www.chinaview.cn2009-09-19
BANGKOK, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- About 4,000 yellow-shirts protestors on Saturday have managed to break the blockage by police and continued marching toward an area near the Thai-Combodian border, a move that raised concern of leading to more complication between the two countries, Thai media reported.
According to Bangkok Post online, at about 2 p.m. the yellow-shirted supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) passed through police blockage at Phumisarol village, about 3 kilometers away from the entrance gate of Preah Vihear national park near the disputed Thai-Combodian border.
They had clashed with the local villagers, leaving several people injured, said the report.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has directed his deputy in charge of security affairs, Suthep Thaugsuban, to reinforce soldiers and police at the national park to prevent PAD protesters to trespass the disputed area.
Expressing his concern over this issue, Abhisit said on Saturday that if PAD leaders lead the crowds into the disputed border area near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, there could be violent confrontation.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep also warned Friday the PAD not to intrude into the overlapping area at the Preah Vihear temple as it could lead to a further problem between the two countries.
Soldiers have set up blockage at the entrance of the national park to block the demonstrators from entering into the area along Thai-Cambodia border.
The PAD supporters late Saturday morning headed for Preah Vihear national park to protest there before they were blocked halfway, at Phumisarol village of Si Sa Ket province, by about 1,000 policemen.
The PAD protestors set deadline for the police to step out of their way by 1 p.m. and threatened the use of force to break to the police lines to go to Pha Mor I-Daeng in the national park as planned, according to Bangkok Post online.
The yellow-shirted protestors plan to protest Saturday at the disputed area near the Thai-Combodian border to demand the government push the alleged intruders out.
Veera Somkwamkid, a core leader of PAD, said he plans to lead the protestors to Pha Mor I-Daeng to read out PAD statement demanding the Cambodian villagers and troops to move out of Thailand's territory.
In a petition they filed to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on Wednesday, the yellow-shirts claimed the governments in the past and present have been allowing Cambodian troops and people to encroach on an area of over 3,000 rai (4,800,000 square metres) around the Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO world heritage site.
About 1,000 policemen had set up check-point at a school in Phumisarol village of Kanthararak district to prevent PAD supporters from entering the national park.
Meanwhile, 500 local villagers gathered at the village school to rally against PAD. They called on PAD leaders not to create violence in Si Sa Ket province.
Entering the disputed area can cause misunderstanding and conflict between soldiers of both sides, said Thai Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Anupong Paojinda on Friday, indicating that if any Thai was arrested (by Cambodian soldiers), the conflict could escalate.
The yellow-shirts' border-area protest came the same day with amass anti-government rally in Bangkok by red-shirts, or supporters of the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), which is forecast to attract about 30,000 protestors.
The international court ruled the Preah Vihear temple belonged to Cambodia more than 40 years ago, but border dispute over areas around the temple has remained a fuse in the two countries' relationship.
The Thai-Cambodian border has never been fully demarcated, in part because the border is littered with landmines left during the Indochina war between 1960s and 1970s.
Editor: Fang Yang
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