Sunday, 13 February 2011

Bags collected for Cambodia through Bags of Hope

via CAAI

13 Feb 11
by Staff Writer

Leah Anderson, Sue Cleave, in front, both from the Office of Schools, Wayne Hill, the first education department staff member to make a donation and organiser Maruschka Loupis.

IMAGINE walking a long way to school on a hot day and having to carry your water bottle, lunch and books in your arms.

Most schoolchildren in Cambodia don’t have a school bag, some of the lucky ones have an old bag tied together with string, Maruschka Loupis said.

Two years ago Ms Loupis and her husband George travelled to South East Asia and last year on their second visit to Cambodia, Ms Loupis decided she needed to do something about the lack of school bags.

“I work for the education department and have children of my own, and I thought, surely we must be able to contribute,” Ms Loupis said.

Through the charity organisation Bags Of Hope, more than 5200 school bags have been collected for distribution to Cambodia. “Now we need stuff to go in the bags, like pencils and exercise books,” Ms Loupis said.

The bags will be shipped to arrive before the start of the Cambodian school year in March.

Any individuals or organisations wanting to contribute bags, books or school supplies, contact Ms Loupis on 0425 367 52.

Cambodia to shun bilateral dialogue


http://news.asiaone.com/

via CAAI

Sun, Feb 13, 2011
The Nation/Asia News Network

Cambodia has indefinitely postponed a boundary panel meeting with Thailand scheduled for later this month, shattering Thai hopes of settling the border conflict bilaterally.

The Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh received a letter from the Cambodian Foreign Ministry, saying Cambodia was not prepared for a bilateral meeting under the framework of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Committee (JBC), according to a source.

In their letter dated Thursday, the Cambodian authorities said that they wanted the JBC meeting, earlier scheduled to take place in the last week of this month, to be postponed indefinitely, a source at the Thai Foreign Ministry revealed.

President of the Cambodian JBC, Var Kimhong, said yesterday that no meeting of the joint panel to define the land boundary would be held later this month, China's Xinhua news agency reported from Phnom Penh.

"There will be no meeting of the JBC later this month. Now, the bilateral mechanism cannot resolve the issue," he was quoted as saying, referring to the border conflict between the two countries.

Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, said in a telephone interview yesterday that the ministry had not received any official notification from Cambodian authorities that they would not attend the meeting.

He said Thailand insisted on settling the border dispute with Cambodia through talks and peaceful means.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said earlier yesterday that Thailand intended to take part in the JBC meeting in a bid to settle the dispute with Cambodia bilaterally. "We [both countries] have a mechanism to settle the problem, but Thailand and Cambodia have to work together to make the bilateral mechanism function," he said.

Cambodia has succeeded in internationalising the spat over the common border, particularly over the disputed area adjacent to the ancient Preah Vihear Temple. The border conflict led to a new round of armed clashes early this month. Both states accuse the other of firing first.

The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to hold a meeting behind closed doors tomorrow on the border clashes.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong, and Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, who has been trying to mediate in the dispute, are expected to speak to the council.

Spokesman for the ruling Democrat Party, Buranaj Smutharaks, said yesterday that Kasit would present facts to the Security Council regarding Cambodia's firing at civilian targets during the armed clashes.

The foreign minister and Thai JBC chief, Asda Jayanam, met senior officials of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) in Paris on Friday, according to the spokesman. Thailand presented photos showing Cambodian troops stationed at Preah Vihear to prove its claim that Cambodia had violated a treaty that bans the use of a World Heritage Site as a shield in a military conflict or for housing soldiers and storing weapons.

Meanwhile, the Cambodian newspaper Kampuchea Thmey Daily ran a caricature of Abhisit on the front page yesterday, depicting him as a war-mad dictator.

The caricature showed Abhisit with Hitler-style hair and moustache in military uniform with an armband featuring a Nazi swastika. The PM was shown holding an assault rifle and balancing on a rope above a fire.

It was the latest effort by the media in Cambodia to paint Thailand in a negative way. Earlier, some Cambodian radio stations reportedly claimed Thai troops intentionally fired at Preah Vihear temple.

Thailand to reject UN help over Cambodia: PM

PM Abhisit Vejjajiva says he is confident Thailand could make a strong case against Cambodia at the UN on Monday

via CAAI

BANGKOK — Thailand will tell the UN Security Council there is no need for outside mediation to resolve a deadly border conflict with Cambodia, according to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

He said Thailand was confident that it could make a strong case at the closed-door meeting in New York on Monday to show that Phnom Penh sparked the standoff over disputed territory, which has left eight people dead.

"We're confident that we can explain that (Cambodia's claims) are wrong," he said in his weekly television address.

"Cambodia is calling for (intervention by) a third country, the UN and peacekeeping forces. Thailand will call for a return to bilateral talks on demarcation," he said.

Thailand will present evidence including pictures and media reports to support its case and show that Cambodia used an ancient temple at the centre of the dispute as a military base, he added.

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya is due to attend Monday's Security Council meeting, along with his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong.

Thailand and Cambodia have blamed each other for the clashes around the ancient temple of Preah Vihear, which sparked four days of fighting earlier this month.

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen sought an urgent Security Council meeting and called for a UN buffer force to be put in place. Thailand has repeatedly said the dispute should settled between the two countries.

As Thailand Ratchets up War Rhetoric, Fueled by the PAD, Questions Remain on Reluctance for Outside Mediation


via CAAI

Phnom Penh, February 13, 2011 AKP –Border conflict is one of the most pervasive and inevitable features of all social systems, however simple or complex, they maybe and irrespective of their location in time and space. Wherever it occurs, conflicts are significant, noteworthy, newsworthy and challenging. It produces acrimony, hostility and violence.

In this regard, all eyes will be on the UN Security Council this Monday when Cambodia’s Foreign Minister Foreign Hor Nam Hong, will state Cambodia’s case to the UNSC on the following:

•Thailand’s continued aggressive posture on Cambodia

•Thailand’s use of cluster bombs on Cambodia in last week’s fighting

•Thailand’s use of unknown chemical warfare (Toxic Gas) on Cambodia

•Thailand chastising UNESCO for agreeing to send an assessment team to assess the damages of the 900 year old Preah Vihear temple and pagoda by Thailand’s incessant artillery bombardment

•Displacing more than 10,000 Cambodia’s villagers by destroying the markets and their homes and making it unsafe by Thai’s firing cluster bombs

•Thailand’s intransigence on wanting to impose its unilateral will on Cambodia’s sovereign territory of Preah Vihear

•Thailand’s persistent rejection of international and multi-lateral intervention to resolve the border issue with Cambodia because Thai has hidden political agenda by trying to seize Cambodia’s land.

