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Thursday, 16 October 2008

British ambassador suggests peaceful means to solve political problem

Thaindian News
October 16th, 2008
by Amrit Rashmisrisethi

Mr. Quinton Mark Quayle, the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland ambassador to Thailand, urged all parties concerned in the Thai politics to jointly resolve political conflict through peaceful means, suggesting all should cling to democracy.

He also suggested on Wednesday (October 15) that Bangkok and Phnom Penh to hold bilateral talks to end the two nations’ border conflict.

Mr. Quayle, said after meeting with opposition Democrat party leader, Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, that as the UK has had close relationship with Thailand, he felt regrettable over October 7’s clash between police and the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) being tarnished with violence. He also believed that all nations with amicable attitude towards Thailand would also feel sorrowful for the clashes.

The British ambassador also urged relevant factions in the Thai politics to solve prevailing political problems peacefully and take into account the democracy.

Regarding border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, the British ambassador said he discussed the matter with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Sompong Amornwiwat, adding he suggested Mr. Sompong that both nations should adopt conciliatory approach to resolve the problem as they were neighboring nations.

He added that he also raised the issue while talking with Mr.Abhisit. However, Mr. Quayle declined to reveal the details.

Source : National News Bureau, Public Relations Department of Thailand

Foreign Affairs clarifies Thai-Cambodian border tension to international communities

Thaindian
October 16th, 2008
by Amrit Rashmisrisethi

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has distributed memorandums on the Thai-Cambodian border tension to foreign countries. Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Virasakdi Futrakul (วีระศักดิ์ ฟูตระกูล) says Thailand is ready to clarify the situation at the conflict area in any forum.

The permanent secretary reports that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has explained the Thai-Cambodian border dispute to member countries of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and permanent members to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The ministry has also assigned Thai embassies worldwide to clarify Thailand’s stance on the situation to the governments of all countries if Cambodia files a petition with the UNSC for its intervention.

The latest news reports that three permanent members of the UNSC, including the U.S., China, and Russia, have voiced their support for the use of bilateral mechanism to tackle the conflict at Preah Vihear. However, the permanent secretary says Thailand will hire an international legal consult if Cambodia brings the case to the International Court of Justice.

Mr Virasakdi states further that Cambodia’s goal is that Thailand withdraws all military personnel from Preah Vihear and the area along the border there and accepts Cambodia’s map drawn by France.

Since the government of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, Thailand has stood firm that the Preah Vihear verdict by the International Court of Justice grants the temple to Cambodia but not approves the demarcation of the overlapping area in line with the map. The permanent secretary therefore says Thailand and Cambodia must settle the demarcation issue by themselves, adding that Thailand does not want to request the UN to help resolve the conflict as it sticks to bilateral means. He also expresses his belief that a mediator cannot end the dispute between the two countries.

Source : National News Bureau, Public Relations Department of Thailand

The real reason behind Hun Sen's belligerence over temple

Asian News Network
Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation (Thailand)
Publication Date: 16-10-2008

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen may have begun beating the war drums too early this week when he issued an ultimatum to Thailand that he would use force to resolve the border dispute at Preah Vihear, but he had reasons for doing so.

In fact, no one believed he would really order his troops to open fire, but an ultimatum like that needs to be thoroughly examined for its hidden meanings.

Some analysts read too much into it when they linked Hun Sen’s move with deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.The machiavellian scenario they suggested was that the Cambodianstrongman wanted to help his associate Thaksin – and Thaksin ’sbrother-in-law, Somchai Wongsawat, the present Thai prime minister – to overcome Thailand’s domestic political difficulties.

The move,they said,was intended to divert attention from domestic political chaos by renewing external problems, and even hostilities,with Cambodia.

But the analytical framework was too complicated and misinterpreted the clear picture of Thai-Cambodian relations.

Moreover, Somchai’s government is too weak to generate external interest in its domestic problems.The present Cabinet would probably be unable to mobilise sufficient resources to wage war against Cambodia, and rather than finding support among Thais, Somchai may easily be accused of dragging the country into war. So the threat could worsen his situation rather than help it.

The rattling of Hun Sen’s saber was not intended to achieve a military goal, but rather was a back-up manoeuvre for diplomatic moves to achieve his development objectives.

The Cambodian government put a lot of effort into the listing ofthe Hindu temple of Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site.

The Khmer sanctuary was expected to welcome a fresh surge of visitors after Unesco accepted it for listing earlier this year. Other World Heritage sites have enjoyed an immediate boost in tourism, but the listing of Preah Vihear has brought Cambodia no more than a bitter row with Thailand,on whose border the revered ruin sits.

The site has been closed since the listing and has not earned Cambodia one single tourist dollar.

In 1962 the International Court of Justice ruled Preah Vihear belonged to Cambodia, but easy access can only be made from Thailand. Phnom Penh needs space to build its own route to the temple, but unfortunately the area it needs is also claimed by Thailand.

Military occupation will not secure the area permanently. Only precise demarcation of the boundary between the two countries can divide the two sides,and that requires advanced technology and negotiations.

The two countries have not sat down for talks about their common border at Preah Vihear for some time, because of internal political difficulties.

For many reasons,Thailand remains unable to activate the Joint Commission on Demarcation of Land Boundaries (JBC).

The present Constitution requires the foreign ministry to obtain a parliamentary mandate before commencing negotiations on boundaries.

The ministry has already submitted the framework of negotiation to the parliament, but parliamentarians have hardly been in the mood to read it.This week ’s session of the House of Representatives was postponed following the recent bloodshed.

The JBC is normally co-chaired by a deputy foreign minister,butforeign minister Sompong Amornwiwat has no deputy. He must assign one of his advisers to the job and told his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong on Monday that he would name a Thai co-chairman within a few weeks.

Hun Sen cannot wait that long, because his government is required to submit an administrative plan for Preah Vihear to the World Heritage Committee by next February.The plan cannot be completed as long as the boundary between Thailand and Cambodia remains a hotly contested issue.

Hun Sen ’s threatening tactics seem to have worked well.

Thailand, although responding with strong words and assurancesof retaliation in the case of attack, urged Phnom Penh to calm down and continue with talks.The Cambodian leader will be happy to see Thailand ’s new eagerness to talk and reactivate the JBC.

Deadly Fighting At Thai-Cambodian Border

(AP) Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia over a border area near a historic temple erupted in a deadly gunbattle, prompting officials on both sides to quickly call for resolving the conflict through talks, not bullets.

Clash Erupts At Historic Temple; Both Sides Call For Diplomacy

CBS NEWS

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, Oct. 16, 2008

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said military officials from both sides would meet Thursday in Thailand to discuss the previous day's clash, which killed at least two Cambodian soldiers and wounded a total of eight from both sides.

Thailand's Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat pledged to "use peaceful means."

"If there is violence, we have to negotiate," Somchai said.

Wednesday's clash was the first deadly fighting in four months of tensions since Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was declared a U.N. World Heritage site.

