Cambodia warns Thailand over 'hostilities'

A Cambodian soldier is shown at the Preah Vihear temple in late July.

CNN.com/Asia
Sat October 4, 2008

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -- The Cambodian government accused Thailand on Saturday of trying to provoke "full-scale armed hostilities" between the two neighbors after a cross-border gunfight.

Thai soldiers stationed in a disputed border area were engaged in a brief clash that wounded one Cambodian and two Thai troops on Friday several miles (kilometers) west of Cambodia's ancient Preah Vihear temple.

Thai forces entered Cambodian territory and were the first to open fire, the Cambodian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "Cambodia strongly protests against this deplorable and intentional armed provocation by Thai soldiers," it said.

It warned that such a provocation "could lead to very grave consequences, including full-scale armed hostilities."

Tharit Charungvat, Thailand's Foreign Ministry spokesman, said a protest note would be delivered Saturday to the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok over the incident.

Tharit said Friday evening that Thai troops had been patrolling in their own territory when they encountered the Cambodian soldiers.

"The Cambodian troops shot at the Thai troops first, wounding two soldiers. One Cambodian soldier was also wounded after the Thais responded," he said.

Lt. Gen. Wiboonsak Ngeepan, the regional army commander for northeastern Thailand, said it was unclear if the Cambodians intruded intentionally or had strayed into Thailand because "the area is dense forest."

The Cambodian Foreign Ministry said its troops returned fire in self defense after they were attacked by Thai soldiers. The attack was just over one mile (about two kilometers) west of the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda near the Preah Vihear temple, it said.

The pagoda is where border tensions between the two neighbors erupted on July 15 after UNESCO, the U.N. cultural agency, approved Cambodia's application to have the 11th century temple named a World Heritage Site.

Thailand sent troops to occupy the pagoda, also claimed by Cambodia.

Cambodia responded with its own troop deployment. The two sides came close to a shootout on July 17 when Cambodian monks sought to celebrate Buddhist lent in the pagoda.

Troops on both sides raised their weapons, but no shots were fired, and the Cambodians eventually backed down.

Since then there has been a limited troop withdrawal from the area, and talks have been held several times to resolve the conflicting claims, but without much progress.

Friday's clash was the most serious incident yet, and occurred despite repeated statements by both governments that they are committed to preventing violence.