and five Thai soldiers were injured, Thai public health minister Jurin Laksanawisit said.

Both countries accused the other of starting the fighting, the deadliest since April 2009, as the United States urged "maximum restraint".

Chhum Socheat, a spokesman for the Cambodian defence ministry, said on Friday that at least four Cambodian soldiers had been injured and four Thai soldiers had been captured in fighting that lasted for nearly three hours.

The area around the temple is claimed by both sides and Cambodian foreign ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said Phnom Penh planned to complain to the United Nations over what it termed the "Thai invasion".

"We will lodge a complaint with the UN Security Council on Saturday," he told AFP, adding that Thai soldiers had fired artillery shells 18-20 kilometres (11-12 miles) into Cambodian territory.

But Thai Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon played down the significance of the incident. "We are negotiating now and I am sure that everything will be fine," he said.

A US State Department spokeswoman said: "The United States urges both sides to exercise maximum restraint and take all necessary steps to reduce tensions and avoid further conflict.

"We are closely monitoring the situation," she added.

Ties between the two countries have been strained since July 2008 by a series of deadly border clashes over land surrounding the temple after it was granted UN World Heritage status.

Thailand and Cambodia have both been talking tough on the border issue, which some observers say serves nationalist goals at home on both sides.

The World Court ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear itself belonged to Cambodia, although its main entrance lies in Thailand. The exact boundary through the surrounding grounds remains in dispute.

The Thai-Cambodia border has never been fully demarcated, partly because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia.

Another border spat has focused on the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda, which is built in the disputed area. Thailand on Monday demanded that Cambodia remove its flag from the pagoda, which it said was "situated on Thai territory" -- a claim Cambodia vehemently rejects.

Tensions between the two countries have flared in recent weeks in the wake of the arrest of seven Thai nationals for illegal entry into Cambodia in late December.

Five of the group were given suspended sentences and have since returned to Thailand. The other two, high-profile nationalist activist Veera Somkwamkid and his secretary, were sentenced to lengthy jail terms for spying, in a case that has caused outrage among Thailand's "Yellow Shirts".

Hundreds of Yellow Shirts have camped out around Government House in Bangkok since last week, demonstrating against its handling of the border dispute, and the group plans a larger rally on Saturday.

Yellow Shirts are a force to be reckoned with in Thailand's colour-coded politics and have helped to claim the scalps of three governments in under five years, including that of fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

news.yahoo.com

"We said to them 'don't come in the area' and they still came. We fired into the air and they began to shoot at us," said Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith.

Thai, Cambodian troops in deadly clash | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingn...nge-fire-again

Thai, Cambodian troops exchange fire again

• Published: 5/02/2011 at 09:10 AM
• Online news:

Thai troops deployed in area near Phu Makuea Mountain in the northeastern border province of Si Sa Ket on Saturday morning exchanged fire with Cambodian soldiers again, reports said.

The new round of gun battle started at about 6.25am and ended about 7am, according to the reports.

It was reported that one Thai soldier was injured in the fighting.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingn...fresh-fighting

One Thai soldier killed in fresh fighting

• Published: 5/02/2011 at 09:46 AM
• Online news:

One Thai soldier was killed in the second round of border fighting between Thai and Cambodia troops on Saturday morning.

Army spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd said that one soldier, Sergeant Wuthicharin Chartkamdee, was killed and four others injured in the gun-battle.

The new round of exchange of fire started at about6.20am and ended about 7am, he added

Lt Gen Thawatchai Samutsakorn, commander of Army Region 2, was holding talks with Lt Gen Jia Mon, commander of Cambodia's Army Region 4, to find ways to prevent future military clash, said Col Sansern.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

to find ways to prevent future military clash

rocket science .......................

Cambodia tells UN of 'explosive' Thai border situation
05 February 2011


Cambodian soldiers stand guard near the Cambodian and Thai border at Anglong Veng district in Odar Meanchey province

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia's Foreign Minister wrote to the United Nations on Saturday, drawing its attention to the "explosive" situation on the border with Thailand, where three people have died in two days of fighting.

"I would like to draw your attention to the explosive situation at the border," said the letter addressed to UN Security Council president Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti.

The letter accused Thailand of starting the fighting, but did not explicitly ask for UN intervention.

"Facing this flagrant aggression, Cambodian troops had no option but to retaliate in self-defence," it reads.

One Thai soldier was killed on Saturday in renewed gunfights between the neighbouring countries near a disputed 11th-century temple, just hours after earlier skirmishes left a Cambodian soldier and a Thai civilian dead.

Thailand and Cambodia have each accused the other of triggering the clashes.

channelnewsasia.com

PM calls urgent meeting on border clash
5/02/2011

The prime minister has called an urgent meeting of heads of security and foreign affairs agencies at 1pm today at Government House to discuss the border clash, acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayakorn said on Saturday.

Mr Panitan said after the meeting, the prime minister will hold a press conference to provide information of the military clash between Thai and Cambodia troops on Friday afternoon and this morning.

It was reported that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was resting at his Bangkok residence amid tight security.

bangkokpost.com

วันเสาร์ ที่ 05 ก.พ. 2554

Deputy PM Suthep denies Thais soldiers captured by Cambodian troops, expects clashes between Thai and Cambodian solders will not intensify

mcot.net

วันเสาร์ ที่ 05 ก.พ. 2554

Thai FM issues statement clarifying clashes btw Thai-Cambodian troops on Fri; reaffirms commitment to resolve boundary dispute through peaceful means, it reserves its legitimate right to defend its sovereignty

mcot.net

Meanwhile, Chamlong Srimuang, a core leader of the yellow shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), heavily criticised Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for his failure to handle long-running dispute with Cambodia.

"The Cambodian troops dared to launch an attack against us despite their military strength is second to the Thai military because our prime minister is weak. If the premier had agreed with our demands, the clash would never have happened," the Yellow Shirt leader said.

Thai villager killed, five soldiers wounded, in deadly border clash

Cambodia: 10 Soldiers, Civilians Killed in Clashes
5 February 2011

The Cambodian Foreign Ministry has said Thailand violated Cambodian territory in 3 areas during the clashes yesterday, resulting in 10 Cambodian soldiers and civilians being killed. It also reported of damages to Preah Vihear Temple.

thailandoutlook.tv

Is the Junta trying to provoke a war now?

^ one way of preventing elections

Thai villagers find shelter in Si Sa Ket province after fleeing the area near the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple at the border between Thailand and Cambodia
(REUTERS)

Thai, Cambodia troops clash again, 1 killed - Emirates24|7