Many Thais feared their country's claim over nearby land would be undermined, and anti-government protesters have pressed their government to take a harder line on the border conflict, seeking to discredit its patriotic credentials. The protesters have sought the ouster of Thailand's ruling party, occupying the grounds of the prime minister's offices for the past two months.

The fighting Wednesday afternoon lasted for about an hour, with each side accusing the other of firing first.

The battle killed at least two Cambodian soldiers and wounded three others, according to Cambodia's Foreign Ministry. Five Thai soldiers were wounded, the Thai army said.

Thailand's Foreign Ministry said Thai soldiers were peacefully patrolling their own territory along the border when Cambodian soldiers shot at them with rocket propelled grenades and submachine guns.

Cambodia's Foreign Ministry accused Thai troops of launching "heavy armed attacks" at three different locations to push back Cambodians from positions inside Cambodian territory.

The fighting was the latest flare-up in a decades-old dispute over a stretch of jungle near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple. The World Court awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but sovereignty over surrounding land has never been clearly resolved.

Thailand had grudgingly accepted Cambodian sovereignty over the temple with few armed confrontations until this year. But resurgent Thai nationalism sparked by the anti-government protesters put Bangkok authorities under pressure to aggressively pursue the land claims.

Both sides sent hundreds of troops to the area after the UNESCO action, and the dispute also fired a surge of nationalism in Cambodia that helped propel Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to a landslide re-election victory in late July.

Most troops were withdrawn from the area a month later.

But the conflict flared again in recent weeks. A brief gunfight earlier this month wounded one Cambodian and two Thai soldiers. Three days later, two Thai soldiers lost legs when they stepped on land mines in the area.

Charnvit Kasetsiri, a historian who has written extensively on the dispute, said the fight over the temple had long been a proxy for larger conflicts, including World War II and the Cold War, but it had been considered resolved until recently.

"The issue surrounding Preah Vihear temple was over decades ago until it was fanned by nationalist rhetoric for domestic political purposes," he said.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the U.S. would urge both sides to refrain from violence. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also urged restraint and called on the two sides to quickly resolve the dispute.

Thailand's more than 300,000-strong military uses modern American equipment and dwarfs Cambodia's 125,000 less well-equipped troops. Cambodian forces however are well versed in guerrilla warfare after fighting an intense civil war against the communist Khmer Rouge.

Thai, Cambodia armies to meet after border battle

Cambodian soldiers sit in a truck at Sraem village, Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh, October 16, 2008. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

By Chor Sokunthea

PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia (Reuters) - Thai and Cambodian military commanders prepared for talks across their disputed border on Thursday after the most serious clash in years left two Cambodian soldiers dead and 10 Thais in Cambodian hands.

Despite Wednesday's 40-minute exchange of rocket and gun fire, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said a scheduled meeting to resolve arguments over the jungle frontier would go ahead, suggesting escalation was not inevitable.

"It is a good sign that we can start to solve this conflict," he told reporters in Phnom Penh after an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen about the fighting near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple.

"We consider this an incident between soldiers and not an invasion by Thailand," Hor Namhong said.

The talks were due to begin at 11 a.m. at a location near the disputed temple, known to Thais as Khao Phra Viharn.

Thai regional army commander Wiboonsak Neeparn told Reuters the meeting would focus on the cause of Wednesday's clash and how to ratchet down tensions on the border, where both sides have rushed reinforcements.

There has been no word on the exchange of 10 Thai prisoners, whose existence Bangkok is officially denying.

Hor Namhong said the group, who were photographed by a Reuters photographer under Cambodian guard, would be properly treated and returned to Thailand if Bangkok requested.

Bangkok has urged its citizens to leave Cambodia, mindful of the 2003 torching of its embassy and Thai businesses in Phnom Penh by a nationalist mob incensed by a row over Angkor Wat, another ancient temple.

"Thai businessmen who have no need to be in Cambodia now, please rush back to Thailand," Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat told reporters, adding that the military had an evacuation plan ready if needed.

In 2003, Thai commandos flew into Phnom Penh airport in the middle of the night to help evacuate 600 Thais during the riots.

Security was beefed up outside the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, with 20 military police armed with assault rifles standing guard.

Both sides accused each other of firing first in the clash, which comes amid huge political instability in Bangkok, with protesters in a long-running street campaign urging the army to launch a coup against the elected government.

"The Thai military are very much under pressure to protect the national sovereignty and territory," Panitan Wattanayagorn, a military analyst at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University said.

(Additional reporting by Nopporn Wong-Anan in Kantaralak)
(Writing by Ed Cropley; Editing by Darren Schuettler and Valerie Lee)

Thai-Cambodia border gunbattle claims two

Arrested Thai soldiers, wearing black, sit with Cambodian soldiers after the firefight. In addition to the two Cambodian soldiers killed, three were injured, and five Thai soldiers were injured.

Gulf Daily News

PHNOM PENH: Two Cambodian soldiers were killed yesterday in a border gunbattle with Thai troops, increasing the risk that long-standing tensions over territorial claims could escalate into outright war.Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said that two others had been wounded in fighting near an 11th-century temple that lasted less than an hour.
The Cambodian army captured 10 Thai soldiers who would be returned if Bangkok requested, he said.
Thai army said that five of its soldiers were wounded. The fighting stopped and commanders from both sides were trying to negotiate a ceasefire.
"Cambodia is a good neighbour. We will use peaceful means. If there is violence, we have to negotiate," Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said.
The Thai army also stated its desire to end the dispute peacefully.
Both sides said that the other fired first. It was not immediately clear how many troops were engaged in the shooting
The clash came a day after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen issued an ultimatum to Thailand to pull back its soldiers from the disputed territory near the Preah Vihear temple.
The fighting was the latest in the decades-long dispute over a stretch of jungle near the temple. The World Court awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but sovereignty over some surrounding land has never been resolved.
Tensions flared on July 15 after Unesco approved Cambodia's bid to have the temple named a World Heritage Site, leading some in Thailand to fear that its claims over the nearby land would be undermined.
Cambodia deployed more than 800 troops to the border after the Unesco decision, and Thailand sent 400. Both sides pulled back most of troops in August.

Thailand, Cambodia To Hold Talks To Resolve Border Dispute

(RTTNews) - Generals from Thailand and Cambodia are scheduled to meet on Thursday to try and resolve the ongoing dispute over a border temple, said officials on Wednesday.

The move comes after two Cambodian soldiers were killed and several soldiers from both sides injured after clashes broke out between the two forces on Wednesday.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong described the recent clashes between the soldiers of the two countries as "an incident between soldiers and not an invasion by Thailand," and said that Thursday's meeting between the generals of both sides was a good positive sign.

Also on Wednesday, Cambodian Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said the fighting between the soldiers on both sides was "small scale" and pledged his commitment in resolving the issue through peaceful means.

"Cambodia is a good neighbor. We will use peaceful means. If there is violence, we have to negotiate," he said Wednesday.

The long-standing dispute over the border temple began after International Court awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, and escalated after Unesco listed it as a World Heritage Site recently.

The current standoff began after Cambodian police arrested three Thai protesters in July for attempting to reach the temple without proper immigration papers.