•Calling for Cambodia to withdraw troops while Thailand is building up her troops of more than 25,000 strong forces supported by more than 100 tanks and armored carriers, fighter jets and batteries of heavy artillery near Cambodia’s border.

•Thailand also armed her civilians with shot guns near the Cambodia-Thai border, thus hoping to say to the whole world that Cambodia fired on innocents when the armed Thais will become in the USA’s infamous words “Enemy Combatants”

•Thailand’s threat to pull out of UNESCO if it did not delist Preah Vihear as a World Heritage, showing Thai did not respect the World Heritage Committee’s decision to which Thai had provided its thump print.

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya has lots to answer to the 15-members of UNSC. Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, in his capacity as chair of the ASEAN Standing Committee, will also make a statement.

History shows that Thailand takes on an intransigent attitude towards multi-lateral mediation or intervention in what is no more a bi-lateral matter between Cambodia and Thailand. Thailand, by its threats to UNESCO and also calling for UNESCO to delist Preah Vihear from the World Heritage List has forfeited its rights to bilateral negotiations.

This time Thailand tried again. It was hoping to pressure Cambodia to withdraw its complaint to the UNSC. Not this time! The world knew and was watching. If Thailand is indeed innocent of the above accusations, it should welcome international mediation with open arms as than, plausibly than, the whole border situation can be resolved once and for all.

Thailand would not want that? Thailand is fully aware that it had bowed to pressure from the PAD and invaded Cambodia, with the foolish hope of gaining territory and using it as a leverage to free the two imprisoned Thai spies and show goodwill by withdrawing its troops from Cambodian territory.

Fat fetched? No! The fact speaks for itself.

Cambodia has tried time and again to abide by the spirit of the 2000 MOU which calls for the Joint Border Commission (JBC) to resolve the issue. Alas, that was never the case as Thailand always used the JBC to launch attacks on Cambodia. This was no different this time around.

When Kasit was in Siem Reap to attend the JBC, Thailand’s armed forces were preparing the invasion of Cambodia. As the talks ended, the Thai army invaded. Why is this so? Because the PAD demanded the MOU be abandoned and Thailand use whatever means necessary to take Preah Vihear and annex Cambodian territory, just as she has done in the past centuries.

Thailand is fearful of international intervention. It is fully aware that if this dispute becomes internationalized, Thailand will lose face in the long run, as the 1962 ruling will be amplified and make Thailand look as if it is still crying over spilled milk.

So what can Kasit tell the Security Council that will make any difference? Nothing really, except accuse Cambodia of firing first, probably making hefty illustrations how Thailand was forced to take military action in retaliation for Cambodia firing flares into her skies to detect sneaking Thai army infiltrators?

How Thailand was forced to use unconventional weapons and 155 mm artillery batteries to take out these flare positions? How heavy artillery was used to swat Cambodian “flare flies” from the skies, and using that as an excuse to fire cluster bombs at Cambodian villagers?

Thailand should be afraid, very afraid. It has been caught with her hand in the cookie jar – invading Cambodian territory, prelude to which was Thai politicians and ultra nationalists intentionally trespassing into Cambodian territory, fact which has been openly admitted by everyone at Thailand, including the military and the perpetrators themselves by the incriminating video clip.

Indonesia has brushed aside Thai insistence on bilateral talks to “invite” all 10 ASEAN foreign ministers to discuss the Cambodian border problem. So has the UNSC.

Why is Thailand afraid of settling its dispute with Cambodia through intermediaries when decades of bilateral talks have failed? The practice of settling disputes through intermediaries has had a rich history in all cultures and society.

Cambodia has opted for international mediation as she is tired of the lies and aggressive postures of the Thai’s administration and army. Cambodia needs international intervention to protect (her) its heritage and more importantly, what is now the universal heritage – the Preah Vihear temple.

Any effort by Thailand to prevent international mediations from finding solution to settle the border issue is regarded as a travesty of justice, which against all acceptable norms.

It indicates all too well, Thailand’s intransigence of wanting to keep the conflict alive for its domestic political agenda, much to the chagrin of Cambodia, a victim of Thailand’s aggression and the world community which has chosen to stop sitting on the sidelines and get involved to bring peace, order and stability to the region and the two countries in particular.

Thailand should welcome this. Not oppose this.

T. Mohan, a long time political analyst based in Cambodia.

(The comments are solely the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Royal Government of Cambodia.)

Thai PM: UNESCO shall not proceed with Cambodia's temple plan

via CAAI

English.news.cn
2011-02-13

BANGKOK, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday said UNESCO could help alleviate the border tension between Thailand and Cambodia by not proceeding with any decision on administering a disputed area around a centuries-old temple.

Abhisit said the tension arose as Phnom Penh tried to push through with UNESCO, or the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and World Heritage committee its administering plan of a disputed area around the 11th century Preah Vihear temple.

He claimed that Cambodia needed to have its administering plan endorsed now as Phnom Penh unilaterally has the temple enlisted as a World Heritage site on July 7, 2008.

Both countries lay claim to a 4.6-square kilometer plot of land around the temple. "In the meantime, UNESCO or World Heritage should alleviate any pressure on either Cambodia or Thailand by not proceeding with any administering plan on the area disputed by Thailand and Cambodia," Abhisit said in his weekly national televised address.

He said Bangkok and Phnom Penh shall first settle the demarcation of the troubled area through an existing memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the two nations in 2000 and a Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC)

He said Bangkok could not pull out its troops from the area before a demarcation settlement, a move seemed to be preferred now by his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen.

Abhisit said Hun Sen had tried to raise the border tension as an international issue by calling for the attention of the UN Security Council.

He insisted that the issue be resolved bilaterally through the MOU and JBC.

Bangkok will be explaining its position on the issue to the UN Security Council, which calls a meeting on the border tension in New York on Feb. 14, and UNESCO and World Heritage, Abhisit said.

The premier said though the border area remained peaceful in the past week, Thai soldiers were still closely monitoring the situation.

A series of crossfire between Thai and Cambodian soldiers earlier this month caused some casualties on both sides and thousands of local Thais had to be evacuated from their homes.

Editor: Deng Shasha

Thailand to reject UN help over Cambodia

 via CAAI

Posted: 13 February 2011

BANGKOK: Thailand will tell the UN Security Council there is no need for outside mediation to resolve a deadly border conflict with Cambodia, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday.

