Thai-Cambodia Troops in New Clash

http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en

via CAAI

2011-02-07

Thai and Cambodian troops on Monday exchanged fire for a fourth straight day in the latest violence over a disputed border area.

This Thai village ten kilometers from the disputed border with Cambodia bears the scars of the fighting.

Thousands of villagers living nearby have taken refuge in shelters.

At the center of the conflict is a 4.6 square-kilometer piece of land around an 11th Century temple, which both nations claim as their territory.

The site, known as Preah Vihear in Cambodia and Khao Phra Viharn in Thailand, has been a source of tension for generations.

Sporadic clashes are not unusual but continuous fighting is rare.

Cambodia says it's filed a complaint to the U.N. Security Council.

Cambodia's prime minister is accusing Thailand of invasion.

[Hun Sen, Cambodian Prime Minister]:

"Thailand's clear plan now is to fight and capture the 4.6 km land area starting from Chak Chreng, Ta Sem, Veal Entry, Phnom Troap. So when I check the situation I can call it a big skirmish or a small war on the border area between Cambodia and Thailand."

In Bangkok, Thailand's pro-establishment People's Alliance for Democracy rallied to demand tougher action against Cambodia.

The protesters, who've been camping outside government headquarters since last month demanding their prime minister's resignation, accuse Cambodia of breaching international law.

[Parnthep Pourpongpan, Spokesman, People's Alliance for Democracy]:

"The government needs to stop this conflict that is causing trouble and suffering for the people. They intended to hurt the Thai people when they broke international law. The government has to push them out of our land without any conditions."

The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962 but it didn't determine ownership of the scrub land next to it.