Thai troops then massed near the border to rescue the arrested protesters, prompting a Cambodian troop built up along the disputed border area.

Currently, about two hundred Thai soldiers and 380 Cambodian soldiers are believed to be stationed near the site of the disputed Preah Vihear Temple site.

by RTT Staff Writer

Thailand & Cambodia - Two Buddhist Nations Battle

Scoop New Zealand

Thailand and Cambodia, Two Buddhist Nations, Battle on Their Border

by Richard S. Ehrlich

BANGKOK, Thailand -- The latest gunfire and two deaths along the disputed Thai-Cambodian border on Wednesday (October 15) threaten to escalate into open warfare between these two Buddhist countries, pitting Bangkok's U.S.-trained military against some of the late Pol Pot's former Khmer Rouge forces.

Thailand is a non-NATO military ally of America, and is bigger, wealthier, and better armed than Cambodia.

But Cambodian soldiers are perceived as tougher jungle fighters after decades of guerrilla war amid that country's horrific "killing fields".

In fresh skirmishes, at least two Cambodian soldiers died, and two were injured, during a gun fight on Wednesday (October 15) near the 11th century stone ruins of Preah Vihear temple, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters.

Cambodian officials also claimed they captured several Thai soldiers.

Five Thai soldiers were injured in battle, Thai army spokesman Sansern Kaewkumnerd said.
Assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades were used during the 40-minute clash, though both sides denied firing the first shot.

Unfortunately for Thailand, its Army Commander-in-Chief, Gen. Anupong Paochinda, is embroiled in Bangkok's crippling domestic politics, despite his repeated denials that he is plotting a coup.

Anti-government protestors in Bangkok have pointed to the border dispute to condemn Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat for not protecting Thai territory, and expressed hopes for an army coup.

Preah Vihear's ruins received World Heritage Site status earlier this year by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The award immediately sparked outrage in Thailand, fueling distrust between the two countries.
"UNESCO acted as if its World Heritage status was some God-given right, and ignored the fact that a strongman [Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen] in Phnom Penh was exploiting it for political gain," the English-language Nation newspaper said in a Wednesday (October 15) editorial.

Bangkok was not happy with a 1962 World Court judgment which ruled Cambodia owns the Preah Vihear ruins, about 100 miles northeast of Cambodia's fabled Angkor Wat temple complex, near Siem Reap.

Preah Vihear offers majestic stone architecture, ravaged by time and neglect, sprawling across a flat outcropping of land jutting above Cambodia.

Thanks to border maps written by French colonialists when Paris ruled Indochina, the temple appears to hover over northern Cambodia on a mountaintop ledge.

It can be easily approached across relatively flat land from the Thai side, but Cambodians must climb a steep cliff to reach the temple.

Thais insist the flat outcropping is an obvious extension of northeast Thailand, though historians say the temple was built by Cambodia's Khmer rulers.

While the ruins may be Cambodian, Thailand claims 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of jungle alongside the temple were never clearly demarcated.

Bangkok and Phnom Penh have traditionally been uneasy neighbors, though Thai businesses have expanded in Cambodia during recent years.

During the 1970s, Thailand allowed the U.S. military to use Thai territory as a base to attack Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

As part of America's failed Vietnam War, the U.S. lost its fight against Cambodia's Khmer Rouge communist guerrillas in 1975.

Cambodia's recently re-elected Prime Minister Hun Sen was a mid- level Khmer Rouge commander during the guerrilla war against the U.S.

Hun Sen defected from Pol Pot in 1977, mid-way through Pol Pot's infamous 1975-79 "killing fields" reign, which left more than one million Cambodians dead from starvation, disease, slavery, torture and other abuses.

After helping to defeat Pol Pot, Hun Sen incorporated many former Khmer Rouge guerrillas into Cambodia's army.

The Preah Vihear area is "a life-and-death battle zone," Hun Sen told an economic forum in Phnom Penh on Tuesday (October 14) while hoping for millions of dollars in loans from China.

"The problem is not about withdrawing or not withdrawing -- it's our territory. How can they tell us that it is their territory?" Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornwiwat told reporters on Tuesday (October 14) after an unsuccessful meeting with his Cambodian counterpart.

"What can we do? We are in our own homeland, and they want us to evict us from our own home," Sompong said.

"If Cambodia does resort to the use of force in accordance with its so-called ultimatum, Thailand will have to exercise its right of self-defense as provided for under the Charter of the United Nations, in order to protect our de-mining personnel and Thailand's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Thai Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday (October 14).

"Thailand has always called for, and remains committed to, resolving its boundary issues with Cambodia peacefully," the Foreign Ministry said.

Hidden land mines exploded near Preah Vihear temple on Oct. 3, causing two Thai soldiers to lose legs, and gunfights during the past several weeks injured troops on both sides.

Cambodia and Thailand and Those 4.6 Kilometres

Global Comment
October 15, 2008

Two soldiers are dead and six are injured for 4.6 square kilometres of land. Whose land? Well that is the question. Thailand claims it. Cambodia claims it. Neither side is happy with the other’s claim.

Historically, both have owned it. Naturally both claim ownership today. It has been a point of contention for quite a few decades. With the Khmer Rouge and the resultant landmines, the whole area was inaccessible until the early 90s so the argument was moot.

On Monday, Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen, ordered the Thais to withdraw or risk a bloodbath. The Thais refused to withdraw. Then the shooting began. Rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns were fired. Two soldiers were killed.

Nobody is sure who fired first. Both sides claimed that it was the other. Thai Foreign Minister, Sompong Amornvivat, has urged Thai nationals to leave Cambodia, no doubt remembering the violence of the anti-Thai riots in 2003.

In fact, the current fighting might easily have been avoided but with civil unrest in Thailand and the recent election in Cambodia, the dispute has taken on a life of its own.

A bit of history:

In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded the 9th century Hindu temple of Preah Vihear to Cambodia. The ICJ did not rule on the 4.6 square kilometres of land surrounding the temple. It is claimed by Thailand.

The ownership became an issue again in July 2008 when UNESCO designated Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site in Cambodia. Thailand took issue with this decision. An outsider might well be curious as to why the decision of an international cultural organisation has had such serious consequences, and certainly without in other political circumstances, a minor protest might have been lodged.

As luck would have it, the dispute arose in the run up to the general election, which fanned the ultra-nationalist factions in Cambodia. The Prime Minister, Hun Sen likes to be known as the strong man of Asia.

Indeed even expats lower their voices when they refer to him while out for a drink. His power is absolute. His word is law. He has been in power since the Vietnamese threw out the Khmer Rouge. He was a Khmer Rouge soldier but that is not mentioned nowadays.

Nobody really had any doubts but that Cambodia’s ruling party, the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), would win. The usual ‘rice for votes’, intimidation, fear and ghost voters made any outcome but a victory impossible. The PM even stated that there would be civil war if he were not re-elected. Nothing like a little intimidation to encourage people to vote the ‘right’ way.

The Thai-Cambodian Preah Vihear dispute was a boon because it allowed Hun Sen to bellow anti-Thai rhetoric and pander to the nationalist factions. Not to be outdone, Thai nationalists went on hunger strike.