He said Thailand was confident it could make a strong case at the closed-door meeting in New York on Monday to show that Phnom Penh sparked the standoff over disputed territory, which has left eight people dead.

Cambodian soldiers stand on a military truck as they travel past a check point near the Preah Vhear temple in Preah Vihear province, some 500km northwest of Phnom Penh

"We're confident that we can explain that (Cambodia's claims) are wrong," he said in his weekly television address.

"Cambodia is calling for (intervention by) a third country, the UN and peacekeeping forces. Thailand will call for a return to bilateral talks on demarcation," he said.

Thailand will present evidence including pictures and media reports to support its case and show that Cambodia used an ancient temple at the centre of the dispute as a military base, he added.

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya is due to attend Monday's Security Council meeting, along with his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong.

Thailand and Cambodia have blamed each other for the clashes around the ancient temple of Preah Vihear, which sparked four days of fighting earlier this month.

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen sought an urgent Security Council meeting and called for a UN buffer force to be put in place. Thailand has repeatedly said the dispute should settled between the two countries.

PM confident Thailand can explain to UN

http://news.asiaone.com/

via CAAI

Sun, Feb 13, 2011
The Nation/Asia News Network

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Sunday expressed confidence that Thailand would be able to explain to the United Nations about the border skirmishes with Cambodia.

He said Thailand would be able to explain to the International Community that Bangkok did not start the fight.

He said the Thai government would inform the UN that Phnom Penh also used the ancient Preah Vihear Temple as a base for launching attacks against Thai troops.

Poll: Thai troops acted appropriately


via CAAI

Published: 13/02/2011
As many as 87.4 per cent of the respondents said Thai soldiers had acted appropriately to protect the country’s sovereignty during the recent border clashes, Abac Poll reported on Sunday.

An opinion poll on Thai-Cambodian border dispute, conducted from Feb 7 to 12, involved 2,971 people in 17 provinces.

A total of 92.7 per cent of the respondents were worried about safety of soldiers and state authorities on duty in border areas, 78.2 per cent of them were concerned about safety of people living in border areas and their assets, Abac Poll said.

Some 51.6 per cent said the border clashes would damage the country’s image in the international community, according to the pollsters.

Asked about ways to settle the border conflict, 54.7 per cent of the respondents said a bilateral talk between Thailand and Cambodia, 17.3 per cent of them said negotiation via the United Nations Organisation or any impartial country, 5.0 per cent said war.

On the question about the confidence in the government’s ability to settle the dispute, 41.3 per cent said they had high confidence, 30.7 per cent had moderate confidence, and 28 per cent had less confidence and did not have any confidence at all.

Thailand okays regional meeting on border conflict with Cambodia

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/

via CAAI

Feb 13, 2011

Bangkok - Thailand has agreed to join an urgent meeting among South-East Asian nations to discuss its border conflict with Cambodia, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday.

Abhisit, addressing his weekly TV program, confirmed that a meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) will take place in Jakarta on February 26 to discuss the Thai-Cambodian conflict over Preah Vihear temple, which sparked border battles earlier this month.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa initiated the urgent meeting as part of his diplomatic effort to find a peaceful solution to an ongoing territorial dispute between the two ASEAN countries.

Both Cambodian and Thailand are members of ASEAN, which also includes Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.

Fighting broke up between Thai and Cambodian troops based near the 11th-century Hindu temple between February 4-7, killing three Thais and five Cambodians and leaving dozens wounded on both sides.

It was the latest of several skirmishes to flare up on the Thai-Cambodian border since July 2008, when UNESCO declared the temple a World Heritage Site despite Thai objections that a 4.6-square-kilometre plot of land adjacent to the temple was still under a sovereignty dispute.

Thailand has maintained that the border conflict should be settled bilaterally, but Cambodia is pushing, with apparent success, for international intervention.

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong will meet in New York on Monday to explain their stance on the issue to the United Nations Security Council.

Foreign Minister Natalegawa of Indonesia, which currently chairs ASEAN, will attend the UN meeting and then host an ASEAN meeting on the conflict on February 26.

He has said his role will be to facilitate a bilateral solution between Bangkok and Phnom Penh.

Preah Vihear temple has been a bone of contention between Thailand and Cambodia for the past five decades, leading to a cessation of diplomatic ties in 1958.

The two countries agreed to have the sovereignty spat settled at the International Court which in 1962 ruled that the temple belonged to Cambodia.

The court decision did not rule on the territory adjacent to the temple, which now both countries claim.

Work starts on new Cambodia bridge

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/

via CAAI

PHNOM PENH (Kyodo) Construction on a third bridge in Cambodia to be built with official development assistance began Saturday on a route crossing the Mekong River to Vietnam.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, said the planned 2,240-meter bridge will be the longest and "most beautiful" in the country.

The structure, 37.5 meters above the river at its highest point, will provide a direct transportation link to Vietnam.

The new bridge is at the Neak Loeung River Crossing, 56 km southeast of Phnom Penh. Construction is expected to end in February 2015.

Khmer BM 21

 21

Video of the launch of BM-21 rockets at Thai positions during fighting on 4th February 2011


Dap News : http://www.dap-news.com/typography/the-news/18434-sbvavufegtcay-rbskmtucaajkemtc-tahanqoanbanesom.html

Hor Nam Hong, Cambodian Foreingn Minister will meet with security council to report on clashed with Thai troops

Thai army confident no further clashes at Thai-Cambodian border


via CAAI

SI SA KET, Feb 12 -- Thailand’s Second Army Area Commander Lt Gen Thawatchai Samutsakorn said Saturday he is “90% confident” that clashes at the Thai-Cambodian border would not erupt, at least for the time being.

His comment were made following four days of clashes near the disputed ancient Preah Vihear temple which began last Friday, forcing at least 15,000 Thai villagers to flee their homes and stay at five temporary shelters, including the Kantharalak district office.

Many villagers began returning to their homes Saturday following assurances by Gen Thawatchai, who is responsible for security affairs in northeastern Thailand, that fresh fighting would not erupt in the region. As a precaution, soldiers continued to monitor the situation along the border and patrol the area while more bunkers have been built for villagers.

Some villagers of Phum Srol district arrived homes early Saturday checking if any property went missing after they were away for nearly a week.

However, many villagers still preferred to stay at the temporary evacuation centres, as they were not certain that fighting would not occur again. They have urged concerned authorities to resolve the dispute as soon as possible so they could have normal lives again. (MCOT online news)

Construction starts on 3rd Japan-donated bridge in Cambodia+

via CAAI

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 12 (AP) - (Kyodo)—Construction on a third bridge in Cambodia to be built with Japanese economic assistance began Saturday on a route crossing the Mekong River to Vietnam.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said the bridge, at 2,240 meters, will be the longest and "most beautiful" in the country.

