Cambodia Threatens War With Thailand

[Shuggy]

From todays Bangkok Post

 

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered fresh troops to the border with an ultimatum to Thailand: Pull military forces back today or the border will become a "life and death battle zone".

 

Hun Sen told reporters in Phnom Penh that he had warned Thailand's visiting Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat that without a quick pullout, Thai soldiers could face being fired upon by Cambodian troops in "large-scale armed conflict".

 

 

 

 

 

"If they cannot withdraw tonight, they must withdraw tomorrow," said Hun Sen.

 

 

 

 

 

"We have tried to be patient, but I told the Thai foreign minister today that the area is a life-and-death battle zone."

 

 

 

His comments came after talks with Mr Sompong in Phnom Penh.

 

 

 

 

 

Mr Sompong also met with his counterpart Hor Namhong in a bid to resolve the dispute over the area near the ancient Preah Vihear temple.

 

 

 

 

 

The Cambodian foreign minister said yesterday's talks failed to end in agreement because his Thai opposite number "could not sign anything".

 

 

 

 

 

Hun Sen and Hor Namhong both told reporters that Cambodia could choose to take the border dispute before an international court if it was not resolved soon.

 

 

 

 

 

The comments made by the Cambodian prime minister and foreign minister surprised Mr Sompong and Thai officials, who were adamant that the meetings had not been a failure.

 

 

 

 

 

Mr Sompong said the tone during the meetings between the two countries had been different as the Cambodian leaders agreed that both sides had to be patient in resolving the border spat.

 

 

 

 

 

He said no Thai troop withdrawals would be made from the 4.6 sq km overlapping area between Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket and Preah Vihear province of Cambodia until the dispute over ownership is cleared through negotiations in the Joint Boundary Commission that was set up to demarcate the land border.

 

 

 

 

 

Thailand reiterated its ownership over the area, Mr Sompong said in Bangkok and rushed to report the talks to Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.

 

 

 

 

 

Suranaree Task Force commander Maj-Gen Kanok Netrakavaesana will hold talks with his Cambodian counterpart tomorrow on the border issues and the Thai and Cambodian defence ministers will meet next Tuesday , according to Mr Sompong.

 

 

 

 

 

Cambodian Deputy Defence Minister Gen Neang Phat said more Cambodian troops were heading to the area after up to 500 Thai soldiers had tried to cross the border near an ancient Hindu temple that is claimed by both countries.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Maj-Gen Srey Deok, who oversees the Cambodian military in the disputed area, said: "Thai troops have already entered the area. They are confronting our troops."

 

 

 

 

 

But Maj-Gen Kanok denied that more troops had been sent to the disputed area near the Preah Vihear temple.

 

 

 

 

 

Thailand and Cambodia have 10 soldiers each at the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda near the Preah Vihear temple and 45 around the compound on joint patrol, according to the agreement between the two countries to ease border tension.

 

 

 

 

 

The two countries also have back-up troops near the border.

 

 

 

 

 

The number of soldiers there remained unchanged, Maj-Gen Kanok said.

 

 

 

 

 

Maj-Gen Kanok slammed Cambodia for distorting information and taking advantage of the political crisis in Thailand to launch an offensive move for its own political benefit.

 

 

 

 

 

The Suranaree chief, his patience wearing thin, called for a quick solution to the border spat and a clear direction to be provided by the government as it could become an armed conflict if it was left unsettled.

 

 

 

 

 

"I want the government to solve this problem and make it clear what to do. If it is left this way, nobody knows what is going to happen," he said.

 

 

 

 

 

Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia first flared in July after the Preah Vihear temple was awarded World Heritage status by the World Heritage Committee.

 

 

 

 

 

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the temple belongs to Cambodia, but the surrounding land remains in dispute.

 

 

 

 

 

Tensions escalated into a military confrontation in which up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops faced off for six weeks.

 

 

 

 

 

The two countries have swapped accusations of violating each other's territory in the dispute.

[Laawman]

Oh dear.............. obviously not the best time to go on a border run then.

[joskydive]

It isn't just Cambodia that Thailand has a problem with.

 

 

 

Lao, Thai troops clash on border: RCAF

 

An RCAF general said Thursday some 30 Thai soldiers were fired upon by an unknown number of Lao troops in the Golden Triangle region where the three countries' borders converge.

 

The incident happened after Thai soldiers strayed into Lao territory en route to Cambodia.