Cambodians don’t like the Thais anyway (or the Vietnamese for that matter). It is a centuries long hatred that bubbles under the surface. One of the major cities is even named ‘Thailand Defeated’. You may know it as Siem Reap, the home of Angkor Wat. Cambodians are very sensitive regarding the size of their territory. In regard to the history of the great Khmer Empire, Reuters reminds us that:

“Drummed into every school-child’s head, its area - 181,035 sq km - is as etched into the collective memory as deep as “9-11″ in the United States.”

In fact, commenters on Khmer blogs praised the Thai hunger strikers and urged them to continue. They stated, anonymously of course, that they would like to see the Thais dead.

It is serious business. Cambodian troops have been staring at Thai troops since July and both sides are trigger-happy. The situation on the ground has waxed and waned with the deployment of more and less troops over the past few months.

Cambodians called for a boycott of Thai goods, which had commercial impact. The baiting and posturing has been going on since.

On Monday, The Nation reported that

“Cambodian PM Hun Sen wasted no time in making his point. An ultimatum was issued even before Sompong [Thai Minister for Foreign Affairs] touched down on Thai soil: Hun Sen gave Thailand until midday yesterday to withdraw troops from areas of overlapping territorial claim or he would use military force to resolve the matter.”

As you can see, Hun Sen is not famous for his diplomatic skills.

Thai soldiers received orders to retaliate immediately if fired upon. Fighter planes were put on standby. No doubt this sabre-rattling contributed to Wednesday’s shootings.

The situation stands thus: Thailand is reinforcing its defences with additional troops are artillery.

Cambodian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hor Namhong, said ten Thai soldiers had surrendered.
Both sides are aggrieved but neither wants bear responsibility for war.

UN chief urges "utmost restraint" in Cambodia-Thailand clashes

www.chinaview.cn

2008-10-16

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations on Wednesday expressed his deep concern about the exchange of gunfire along the Cambodia-Thailand border and urging the neighbors to exercise "utmost restraint."

"The secretary-general is deeply concerned about the exchange of gunfire today along the Cambodia-Thailand boarder and the reported casualties," Ban's spokeswoman Michele Montas said.

According to reports, two Cambodian soldiers and a number of Thai and Cambodian servicemen were wounded in the firefight.

Montas said the UN chief calls on both parties to exercise utmost restraint and urges them to expedite bilateral talks so that their differences can be resolved peacefully. 　

Editor: Mu Xuequan

Thai, Cambodian troops clash on border, two killed

A Cambodian solider crouches in a trench during fighting near Engel field near the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province, north of Phnom Penh, October 15, 2008. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Chor Sokunthea, Reuters
Published: Wednesday, October 15, 2008

PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia (Reuters) - Thai and Cambodian troops fired rockets and small arms at each other on a disputed stretch of border on Wednesday, killing two Cambodians and prompting Bangkok to tell its citizens to return home.

Both sides accused each other of firing first in the clash, which comes amid huge political instability in Bangkok, with protesters in a long-running street campaign urging the army to launch a coup against the elected government.

Two Cambodians were killed, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said, and at least seven soldiers from both sides were wounded in the most serious incident in four months of tension at the Preah Vihear temple, a 900-year-old Hindu ruin sitting on an escarpment on the border.

Hor Namhong said a scheduled meeting between the two countries on the border dispute would go ahead as planned on Thursday, suggesting that escalation was not inevitable.

"It is a good sign that we can start to solve this conflict," he told reporters. "We consider this an incident between soldiers and not an invasion by Thailand."

A Reuters photographer on the Cambodian lines said one rocket flew over his head, forcing him to scurry for cover at the start of the 40 minute exchange of fire.

Cambodia's army had captured 10 Thai soldiers, Hor Namhong told a news conference in Phnom Penh.

"The prime minister has ordered that the 10 soldiers be treated well," he said, adding that they would be returned to Thailand if Bangkok requested.

The Thai military said no soldiers were missing.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen huddled in an emergency meeting with government and military chiefs to determine a response to the fighting around the monument, a source of tension between the two southeast Asian nations for more than a century.

The site is 600 km (370 miles) east of Bangkok and few foreign tourists venture there, especially after the tension of recent months.

The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962 but it failed to determine ownership of 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub next to the ruins.

This small parcel of land became highly politicized in July when the Thai anti-government movement adopted it as a cause, whipping up a torrent of nationalism.

Within days, 2,000 soldiers were facing off in trenches dug into a hillside that until 10 years ago was under the control of remnants of the Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot's guerrilla army.

"The Thai military are very much under pressure to protect the national sovereignty and territory," Panitan Wattanayagorn, a military analyst at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University said.

However, he also said that Hun Sen, a wily former Khmer Rouge soldier, was just as likely to be trying to steal a march against his larger neighbor in the middle of its political turmoil.

ACCUSATIONS FLY

Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat urged Thais in Cambodia to leave at once, mindful of the 2003 torching of the embassy and Thai businesses in Phnom Penh by a nationalist mob incensed by a row over Angkor Wat, another ancient temple.

"Thai businessmen who have no need to be in Cambodia now, please rush back to Thailand," he told reporters, adding that the military had an evacuation plan ready if needed.

In 2003, Thai commandos flew into Phnom Penh airport in the middle of the night to help evacuate 600 Thais during the riots.

Security was beefed up outside the embassy, with 20 military police armed with assault rifles standing guard.

As with other less serious clashes along the border in the past four months, each side accused the other of aggression.

On Monday, Hun Sen said a small group of Thai soldiers had strayed onto Cambodian soil and he threatened to turn the area into a "death zone" unless they withdrew by midday on Tuesday.

The Thai stock market ended down 3.8 percent and traders said the border clash was partly responsible.

Singapore and Indonesia have asked both sides to show restraint.

(Additional reporting by Ek Madra and Nopporn Wong-Anan)

(Writing by Ed Cropley; Editing by Alan Raybould and David Fox)

Businesses wary in Cambodia

Bangkok Post
Thursday October 16, 2008

Thais urged to leave as border clash erupts

Thai businesses have put their Cambodian operations on full alert after troops of both countries exchanged gunfire and rocket fire along the border near the disputed Preah Vihear temple, leaving at least one soldier dead.

Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat yesterday urged Thai nationals in Cambodia to leave at once, and said the military had an evacuation plan if needed.

Leading companies including Siam Cement, Siam Commercial Bank and the CP Group have put their Cambodian offices on high alert in case tensions worsen.

Pramon Sutivong, the chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said many businesses have already ordered their staff to leave the country.

He said tourism and the border trade would likely be affected by the conflict, adding to the already poor sentiment in the country.

"It's too early to talk about the impact from the incident. It all depends on whether the violence intensifies and tensions are prolonged," Mr Pramon said.

The International Court of Justice awarded jurisdiction of the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but disputes flared anew earlier this year over land near the ruins.

Santi Vilassakdanont, the chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, said it was contacting member companies for updates on the situation.