The structure, 37.5 meters above the river at its highest point, will provide a direct transportation link to Vietnam.

The new bridge is at the Neak Loeung River Crossing, 56 kilometers southeast of Phnom Penh. Construction is expected to take until February 2015.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, Yutaka Banno, Japan's secretary of state for foreign affairs, said, "This bridge will not only link the two sides of the river, but link all countries in the region, tying Cambodia today to the future, linking Japan to Cambodia and this bridge will become a popular symbolic tie for our two countries."

At the request of the Cambodian government, Japan in 1992 began rehabilitating the 710m Chroy Changwar Bridge, later named the Cambodia-Japan Friendship Bridge across the Tonle Sap River in Phnom Penh. It was completed in 1994 at a cost of $23.2 million.

The Japan-financed Spien Kizuna Bridge is a 1.3 km traverse of the Mekong in Kompong Cham Province, 125 km northeast of Phnom Penh. It cost $57 million.

Hun Sen, at the ground-breaking at Neak Loeung, said Japan is the biggest grant donor to Cambodia, offering about $130 million a year.

Water beds: a luxury ecolodge in the Cambodian rainforest

 via CAAI

There's more to Cambodia than beaches and temples. A luxury waterborne ecolodge offers a wilderness break in style

Share40 Jane Dunford The Guardian
Saturday 12 February 2011

Four Rivers Lodge on its idyllic bend in the Tatai.

It's pitch black as I set off tentatively in my kayak, the starless sky merging seamlessly into the inky river. The only sound is of my paddle in the water and a faint chirping of cicadas. Suddenly the darkness is broken – a tree decorated in a thousand fairy lights is frantically flickering on the riverbank.

"It's the firefly disco," says Chilly, my guide, pointing at the twinkling display.

I am, it's fair to say, in the middle of nowhere. This is the Tatai river, east of Koh Kong, in the southern reaches of Cambodia's Cardamom mountains. Half-way between Bangkok and Phnom Penh, this is a pristine area of rainforest and coastal mangroves that barely features on the tourist trail.

What's more I'm camping – though it's not exactly pop-up tent and baked beans. I'm staying at the Four Rivers Floating Lodge, which takes glamping to a whole new extreme.

The brilliant idea of Romanian owner Valentin Pawlik, the entire resort is waterborne. You get here by boat, arriving at one of a series of floating wooden platforms. A central pontoon houses bar, restaurant and library. There are 12 huge and super-luxurious South African safari tents (six more are planned), with private decks and sunloungers, double-sinked en suite bathrooms, and flatscreen TVs and DVD players that seem a tad incongruous in the heart of the jungle. But, hey, this is wilderness in style.

It's all very eco-friendly too – largely solar-powered, and staffed mostly by locals – so you needn't have a guilty conscience. Move it away and there'd be little sign that it had ever existed.

Leaving the fireflies to party I paddle slowly back home and feast on spicy shrimp and freshwater fish with coconut, cooked in banana leaves, before heading for a blissful night's rest, lulled to sleep by the gentle bobbing of the water.

Most visitors to Cambodia flock to the revitalised capital of Phnom Penh further east, and the temples around Siem Reap in the north. This coastal region, part of the Koh Kong Conservation Corridor, is home to some of the country's most impressive natural sights. The long civil war kept developers and loggers at bay, and the potential for ecotourism is huge (although the threat of hydroelectric power plants looms).

Four Rivers, with its gorgeous setting on a bend in the river, is magical at all times of day – misty in the morning, glowing at sunset and prettily lit up after dark – and as tranquil a place as you could wish for. I spend much of my time here kayaking through the mangrove maze (spotting those fireflies, and watching monkeys gather at the water's edge at dusk), swimming in the river from steps outside my tent (a pool is planned) and visiting waterfalls, where the pounding torrent gives a great back massage.

There are excursions into the jungle, led by a former poacher, to spot wildlife and to visit villages and fruit plantations (overnight camping is a new option too). As I'm here at the end of the rainy season, when leeches and mud make trekking treacherous, we take a boat downstream instead. Thick mangrove forests line the banks, and dolphins can sometimes be spied in the estuary opening on to the Gulf of Thailand. Koh Kong island appears on the horizon, an as yet undeveloped paradise with pristine beaches and untouched rainforest.

Village life on Koh Sra Lau

We stop at Koh Sra Lau, an island with one tiny fishing village, and wander around while women sit mending nets and offer us fried fish with tamarind sauce and papaya. There's no tourist fatigue here, just friendly welcomes. A little boy grabs my hand and leads me to the village school, where children proudly sweep the classroom before the teachers appear.

I'm keen to explore more, so the next day head to Chi Phat village, and a community-based project started by conservation charity Wildlife Alliance in the Southern Cardamoms Protected Forest. It aims to preserve the rainforest by helping villagers earn a living from ecotourism, instead of illegal logging or hunting endangered animals, and giving tourists a unique green adventure. It's a winding bus journey down to the port town of Andoung Tuek and a two-hour boat ride along Phipot river to the village. There are several guesthouses, but I choose a homestay on the outskirts of town with Chou and her young family, who sit underneath the stilted wooden house, a cow curled at their feet like a pet dog. A far cry from the luxuries of Four Rivers it may be, but it's clean, comfortable and a great way to see everyday village life.

Chi Phat is all about outdoor adventure: you can trek or cycle into jungle and mountains for days at a time, sleeping in hammocks or rustic campsites, go birdwatching, take boat trips or check out the nearby bat caves and an area dotted with mysterious ancient burial jars. I sign up for a 28km mountain bike tour to O'Malu waterfall. Crossing grassy plains and traditional farmland, we follow Lucky – a 23-year-old from the village who's been trained in everything from bike maintenance to wildlife spotting – up steep paths through the tangled jungle, with gibbons calling high overhead. It's a challenging ride in parts (yep, I end up on my bum in a puddle at one point) but jumping into the cool pool at the base of the waterfall is a great reward.

There's no one else around as we tuck into lunch, sitting on rocks in the sunshine, surrounded by rainforest, the waterfall roaring. Marvellous though the sights of Angkor Wat and the buzz of Phnom Penh are, I can't help thinking that it's Cambodia's more remote natural attractions that offer the best adventure – and one it would be a shame to miss.