"Lao soldiers shot at the Thais [on Wednesday] as they were walking in Lao territory, but we have no information about possible casualties," the general, who asked not to be named, told the Post Thursday.

 

"I have not received any new reports, but we are investigating the matter carefully," he said.

The general added that since Thai soldiers began crossing the border in July, cooperation between Cambodia and Laos to monitor developments along the border has strengthened.

 

Soldiers from Thailand, Cambodia and Laos are normally deployed in the Golden Triangle area, but tension has increased as a result of the months-long standoff between Thai and Cambodian forces over disputed border territory.

 

The general said the recent unexpected arrival of seven Thai soldiers at a Cambodian military guard house in the area had further inflamed matters following last week's gun battle near Preah Vihear.

 

"They came to stay with our soldiers on our land," the general said. "We will burn this house [rather than cede it to them] because we built it on our own land."

 

Addressing the reported clash between Lao and Thai soldiers, Neang Phat, secretary of state at the Ministry of Defence, said "it is an issue between Laos and Thailand and did not involve Cambodian territory".

 

The Phnom Penh Post

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/200...order-RCAF.html

 

Remark:

It says "Golden Triange" but they mean "Emerald Triangle".

[Femme Fatale]

Oh my

[bolly]

According to CNN--Thailand has pulled back their troops.

 

the link

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/...d.ap/index.html

 

bolly

[papa_soda]

Up date from an hour ago CBS News.Not Good.

 

 

Thailand sent more soldiers to a disputed stretch of the Cambodian border near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple on Tuesday, a Thai general said, hours after a Cambodian general said Thai troops had pulled back.

 

Troops from both sides had retreated slightly but were facing off about 100 metres apart, said Vibulsak Neepan, commander of the Thai Eastern Region. Bangkok was sending in reinforcements in case the dispute escalated, he added.

 

"The situation is quite tense at the front line," Lt.-Gen. Vibulsak told Thai television station Channel 3.

 

"We have mobilized more troops and heavy artillery to the area, just enough to resist and retaliate."

 

His comments came shortly after Cambodian commander Gen. Chea Mon, speaking from the border, told Reuters by telephone that nearly 100 Thai soldiers alleged to have made an incursion onto Cambodian soil had retreated.

 

"The situation seems to have returned to normal," he said. "Our troops are occupying the area where the Thai troops have pulled out."

 

Vibulsak admitted Thai soldiers had entered a disputed "no-man's land" on the border after getting permission from the Cambodian side, as is normally required. But he said the Thai troops were only in the area to inspect landmines.

 

On Monday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen threatened to turn the area into a "death zone" unless the Thais retreated by midday local time on Tuesday.

 

The Thai military said it was ready for war and the Foreign Ministry told Thais to "think twice" before visiting Cambodia.

 

Singapore and Indonesia asked both sides to show restraint.

[Pheromone]

"War, what is it good for, absolutely nothing...."

[Stevie K]

Between protests,the declining economy and the threat of war its making quite discouraging for people wanting to visit in the next few months.

[papa_soda]

Between protests,the declining economy and the threat of war its making quite discouraging for people wanting to visit in the next few months.

Wont stop me.

[pyrolover]

Flying in on friday and, I'm not worried. If the shit hit the fan, it wouldn't be the first war zone I've flown into.

[jackpot]

Seems the shooting has started.

 

BBC report

[Bagheera]

My Thai girl is from Kantharalak and I visited the temple in question in May when I was visiting her home.The soldiers were sitting around laughing and joking with the tourists passing by.Amazing how it can change so quickly.I don't thick the monks that built such a beautiful temple 900 years ago could have foresaw that it could cause a war.I was talking to my girl today.She is currently in Kantharalak and didn't seem the slightest bit bothered or worried about it.Thai people never cease to amaze me.There is a war on the brink of starting on her doorstep and she doesn't seem to care.

[CockSnot]

I can only say I really hope this cools off quickly... great pics by the way, thanks for that.

 

Cheers

 

WaxMiracle

[Chezney]

Yeah, great pics - thanks for sharing.

 

It's my first trip to LOS in Feb so I hope everything cools down.

[Goldfishpie]

Wouldn't suprise me if some Thai political party had a hand at chucking a few $$ the Cambodian way to make more problems for the Thai PM

[brad8]

Well I am flying in next week.All this war talk or politics will not stop me either!