He expressed hope for a quick and peaceful resolution, noting that past incidents, while affecting border trade, rarely affected Thai businesses operating deeper in Cambodia.

"I hope the Foreign Ministry will be able to negotiate and solve the conflict. Bilateral conflicts are not new, they've been going on forever. I think we can find a compromise," Mr Santi said.

The last serious incident between the two countries came in 2003, when Cambodian rioters burned the Thai embassy and businesses in Phnom Penh. They were outraged by comments erroneously attributed to a Thai actress that the Angkor ruins belonged to Thailand.

Siam Cement, the country's largest industrial conglomerate, yesterday evacuated all 20 of its Thai executives from the country.

"Our staff's safety comes first. We booked plane tickets for all Thai staff as soon as we heard about the situation," said Matana Leongnarktongdee, SCG corporate communication director.

SCG has $130 million worth of business interests in the country, including Kampot Cement Co, located 148 km southwest of Phnom Penh and producing one million tonnes of cement per year. The group's Cementhai SCT (Cambodia) trading firm sells CPAC concrete products in the capital.

The Thai telecom company Samart Corp tightened security in Cambodia and put its staff on alert for evacuation.

Samart president Watchai Vilailuck said Cambodian authorities themselves had raised the threat level to between yellow and red, indicating the seriousness of the situation. Cambodia maintains a three-level warning scale for foreign investors, with red being the most serious.

Samart operates three joint ventures in Cambodia: Cambodia Air Traffic, which oversees air traffic control in the country; Kampot Power Plant, a power supplier to SCG's cement plant; and a museum.

Mr Watchai said Samart employed 10 Thai executives in Cambodia.

"Business is still normal, but we are monitoring the situation closely. We're ready to move in if the situation gets worse," he said.

A CP Group spokesman said the agribusiness giant had yet to withdraw its 27 Thai staff but asked them to stay in touch with the embassy in Phnom Penh.

Siam Commercial Bank also said operations at its four branches in the country remained normal.

"Our branches were open as normal, although business transactions were down," said Ongorn Abhakorn Na Ayuthaya, an SCB executive vice-president. The bank has branches in Phnom Penh, Battambang, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville under the name Cambodian Commercial Bank.

Thai officials and businessmen said that while most business ventures were unlikely to be disrupted, small businesses and traders along the border would certainly suffer.

According to the Foreign Trade Department, Thai exports to Cambodia totalled 33 billion baht for the year to August, up 58.7% from the same period last year. Imports were up 157% to 2.06 billion baht.

Key Thai exports to Cambodia include fuel oil, sugar, motorcycles, automobiles and machines, while imports include maize, iron, aluminium poles and copper. Thailand ranks third among Cambodia's trading partners, after Vietnam and China, and is also the third-largest foreign investor in the country after Korea and Japan.

But official trade statistics do not capture an additional 30 billion baht in border trade each year.

Niyom Waiyaratchapanich, the chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce committee on neighbouring country trade promotion, called on all parties to end the conflict quickly.

"If it is prolonged and intensifies with a nationalistic tone, then Thai businesses in Cambodia will be seriously affected," he said.

Mr Niyom said that given the tensions, bilateral trade was expected to miss the target of 60 billion baht for the year.

"Thai investment projects will probably be most affected. We think contract farming projects by Thai companies will likely be delayed by the conflict."

The CP Group had earlier announced plans to support a two-million-rai contract farming programme for maize. Smaller companies also have contract farming agreements for maize, cassava and soybeans with Cambodian farmers.

"We's afraid that [Cambodian farmers] won't be able to bring in their crops to the country," Mr Niyom said.

Executives of Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways said flights between the two countries were operating normally.

"At the moment, our flight operations remain unchanged and our records show no sign of a drop in passengers with 70% of seats filled," said Krittaphon Chantalitanon, THAI's director for Thailand, Indochina and Burma.

THAI operates two flights a day between Bangkok and Phnom Penh. Bangkok Airways has two daily flights between the two capitals and five flights between Bangkok and Siem Reap.

Picture from Preah Vihear

The CAAI's team, would like to pay our respect to those soldier who lost their lifes and wounded to denfence our country from the Thai invasion. You are our HERO and we will remember and learn from what you have done to our country. May lord buddha be with you and blessing you all.

A border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand erupted into a gunbattle that killed two Cambodian soldiers near Preah Vihear temple. The fighting ended after about an hour. Each side accused the other of firing the first shot; officials from both sides downplayed the violence and called for a peaceful resolution.October 15, 2008

Cambodian troops sit near the body of a comrade at Sekha Kirisvarak pagoda near the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh October 15, 2008. The soldier died after Thai and Cambodian troops fired rockets and small arms at each other on a disputed stretch of border on Wednesday.REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODIA)

A Cambodian solider looks at Thai weapons after fighting at Sekha Kirisvarak pagoda near the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh October 15, 2008. Thai and Cambodian troops fired rockets and small arms at each other on a disputed stretch of border on Wednesday, killing two Cambodians and prompting Bangkok to tell its citizens to return home.REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODIA)

Arrested Thai soldiers, wearing black, sit with Cambodian soldiers after the firefight. In addition to the two Cambodian soldiers killed, three were injured, and five Thai soldiers were injured.October 15, 2008

Thai troops sit after surrendering at Sekha Kirisvarak pagoda near the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh October 15, 2008. Cambodia's army captured 10 Thai soldiers on Wednesday after a battle along a disputed stretch of border near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said.REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODIA)

Cambodian soldiers fight from a trench near Engel field near the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh October 15, 2008. Thai and Cambodian troops fired rockets and small arms at each other on a disputed stretch of border on Wednesday, killing two Cambodians and prompting Bangkok to tell its citizens to return home.REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODIA)

An armored vehicle drives past Anlong Veng, Cambodia, near the Thai border, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008. A tense border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia erupted into a gunbattle that killed two soldiers Wednesday, but officials from both sides downplayed the violence and called for resolving the conflict through talks, not bullets.(AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Cambodian villagers, seen, leaving Anlong Veng, Cambodia, near the Thai border, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008. A tense border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia erupted into a gunbattle that killed two soldiers Wednesday, but officials from both sides downplayed the violence and called for resolving the conflict through talks, not bullets.(AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Cambodia - News : fighting in Preah Vihear - 15.10.2008

Govt urges restraint in Thai-Cambodian border clashes

A Cambodian commander talks on a two-way radio after fighting broke out with Thai soldiers

LONDON (AFP) — The government urged both Thailand and Cambodia to exercise restraint on Wednesday after the two countries exchanged gunfire along their border.

"I am concerned to hear reports of fighting on the border between Thailand and Cambodia," junior foreign minister Bill Rammell said in a statement.

"I urge both sides to exercise restraint and take immediate steps to ease tension and find a peaceful solution to this dispute, through bilateral discussions."

Britain also amended its travel advice on the two countries, recommending that its citizens avoided all travel to the border region.