• Tents for two at Four Rivers Eco Lodge (ecolodges.asia) cost from $118 a night including breakfast and boat transfers. Information on Chi Phat from ecoadventurecambodia.com. Homestay rooms cost $3 a night. Singapore Airlines (singaporeair.com) flies to Phnom Penh (via Singapore) from £687pp return

THREE MORE CAMBODIAN HIDEAWAYS

HanumanAlaya, Siem Reap
In a quiet part of the city, this budget hotel has a great open-sided bar with bamboo blinds and ceiling fans, a swimming pool with fountains, and rooms in traditional style – silky fabrics, polished wood – but with air-con. Spa treatments are available. Doubles from $35.

The Vine Retreat, Kep province
This stylish eco-friendly retreat, on an organic farm that grows pepper and tropical fruit, has a spectacular location that offers the best of both worlds – the jungled mountains of Phnom Vor tower above it, but the coast of the Gulf of Thailand, and its beach-lined islands, is in sight. Airy wooden-floored terraces are dotted with low tables and floor cushions, there's a bar and restaurant, and a group room sleeping five is available along with the doubles. Guests can borrow bikes to explore the area's caves and natural pools, take a tuk-tuk into Kampot town, or head to one of several white-sand beaches. Doubles from $25.

Song Saa, Koh Rong archipelago
At the other end of the scale, this resort, opening in April, looks set to offer world-class barefoot luxury, with 25 bungalows on two islands, Koh Ouen and Koh Bong, connected by a footbridge over a marine reserve where dugongs, seahorses and tropical fish can be spotted. Bungalows for two from $700 a night.

Cambodia Launches Campaign to Welcome Gay Community

http://www.gayapolis.com/

via CAAI

Cambodian tourism businesses have launched a colorful, global campaign, Adore Cambodia!, to let GLBT travelers know they are especially welcome in the Kingdom of Wonders.

With the spread of ultra-cheap flights from regional hubs like Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, gay and lesbian tourists have discovered a quiet haven of tolerance, culture and world heritage that is actively reaching out to the economically powerful GLBT niche travel market.

"Siem Reap is remarkable because major players in the hospitality and service industries are comfortable extending a genuine welcome specifically to GLBT visitors," explains John Goss, director of Utopia-Asia.com which lists more than 70 gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses around Cambodia. "These include Travel and Leisure's #1 hotel in Cambodia, dozens of gay-run boutique accommodations, trend-setting restaurants, and fashion and design innovators that are part of a hip, emerging contemporary arts movement dubbed Cambodia Cool."

Cambodia to claim 'war' with Thailand


via CAAI

UNSC TO MEET WITH BORDER RIVALS AND ASEAN CHAIR

Published: 13/02/2011
Cambodia will argue that it is at war with Thailand and that intervention from a third party is needed when it presents its case to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) tomorrow.

A senior source in the Cambodian government also said they would produce evidence that the Thai military had been the aggressors during the border clashes and had used banned weapons, including cluster bombs and poison gas.

The source also said Cambodia was willing to let the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) play the third-party role, but he insisted that bilateral approaches employed since July 2008 to resolve the border dispute surrounding Preah Vihear temple had failed.

The chair of Asean, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, has invited all the association's foreign ministers to a meeting in Jakarta on Feb 22 to discuss the dispute.

The Cambodian source said there were two reasons for the UN to intervene _ its successful running of elections in Cambodia in 1993, and as Preah Vihear was heritage-listed, it is the responsibility of Unesco to protect it.

"We have all the documents, all the evidence," he said.

"The role of the United Nations is to stop any war in the world, and this is a war between Cambodia and Thailand. It's not a small clash.

"So we'll present the case to the United Nations, we'll present the case to Unesco to show the damage to the temple. If necessary we can go to the International Court of Justice again," he said.

The UNSC meeting, which will be attended by the foreign ministers of Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia, is expected to be informal and to take place behind closed doors.

The council consulted twice on the issue last week after letters were sent first by Cambodia and then Thailand. However, member nations have already expressed support for mediation efforts by Mr Marty.

National Security Council secretary-general Thawil Pliensri said concerned agencies, including the NSC, had prepared evidence for the UNSC meeting.

He said he was confident that Thailand will be able to defend itself against Cambodia's charges, adding that there were some platforms, such as Asean, where the parties could work to resolve the problem.

Other Thai officials and diplomats said that "technically" Thailand should succeed in meeting Cambodia's challenge at the meeting.

"If the council on Monday merely listens to the three [foreign ministers] and urges Thailand and Cambodia to continue their negotiations, perhaps with Asean's or Indonesia's assistance, then we'll have time to continue the negotiations with Cambodia although with more parties looking over our shoulders," said a seasoned diplomat.

However, he added that if the council were to do otherwise, Thailand had to be very careful, as its decision was binding on all UN members.

A Bangkok-based diplomat from one of the UNSC's five permanent members said the most likely outcome was "no statement, no vote, and discussion that urges the two countries to work together to resolve the disputes bilaterally".

Another Bangkok-based European diplomat said Thailand had become more isolated in the international arena since the 2006 coup and the subsequent political turmoil which had diminished its traditional role as a hub to develop regional consensus.

"Thailand was always a voice to be listened to, a stopover for major powers to seek consultations on regional issues," the source said.

"Now they choose to deepen more links with Indonesia."

One retired diplomat expressed concern that Thailand's "technical" arguments might be undermined by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's appeasement of the People's Alliance Democracy (PAD), which may have weakened the Foreign Ministry's case.

"Abhisit usually says it's a matter for the foreign ministry, but when the PAD pushed for a harsh nationalistic tone, he silenced the ministry's legal experts," said the diplomat.

Worries loom as locals go home


via CAAI

Published: 13/02/2011

More than 21,000 villagers evacuated to shelters along the border with Cambodia last week are returning home despite the risk that violence may recur.

FRIENDS IN HARD TIMES: A boy grabs his puppy as he prepares for the trip home to Ban Phum Srol in Si Sa Ket.

The Si Sa Ket villagers, who took shelter at 55 migration centres after the most recent Thai-Cambodian fighting erupted on Feb 4, started returning home yesterday, but with mixed emotions.

Some residents will go back to homes damaged in the fighting by gun and missile fire. Many are worried that fighting will erupt again.

"I don't know whether I can sleep because I don't know whether Cambodia will open fire again," said Supin Kaewloy, 41, a resident of Ban Phum Srol in Kantharalak district, which was hit by heavy weapons fire from over the border.

Her house was damaged by a missile, while Ban Phum Srol school and the office of tambon Sao Thong Chai administration organisation were hit by artillery shells.

