Thursday, 28 April 2011

Cambodian, Thai military commanders meet as border fighting enters 7th day

http://news.xinhuanet.com/

via CAAI

English.news.cn
2011-04-28

SAMRONG, Cambodia, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian and Thai military commanders met here on Thursday morning in order to negotiate for ceasefire as the armed clashes between the two countries' troops over the border disputed areas entered the seventh straight day.

The meeting was held at 10:50 a.m. at O'smach border checkpoint between Cambodian Major General Chea Mon, the commander of Military Region 4 and Lt Gen Thawatchai Samutsakorn, the commander of Thai Army Region 2.

The talks are held as the gunfire exchanges between Cambodian and Thai troops over the border areas at the 13th century Ta Moan temple and Ta Krabei temple in Oddar Meanchey province entered the seventh straight day.

The fighting on Thursday began at 3:55 a.m. and ended at around 10:00 a.m.. The casualties on Thursday's clashes are not available yet.

But the last six days of clashes has killed eight Cambodian soldiers, five Thai soldiers and one Thai civilian, caused several dozens injured, and forced tens of thousands of the two countries' people flee home for safe shelters.

The border between Thailand and Cambodia has never been completely demarcated.

Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was enlisted as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008. But Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 square kilometers (1.8 square miles) of scrub next to the temple. Just a week after the enlistment, Cambodia and Thailand had a border conflict, triggering a military build-up along the border, and periodic clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers have resulted in the deaths of troops on both sides.

Editor: Xiong Tong

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