Earlier Wednesday, Thailand and Cambodia traded fire on the border in a clash over disputed land which left two soldiers dead and several wounded, officials said.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said two of his country's soldiers were killed and two wounded in the clashes, which erupted sporadically for more than two hours before tapering off.

Cambodia and Thailand have been sparring over the land since July and tensions mounted this week after talks on Monday failed and about 80 Thai troops entered a disputed area, enraging Cambodia.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon called on "both parties to exercise utmost restraint and urges them to expedite bilateral talks so that their differences can be resolved peacefully," according to a statement issued by his spokeswoman.

Thailand, Cambodia clash over temple

Cambodian soldiers stand guard during the firefight, which flared after four months of tension over the Preah Vihear temple. Thailand has objected to Cambodia's demands to have the temple declared a U.N. World Heritage site.
October 15, 2008

Cambodian children wait on a truck, prepared to leave their house, near Preah Vihear temple in Cambodia. Sovereignty over the land surrounding the temple has never been clearly established.
October 15, 2008

Thai soldiers on a military truck drive to the front line after clashes with Cambodian troops.
October 15, 2008

Thai soldiers prepare their artillery at a base near the Thai-Cambodian border after the gunbattle. Both countries' governments urged a peaceful resolution to the border conflict, downplaying the violence.
October 15, 2008

Comrades take an injured Thai soldier to a helicopter during clashes with Cambodian forces. Resurgent Thai nationalism in Bangkok has intensified the border tensions.
October 15, 2008

The real reasons behind the clash between Cambodia and Thailand

Photo taken on the Preah Vihear temple site by "Pixellent".

The Observers

15/10/2008

Cambodia and Thailand are verging on war. It's thought that the bordering countries are fighting over a lost temple in the deep forest. Our Observer in Phnom Penh tells us what's really at stake.

Around the ancient Preah Vihear temple today, gunshots between Cambodian and Thai soldiers can be heard. Tensions between the countries have grown steadily worse over the past few months, until Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen threatened on Monday to turn the area into "a life and death battle zone".

"The temple is just a smokescreen for wider problems"

Sok Phay Sean studied international relations in Singapore. He currently lives in Phnom Penh.

"This conflict isn't as simple as it seems. In 1962, the United Nations International Court of Justice decided that the Preah Vihear temple belongs to Cambodia. But the temple is not really the real problem. What the Thai refuse to recognise, is the whole map of the region drawn up by the UN.

In effect there are two maps. One of them, dated 1904, was the basis of an agreement between France and Siam [former name of Thailand]. That one benefits the Thai. But there's also another, drawn up three years later by the French, which was used for the 1962 UN map. The question is: which of the two maps is correct? It's very important because 27,000km2 of ground rich in natural resources, particularly gas, changes hands depending on the border. So the temple is just a smokescreen for wider problems.

Between 1993 and 2003 relations between Thailand and Cambodia were good. But everything went downhill after there was a rumour going round in Phnom Penh that the Thai wanted to claim Angkor Wat, our most famous temple. Who knows where the rumour came from, but it had to find its way up to the political circles in Cambodia. At that time, in 2003, Thai businesses had quite a hold in Cambodia. It's possible that Hun Sen wanted to make Vietnamese integration a more favourable idea - as he has strong links with that country - by creating an anti-Thai feeling.

In general Cambodian people think that the conflict was started by the Thai military, and that fuels their nationalism. In my opinion, I think that an external mediator is needed. France, for example, could play a role, because Cambodia was one of their colonies and it was France that drew up the frontier agreements in 1904 and 1907. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations also needs to intervene, to avoid both countries launching military offensives on each other."

Cambodia wages diplomatic campaign after border dispute with Thailand

www.chinaview.cn

2008-10-15

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian government is launching a wide-ranging diplomatic campaign to solicit international support after the border dispute with Thailand, in which two Cambodian soldiers were killed two others injured in the border area on Wednesday.

The government has asked its ambassador to UN to inform the Security Council about the conflict, said Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Namhong at a press conference held at his ministry.

Cambodia is also seeking all other diplomatic means to solve its months-long confrontation with Thailand over border issues, he said.

The ministry has summoned all foreign ambassadors stationed here, except the one from Thailand, telling them about the two-hour gunfire exchange between Cambodia and Thailand, which started around 2:15 p.m. local time (0715 GMT) at their common border area, about 2,000 meters west of the ancient Preah Vihear Temple, according to the minister.

"I just told the ambassadors about the armed clash with Thailand. I told them clearly that we kept our maximum restraints up to now, but we have the right of self-defense and proper response for the matter," he said.

Actually, "we want to have peaceful deal to settle the matter," he added.

In addition, the minister confirmed that both countries will conduct regional military meeting Thursday in Thailand.

"The Royal Government of Cambodia wishes to reiterate its firm commitment to exercising its utmost restraints and to negotiating and working closely with Thailand to avoid large-scale armed hostilities between the two countries," he added.

"Thai troops shot first and Cambodia has the right of defending its own territory," he said, adding that the situation is normal now at the border area.

Meanwhile, during the clash, the Cambodian troops caught 10 Thai soldiers and have provided food for them in accordance with the order of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, the minister said.

"We will hand over the detainees to Thailand, if they request us to do so," he added.

Earlier Wednesday afternoon, the Cambodian Council of Ministers issued a statement, saying that "On Oct. 15, 2008, at 0215 p.m., Thai troops attacked the Cambodian troops at three different places deep inside the Cambodian territory."

The statement also specified the places where the attacks were conducted, namely Phnom Trap about 1,600 meters from the border, Pagoda Keo Sikha Kiri Svara about 700 meters from the border, and the Veal Intry area about 1,120 meters from the border, all in the Cambodian territory.

In July, tensions ran high after the ancient Preah Vihear Temple was awarded world heritage status by UNESCO, angering nationalists in Thailand who still claim ownership of the site.

The tension later turned into a military stalemate, in which up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops faced off for six weeks. In mid-August, most troops withdrew and only a few dozen soldiers stationed near the temple.

Bilateral talks to discuss withdrawing troops from around the temple were postponed late August amid political turmoil in Thailand.

In October, at least one Cambodian soldier and two Thai troops were wounded during an exchange of gunfire and two other Thai soldiers were seriously injured after stepping on a landmine at the border area.

Editor: Mu Xuequan

Cambodia says ASEAN is partisan with Thailand as chair (3rd Roundup)

M&C Asia-Pacific News
Oct 15, 2008

Phnom Penh - Cambodia said Wednesday that it was forced to bypass the 10-member Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a mediator in a violent border dispute with neighbouring Thailand because the Thais currently held the chair, making it partial.

At a press conference with Foreign Minister Hor Namhong broadcast on national television, and to which most foreign diplomats to Cambodia were summoned, Hor Namhong again alleged Cambodia was being provoked and said it would seek an impartial international mediator.

'Thailand is the current chair of the ASEAN,' Hor Namhong said, announcing that without drastic changes, Cambodia would go to a higher international body for a resolution because of that.

ASEAN nations rotate the chair annually and Thailand, the current chair, is scheduled to host the bloc's summit in December.