But despite the risk of further violence in the neighbourhood, Ms Supin said she was glad to go home.

"I don't want the fighting to recur. I did not enjoy fleeing," she said.

Si Sa Ket governor Somsak Suwansujarit and 2nd army commander Thawatchai Samutsakhon yesterday saw off half the displaced villagers from a migration camp near Kantharalak district office. Soldiers helped take villagers' belongings to waiting vehicles, as officials prepared to repair and reinforce bunkers at border villages and build between 200 and 300 new bunkers.

Ban Phum Srol residents need stronger bunkers because Cambodia was using powerful weapons, said Boonlue Swaengsai, head of a community cultural group in tambon Sao Thong Chai.

Lt Gen Somsak said soldiers would train villagers in how to look out for irregularities in their neighbourhood, because Cambodia might send people to spy on them.

Navy chief of staff Thakerngsak Wangkaew said the navy would close border passes in Chanthaburi and Trat if it needs to stop Cambodian undercover agents from infiltrating the provinces.

The navy has joined the army in reinforcing troops in border provinces. Officers under the Marine Corps have been sent to Chanthaburi and Trat.

In Surin, border trade at Chong Jom border pass in Kab Choeng district resumed yesterday after a five-day lull.

About 100 out of the 400 shops normally trading there reopened yesterday after the fifth consecutive day of ceasefire.

The border market can pull in 50 million baht on a good Saturday.

Meanwhile, Thai gamblers are still crossing the border to try their luck at Cambodian casinos, though their numbers have dropped.

China backs ASEAN initiative to end Thailand-Cambodia conflict


via CAAI

Beijing: China on Saturday backed efforts by the ASEAN to bring down the tensions between Cambodia and Thailand over border conflict, as it underlined the need to exercise restraint to put an end to the military confrontation.

"China supports mediation efforts by the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to ease Cambodia-Thailand tensions and would like to work with ASEAN and the international community to play a constructive role in resolving the conflicts," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said.


Armed clashes between Cambodia and Thailand from February 4 to 7 had killed at least eight people and injured 67 others.

Ma called on the two nations to stay calm and exercise restraint, put an end to military confrontation, prevent the situation from escalating and resolve disputes through consultations.

Amid the tension on the Thailand and Cambodia border, a concerned ASEAN has asked all its foreign ministers to meet for an urgent conclave to discuss the dispute.

The invitations to the foreign ministers have been sent by Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, the current ASEAN chair and the meeting is set to be held on February 22.

Tens of thousands of villagers nearby the disputed areas had fled their homes.

China was paying attention to the clashes, Ma said in a statement.

Stressing that Cambodia and Thailand are China's friendly neighbours, Ma said Beijing has kept in close contact with both countries since the clashes began.

A report by state-run Xinhua news agency said that the border between Thailand and Cambodia has never been completely demarcated.

Although the International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that an 11th century temple itself belonged to Cambodia, the row over the 4.6-sq-km territory around the temple has never been resolved, it said.

PTI

No Cambodian-Thai border commission meeting in later Feb: official

via CAAI

English.news.cn  
2011-02-12

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian border chief said Saturday that no meeting of the Cambodian-Thai Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC) would be held later February.

"There will be no meeting of the JBC later this month," said Var Kimhong, president of JBC. "Now, bilateral mechanism cannot resolve the issue."

Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to Thai Foreign Minister, said on Feb. 7 that the JBC was scheduled to meet in the last week of February.

The United Nations Security Council is to hold a meeting on Monday to discuss the Cambodian-Thai border conflict.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and his Thai counterpart Kasit Piromya will report to the meeting about the issue. Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, whose country is the current chairman of the ASEAN, will also attend the meeting.

The latest clashes between Cambodia and Thailand on Feb. 4-7 had killed at least 8 people and injured 67 on both sides, and tens of thousands of the two countries' villagers nearby the disputed area fled for safe shelters.

The border between Thailand and Cambodia has never been completely demarcated. Although the International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that an 11th century temple itself belonged to Cambodia, the row over the 4.6-square-km territory around the temple has never been resolved.

Editor: Lu Hui

Cambodia to shun bilateral dialogue

via CAAI

By Nanthida Puangthong
The Nation on Sunday
Published on February 13, 2011



Foreign Ministry's letter to Thai Embassy says JBC mechanism cannot resolve border dispute

Cambodia has indefinitely postponed a boundary panel meeting with Thailand scheduled for later this month, shattering Thai hopes of settling the border conflict bilaterally.

The Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh received a letter from the Cambodian Foreign Ministry, saying Cambodia was not prepared for a bilateral meeting under the framework of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Committee (JBC), according to a source.

In their letter dated Thursday, the Cambodian authorities said that they wanted the JBC meeting, earlier scheduled to take place in the last week of this month, to be postponed indefinitely, a source at the Thai Foreign Ministry revealed.

President of the Cambodian JBC, Var Kimhong, said yesterday that no meeting of the joint panel to define the land boundary would be held later this month, China's Xinhua news agency reported from Phnom Penh.

"There will be no meeting of the JBC later this month. Now, the bilateral mechanism cannot resolve the issue," he was quoted as saying, referring to the border conflict between the two countries.

Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, said in a telephone interview yesterday that the ministry had not received any official notification from Cambodian authorities that they would not attend the meeting.

He said Thailand insisted on settling the border dispute with Cambodia through talks and peaceful means.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said earlier yesterday that Thailand intended to take part in the JBC meeting in a bid to settle the dispute with Cambodia bilaterally. "We [both countries] have a mechanism to settle the problem, but Thailand and Cambodia have to work together to make the bilateral mechanism function," he said.

Cambodia has succeeded in internationalising the spat over the common border, particularly over the disputed area adjacent to the ancient Preah Vihear Temple. The border conflict led to a new round of armed clashes early this month. Both states accuse the other of firing first.

The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to hold a meeting behind closed doors tomorrow on the border clashes.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong, and Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, who has been trying to mediate in the dispute, are expected to speak to the council.

Spokesman for the ruling Democrat Party, Buranaj Smutharaks, said yesterday that Kasit would present facts to the Security Council regarding Cambodia's firing at civilian targets during the armed clashes.

The foreign minister and Thai JBC chief, Asda Jayanam, met senior officials of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) in Paris on Friday, according to the spokesman. Thailand presented photos showing Cambodian troops stationed at Preah Vihear to prove its claim that Cambodia had violated a treaty that bans the use of a World Heritage Site as a shield in a military conflict or for housing soldiers and storing weapons.