Cambodia last month questioned Thailand's suitablility as chair owing to ongoing political instability and bilateral border tensions.

Hor Namhong also raised the official death toll of Cambodian troops at a border shoot-out earlier in the day to two from just one, and said two Cambodians were also wounded.

'Thailand started (the border dispute). Cambodia will continue it if necessary,' he told journalists. 'Cambodia will continue to use the utmost restraint but reserves the right to self defense.'

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Tuesday he would go to war rather than allow what Cambodia believes is sovereign territory and Thailand maintains is disputed to be violated.

Cambodia said Wdnesday's shootout occurred about 2 kilometres away from Phreah Vihear, an 11th Century Hindu temple that has been disputed by the two neighbouring countries for decades.

A similar skirmish occurred at the same site on October 3 that left two Thai soldiers and one Cambodian wounded.

Thai residents along the border have been told to evacuate in case of an escalation in the fighting, according to local media reports, and Cambodian authorities said all local residents had also fled.

Land adjacent to the temple compound, including its main entrance on the Thai side, has been claimed by both countries.

The border conflict was calmed in August when both sides agreed to settle the matter through bilateral talks held by a joint border committee but those talks have since stalled amid Thailand's chaotic domestic political situation.

Cambodia to inform UN about weapon clash with Thailand

People's Daily Online
October 15, 2008

The Cambodian government has told its ambassador to UN to inform the U.N. about Wednesday's "weapon clash" between Cambodian and Thai troops, said a senior official.

Cambodia is still seeking for all diplomatic means to solve its months-long confrontation with Thailand over border issues, said Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Namhong at a press conference held at his ministry.

Two Cambodian soldiers were killed and two others wounded during Wednesday's two-hour gunfire exchange between Cambodia and Thailand, which started around 2:25 p.m. local time (0725 GMT) near the Phnom Trap in the Veal Intry area, about 2,000 meters west of the ancient Preah Vihear Temple, according to the minister.

He said that he didn't know about the casualty of the Thai side, but believed that they were hurt far more seriously.

According to Thai army spokesman Sansern Kaeowkamnerd, four Thai troops were injured and one Cambodian soldier was killed during a clash between troops from the two countries along Thai-Cambodia border on Wednesday afternoon.

"Thai troops shot first and Cambodia has the right of defending its own territory," the Cambodian minister said, adding that the situation is normal now at the border area.

During the clash that occurred at three places, the Cambodian troops caught 10 Thai soldiers and have provided food for them, he said.

"We will hand over the detainees to Thailand, if they request us to do so," he added.

In addition, the minister confirmed that both countries will conduct regional military meeting Thursday in Thailand.

Earlier Wednesday afternoon, the Cambodian Council of Ministersissued a statement, saying that "On Oct. 15, 2008, at 0215 p.m., Thai troops attacked the Cambodian troops at three different places deep inside the Cambodian territory."

The statement also specified the places where the attacks were conducted.

In July, tensions ran high after the ancient Preah Vihear Temple was awarded world heritage status by UNESCO, angering nationalists in Thailand who still claim ownership of the site.

The tension later turned into a military stalemate, in which upto 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops faced off for six weeks. In mid-August, most troops evacuated and just a few dozen soldiers stationed near the temple.

Bilateral talks to discuss withdrawing troops from around the temple were postponed late August amid political turmoil in Thailand.

In October at the border area, at least one Cambodian soldier and two Thai troops were wounded during an exchange of gunfire, and two other Thai soldiers were seriously injured after stepping on a landmine.

Source: Xinhua

Fighting at Thai-Cambodia border kills 2 soldiers

By KER MUNTHIT
Associated Press Writer
Wed Oct 15, 2008

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - A gunfight broke out Wednesday between Thai and Cambodian troops at a disputed border zone near a landmark 11th-century temple, killing two Cambodian soldiers and escalating a conflict that has raised fears of war between the neighboring countries.

They were the first deaths in four months of fighting — the latest flare-up in a decades-long dispute over a contested stretch of jungle near the Preah Viheara temple. The World Court awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but sovereignty over some surrounding land has never been clearly resolved.

Cambodian army commander Brig. Gen. Yim Pim said fighting had "paused" in the afternoon and commanders were trying to negotiate a cease-fire. Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said the two countries' foreign ministers were talking. Both sides said they wanted a peaceful resolution.

"Cambodia is a good neighbor. We will use peaceful means. If there is violence, we have to negotiate," he said.

The clash came a day after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen issued an ultimatum to Thailand to pull back its soldiers from the disputed territory.

Tensions flared anew on July 15 after UNESCO approved Cambodia's bid to have the Preah Vihear temple named a World Heritage Site, sparking fears in Thailand that its claims over the nearby land would be undermined.

Cambodia deployed about 800 troops to the border after the UNESCO decision, and Thailand sent some 400 soldiers. Both sides pulled back most of their troops in late August, but the conflict flared again recently.

Both countries accused the other of firing first in Wednesday's clash. It was not immediately clear how many troops were involved.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said two of its soldiers were killed and two were wounded in fighting near temple that lasted less than an hour. Thai army spokesman Sansern Kaewkumnerd said five Thai soldiers were wounded.

Hor Namhong said 10 Thai soldiers has surrendered, were being well-treated, and would be returned to Thailand.

A Thai army spokesman said the military did not want to see the situation deteriorate further.

"The Thai army will defend itself but the army commander has emphasized that we will not react disproportionately, which may exacerbate the problem," said army spokesman Sansern Kaewkumnerd. "We have reinforced our troops but from an initial assessment, the army believes the situation is now under control."

Thailand's Foreign Ministry said it had prepared aircraft if an evacuation of Thai citizens in Cambodia was ordered.

"We are ready for an evacuation if necessary, but right now, there has been no order to evacuate," said ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat. He said there were about 1,000 Thais in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, and 500 Thais in the city of Siem Reap.

Earlier Wednesday, Thailand put fighter jets on alert at air force bases nationwide and C-130 transport planes on standby at a base in the capital, Bangkok, that could evacuate Thais living in the border area "if the tension escalates to a military confrontation," Thai air force official Group Capt. Montol Satchukorn said.

"Our forces are on alert and ready to support the army's possible operations on the border," Montol told The Associated Press. "These are just precautionary measures. It's not that we are going to war."

Cambodia's deputy defense minister, Gen. Neang Phat, said, "We remain on alert and have readied our forces adequately to protect our territory."

A brief gunfight broke out between the sides earlier this month, with one Cambodian and two Thai soldiers wounded. Both sides claimed the other fired first and blamed each other for being on the wrong side of the border. Three days later, two Thai soldiers lost legs when they stepped on land mines in the area.
___

Associated Press Writers Jocelyn Gecker and Ambika Ahuja in Bangkok, Thailand contributed to this report.

Two soldiers killed in border fight

The Press Association

Two Cambodian soldiers have been killed in a border gun battle with Thai troops.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said that in addition to the two dead, two others had been wounded in fighting near a landmark 11th-century temple that lasted less than an hour.

Thai army spokesman Sansern Kaewkumnerd said five Thai soldiers were wounded, two fewer than earlier reported.