Meanwhile, the Cambodian newspaper Kampuchea Thmey Daily ran a caricature of Abhisit on the front page yesterday, depicting him as a war-mad dictator.

The caricature showed Abhisit with Hitler-style hair and moustache in military uniform with an armband featuring a Nazi swastika. The PM was shown holding an assault rifle and balancing on a rope above a fire.

It was the latest effort by the media in Cambodia to paint Thailand in a negative way. Earlier, some Cambodian radio stations reportedly claimed Thai troops intentionally fired at Preah Vihear temple.

Cambodia to boycott joint talks


via CAAI

GOVT PUSH FOR BILATERAL SOLUTION TO BORDER ROW TAKES EARLY HIT

Published: 13/02/2011

Thailand's attempts to solve its border dispute with Cambodia through bilateral means have hit a snag after Cambodia said it would not attend a Joint Boundary Commission meeting.

ROCKY ROAD: Children get off the bus taking them home to Ban Phum Srol in Si Sa Ket’s Kantharalak district. The village was shelled during clashes between Cambodian and Thai troops.

The meeting had been tentatively scheduled for the end of this month but Var Kimhong, president of Cambodia's JBC, was yesterday quoted by the Xinhua News Agency as saying: "There will be no meeting of the JBC later this month. Now, bilateral mechanisms cannot resolve the issue".

The last JBC meeting took place in 2009. They were shelved amid deteriorating relations between the two nations.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong talked during the Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission (a separate body) meeting in Siem Reap earlier this month.

Both sides agreed to revive the JBC meetings and tentatively scheduled the next one for late February.

Since the border skirmish erupted on Feb 4, Thailand has stood firm in its stance that the dispute be resolved through the JBC, but Var Kimhong's remark could shut the door on Thailand's attempts to use the channel.

Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to the foreign minister, yesterday said the ministry had not received official notification from Cambodia that it would not attend the JBC meeting, although he conceded there were signs that it would not take part.

But Mr Chavanond said Bangkok stands firm in its determination to hold the meeting as efforts to settle the border dispute continue.

He said the matter would be decided after Mr Kasit returns from the United Nations Security Council's meeting on the Thai-Cambodian issue in New York tomorrow.

Hor Namhong and Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, as the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, will also attend the New York meeting.

Second Region Army chief Lt Gen Thawatchai Samutsakhon said Cambodia might be opposed to the JBC meeting taking place because it wants to internationalise the matter.

"Such a stance [to derail the JBC process] is not beyond our speculation," he said.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday said he welcomed Mr Marty's plan to hold a meeting of all Asean foreign ministers to discuss the Thai-Cambodian border dispute.

The invitations for the meeting, set for Feb 22, were sent out on Friday.

Mr Kasit has received his invitation and confirmed he will attend.

However, Mr Abhisit said the meeting must give priority to the bilateral framework between Thailand and Cambodia.

Indonesia, as Asean chair, should only work as a facilitator to support bilateral talks, he said.

"We have confirmed our position that the border conflict must be solved bilaterally," added Mr Abhisit.

However, he said he pinned his hopes on the UNSC meeting to help Thailand clarify what had happened in fighting between troops on the Thai-Cambodian border to the international community.

Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan yesterday said Mr Marty had kept Asean informed during his recent "diplomacy shuttle" between Phnom Penh and Bangkok as he tried to defuse the situation.

"We are encouraged to hear the willingness of both parties to allow Asean to offer our good offices, conciliation and mediation as required by our Asean charter," Mr Surin said in Jakarta.

"It will be a first for Asean to get involved directly and intimately in a conflict between member states.

"But we will have no choice if the UNSC throws the case back to us after its meeting in New York."

Mr Surin said the Asean Secretariat is ready to lend support for Thailand and Cambodia to find their own amicable solutions.

"What the multilateral forum of the Asean FMs can do is provide moral support and encouragement for both parties to exert maximum efforts to find their own way out of their bilateral conflict," he said.

Cambodia trying to kill all Thai investment?

via CAAI

Published on February 13, 2011

In the latest round of armed clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, one man has been frequently mentioned in the news - Maj-General Hun Manet, who is the eldest son of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

This is very interesting and a good comparison. The son of the dictator of Cambodia is responsible for the attacks on Thailand. Last year the son of the dictator of North Korea was responsible for the attacks on South Korea.

Thailand has a large amount of money invested in Cambodia, likewise South Korea has a large amount of investments in North Korea. Both countries have paid back the countries that have been helping them by armed attacks against the donor countries. Is this like mad dogs biting the hand that feeds them?

Now North Korea wants to have talks, same as Cambodia wants to have talks. Do these two dictators get together and compare notes?

Cambodia builds bridge to link ASEAN highway

http://www.philstar.com/

via CAAI

(philstar.com) Updated February 13, 2011

PHNOM PENH (Xinhua) - The construction of Neak Loeung Bridge, a part of ASEAN's highway, will play a vital role in boosting the development of Cambodian and regional economy, said Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Saturday during a ground breaking ceremony for the bridge construction.

The Neak Loeung Bridge across the Mekong River along the National Road No. 1 will link the western part of Kandal province and the eastern part of Prey Veng province to Vietnam.

The bridge will be the biggest and longest one in Cambodia. It will be 13.5 meters wide and 2,200 meters long, and as high as 37 meters from the water surface, according to the master-plan.

The Neak Loeung Bridge, being constructed by contractor Sumitomo Mitsu Construction of Japan, will be completed by 2015. The cost was estimated at $131 million under the grant aid from Japan.

"The bridge will be hugely contributed to the development of Cambodian and regional economies because it will link the ASEAN highway and Great Mekong Sub-region highway," the premier said.

The construction of the bridge will also respond timely to the implementation of the bilateral transport agreement between Cambodia and Vietnam, he added.

In a message from Japanese Prime Minister Kan Naoto to congratulate the ground breaking ceremony for the bridge, he said that the bridge construction demonstrated closer confidence and cooperation between Cambodia and Japan.

"I firmly hope that this bridge will contribute to the development and progress in Cambodia and Mekong region," Kan Naoto wrote in the message and was read at the ceremony by Yutaka Banno, state secretary Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the figure from the Cambodian Ministry of Economy and Finance, Japanese grant to Cambodia is about $130 million a year for rehabilitating and developing physical infrastructures such as roads and bridges, and human resources.

Since 1994 to the end of 2010, Japanese's grants to Cambodia mounted to $1.9 billion.

The ASEAN countries consist of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

With alternatives like these, Let's try ping pong for peace


via CAAI

Published: 13/02/2011
After three weeks that saw deaths, injuries and destruction, the rain of bullets, the dropping of bombs, and thousands of Thai and Cambodian borderland villagers turned into refugees, at the moment all is relatively quiet on the eastern front. Reports say villagers are returning home. But reports also say that both sides are amassing tanks and troops at the border, with F16s flying overhead.

Is this the quiet moment before the storm? Who knows? But the question we may first ponder is: What ignited this current round of conflict?

Nope. It's not over who invaded whom first. It's not over who shot at whom first. It's not about some map drawn by the French a hundred years ago. (And please, Thai people, stop picking on and blaming the French. Leave that to the English and the Americans. We Thais already have the Laotians and the Cambodians.)

Furthermore, it definitely is not about who Preah Vihear and that 4.6 square kilometres of dirt belongs to.

Those are mere propaganda tools, baits if you will, used by the puppet masters to stir up nationalistic sentimenets among their flocks of sheep and clueless bystanders, who in turn -jolted by innate fanatical fervour, and the lack of a constructive hobby (like ping pong) - cry for ownership and vengeance, spewing hellfire and brimstone, baying for blood and war. All of this from the comfort of their air-conditioned homes, while poor Isan boys get shot at and innocent Isan villagers have their homes blown to bits.

Because, you know, if it looks like a Hindu, was built by a Khmer and has all Cambodian characteristics, it definitely must belong to Thailand, most definitely.

They also have their fair share of fanaticism on the other side of the border. Remember in 2003 when soap actress Suvanant Kongying allegedly said Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand? The Cambodian people went on a rampage and destroyed the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh. That was over an alleged remark by a soap starlet.

Face it, Thais and Cambodians, we are overly melodramatic peoples, probably because Thai soap operas are popular in both countries.

Here's another glimpse of melodrama. One of the five captured Thais released by Cambodia is a member of the Santi Asoke sect. He has taken the name Tainae Mungmajon. The literal translation? First name: ''Dead for Sure''. Surname: ''Determined to be Poor''. The name change has to do with the sect's mantra. Would you invite him to your birthday party?

So here's the point of this conflict, the cause that ignited the current round of insanity. The government's retirement pension of 500 baht per month may be attractive to some, but not Major General Chamlong Srimuang. He's not ready to retire. He doesn't want to be unemployed.

Ask the experts and they will say that the Democrats are a shoo-in for the next general election. The cake has been divided and all has been prepared - the right people in the right place, as could only happen in a developing-world democracy. The Democrats will be in power for the next four years at least, so say the experts.

The red shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), with their endless flow of funds and the Puea Thai Party as their political arm, can and will continue their fight as the main opposition.

On the other hand, the yellow shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), and the New Politics Party (NPP), which no one expects to win more than a handful of seats at best, will just fade into political irrelevance. They simply don't have the financial lifeline or the political muscle. Street muscle, however, is another story.

Ladies and gentlemen, why do we fight? It's because Maj Gen Chamlong is simply trying to keep his job. This may be the last hurrah. Desperation, if you will. But please, do not underestimate him. Under his generalship, the PAD is 2-0 against Thai governments, the administrations of Thaksin Shinawatra and Somchai Wongsawat.

Maj Gen Chamlong himself went toe-to-toe with the military and General Suchinda Kraprayoon in 1992, and it ended in a tie. He took on the military and came out with a tie! Chew on that one, people! Thaksin should fire Jatuporn Prompan and hire the good general. The UDD, with all their money and popular support, are 0-2.

One may wonder how this border conflict could lead to the NPP winning the general election. It doesn't have to. Neither the Thaksin nor the Somchai governments were brought down by general elections, were they?

As I'm writing this, all is relatively quiet on the eastern front. What are the possible scenarios that could play out? Here are some choices.

a) Thai troops attack, Blitzkrieg-like (but of course, we'll tell the world they attacked first, so keep this one hush-hush, OK?), routing the Cambodian army and capturing Hun Sen's son, Hun Manet. Cambodia, shaken and humiliated, sues for peace and exchanges ownership of Preah Vihear and the 4.6 square kilometres of dirt for Hun Manet's return. Thais dance naked in the streets and the Democrats win the election in a landslide.

b) The Cambodian troops attack, Blitzkrieg-like (but of course, they'll tell the world we attacked first, so keep this one hush-hush, OK?), routing the Thai army. Thailand, shaken and humiliated, relinquishes all claims to Preah Vihear and the 4.6 square kilometers of dirt. Cambodians dance naked in the streets, Abhisit Vejjajiva resigns in disgrace, a military regime takes over to ''strengthen and unite the nation in time of crisis''. There's no election.

c) Allow the PAD to spread the plague of fanaticism, whipping the sheep and the clueless into an uproar, creating internal chaos and dissension, using the lives of innocents on both sides of the border for their political ambitions, to the point that the military goes, ''Blimey, look at this mess. [Sigh]. We are going to have to step in and clean it up, lads.'' No need for an election. A national government is appointed. PAD leaders get lucrative spots, because they have friends in ''high places''. Preah Vihear is no longer an issue as Maj Gen Chamlong successfully negotiates his employment contract.

d) The Domino Effect. As happened prior to World War I _ both sides huff and puff and before anyone realises it, Total War. Untold death and destruction. The UN sends in peacekeepers. Hollywood makes a movie about it, starring Steven Segal as a former bone-breaking CIA operative and current customer of the month at a Patpong go-go bar, unwittingly caught in the conflict, and eventually saving the day.

e) Let keyboard warriors make war in cyberspace (yes, there are fanatical Thais and Cambodians screaming murder on web boards from the comfort of their air-conditioned homes, instead of, you know, adopting a more constructive hobby like ping pong). Let them spew curses and engage in the infantile and fruitless exercise of tracing what belonged to whom first and who wronged whom first all the way back to the Stone Age. Meanwhile, the two kingdoms have it out with Unesco, like educated, civilised nations would, and accept the verdict, like educated, civilised nations would. Or appeal over and over again, like educated, civilised nations (that refuse to just give up and play ping pong instead) would. Then come election time, those who hate Mr Abhisit can try to kick him out and those who love him can try to keep him in, the democratic way, like educated, civilised people would.

f) Relinquish claims to Preah Vihear and the 4.6 square kilometres of dirt in exchange for a casino in Koh Kong. Use the revenue to build schools, improve infrastructure, develop the country and enrich the lives of ordinary citizens. A true patriot can help his country in so many ways other than shooting at Cambodians.

g) Blame the French and start calling french fries, farang fries.

Dear readers, we ridicule the ridiculous. Examine the choices. Take your pick.