Cambodian army commander Brigadier General Yim Pim said fighting had "paused", and that commanders on the ground from both sides were trying to negotiate a ceasefire.

Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said the two countries' foreign ministers were talking to try to resolve the crisis.

The Thai army also stated its desire to end the dispute peacefully.

Both sides said the other fired first. It was not immediately clear how many troops were engaged in the shooting.

Hor Namhong said 10 Thai soldiers has surrendered, were being well-treated, and would be returned to Thailand, though he did not specify when.

The clash came a day after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen issued an ultimatum to Thailand to pull back its soldiers from disputed territory near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple.

The fighting was the latest flare-up in a decades-long dispute over a contested stretch of jungle near the Preah Vihear temple. The World Court awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but sovereignty over some surrounding land has never been clearly resolved.

Cambodia says it has captured 10 Thai soldiers

Cambodia's army captured 10 Thai soldiers on Wednesday after a battle along a disputed stretch of border near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said.

Wednesday, 15 October 2008

Cambodia's army captured 10 Thai soldiers on Wednesday after a battle along a disputed stretch of border near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said.

"The Prime Minister has ordered that the 10 soldiers be treated well," he told a news conference in Phnom Penh, adding that the prisoners would be returned to Thailand if Bangkok requested.

Reuters

Cambodia claims Thailand violated airspace (Extra)

M&C Asia-Pacific News
Oct 15, 2008

Phnom Penh - Thailand violated Cambodian airspace hours before a border skirmish erupted on Wednesday, Cambodian officials said.

Cambodian and Thai soldiers on Wednesday exchanged gunfire in a disputed zone near the ancient Preah Vihear temple on the Thai-Cambodian border called Eagle Field, or Eagle Terrace, 300 kilometers north of the Cambodian capital, which is an important strategic point for access to Preah Vihear. Sponsored Links:

'The Thai injuries were worse, but there were casualties on both sides,' the director-general of Cambodia's Preah Vihear authority, which oversees the site, said by telephone.

'The Thai fighter jet came 8:50 am and again at 10.07 am to disturb our airspace. Cambodian soldiers wanted to fight then, but they were placated for a while.

'I do not know why fighting happened at 2.15 until 3.30 pm because I was not there,' the head of Cambodia's Preah Vihear authority, Hang Soth, said by telephone from a meeting in Phnom Penh. Sponsored Links:

He said there were casualties on both sides, but that the Thai side had borne the brunt of duel M-79, B-40 and AK-47 exchanges.

Cambodian authorities said all civilians had fled the area and it was now regarded by both sides as a conflict zone.

The Wednesday shoot-out at Eagle Terrage is important to the ongoing dispute over the Preah Vihear temple because whoever controls that area controls access to the temple, which is sacred to both sides. Sponsored Links:

A similar clash at the same site on October 3 left two Thai soldiers and one Cambodian wounded.

Singapore very disturbed by Thai-Cambodian border situation

Thai soldiers set-up artillery guns on the Thai-Cambodian border

Channel Asia News
15 October 2008

SINGAPORE: Responding to media queries on the exchange of fire between troops at the Thai-Cambodia border, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the republic is very disturbed by the turn of events.

A ministry spokesman said Singapore reiterated its call for both parties to exercise utmost restraint in the broader interests of the region, and urged both sides to resolve their differences through further negotiations.

Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged fire along the border on Wednesday, killing two Cambodian soldiers, as a dispute over land near an ancient temple turned deadly.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said that two of his country's soldiers were killed and two others wounded in the clashes, which erupted sporadically for more than two hours before tapering off.

Lieutenant General Wiboonsak Neeparn, the army commander for northeastern Thailand, said that five Thai soldiers were wounded.

Gunfights broke out in the afternoon in a number of small patches of disputed land just a few kilometres away from the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, a UN World Heritage site which is on Cambodian territory.

Cambodia and Thailand have been sparring over land near the temple since July, and tensions soared this week after talks on Monday failed and about 80 Thai troops entered a disputed area, enraging Cambodia.

- AFP/CNA/ls

Thai soldiers set-up heavy artillery near the border with Cambodia. Thailand and Cambodia exchanged fire in a clash over disputed land which left two soldiers dead and several wounded.(AFP/Str)

Yahoo News
Wed Oct 15, 2008

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - At least two Cambodian soldiers have been killed in fighting with Thai troops in a disputed area on their border.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said that in addition to the two dead, two were wounded in a gun battle with Thai troops that lasted less than an hour on Wednesday near the landmark Preah Vihear temple.

Maj. Prum Saroeun said about 20 Thai troops were taken prisoner. The claims could not be independently confirmed.

Thai army spokesman Sansern Kaewkumnerd said five Thai soldiers were wounded.

The gunfight escalated a conflict that officials from both sides fear could result in a war between the neighbors.

Thai-Cambodia border situation back to normal, says Thai PM

Channel News Asia
15 October 2008

BANGKOK - Thailand's premier said Wednesday the situation has returned to normal after fighting broke out on the border with Cambodia and insisted Thai troops did not start the exchange.

Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said fighting in disputed patches of land near the ancient Preah Vihear temple on the Thai-Cambodian border was "small scale", and said they had now subsided.

"We are not the ones who ignited the violence," Somchai told reporters.

"The situation has returned to normal now and this evening the foreign ministry will hand over an aide memoir to a Cambodian diplomat," he said.

"It is not serious and I am convinced there will be resolution," he added.

Thailand's army spokesman has said one Cambodian soldier was killed and four Thai troops were injured in Wednesday's clashes, which came after a days of tension between the neighbours.

Cambodian army officials have insisted that Thai troops fired first after they strayed into Cambodian territory.

Tensions between the neighbours flared this week after failed talks on Monday aimed at cooling a months-long stand off over land near Preah Vihear.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen then issued an ultimatum to the Thai side to leave or risk conflict after he accused more than 80 Thai soldiers of entering one of a handful of disputed areas.

- AFP /ls

Fighting stops, one Cambodian soldier killed, 4 Thais injured

BANGKOK, Oct 15 (TNA) – Wednesday’s firefight between Thai and Cambodia soldiers has stopped, a senior Cambodian official said, while a Thai army spokesman reported that one Cambodian soldier was killed and four Thai soldiers were wounded.

The Associated Press quoted Cambodian army commander Brig. Gen. Yim Pim as saying that the fighting ``has paused.'' A Cambodian army official said both sides were trying to negotiate a cease-fire and talks were underway. Reuters reported two Cambodian soldiers were wounded in a brief firefight.

One Cambodian soldier was killed and four Thais were injured in the fighting over a disputed land near the Thai-Cambodia border, said the Thai army spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong talked to his Thai counterpart by telephone on Wednesday morning. Both sides expressed regret over the border row and confirmed to adopt a peaceful means to end the dispute.

Thailand and Cambodia will hold bilateral talks to end the border row, said Thai foreign minister Sompong Amornvivat. He said he would seek approval of an operational framework under the Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC) from the cabinet.

Department of Information director-general and Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said he was informed by the Thai military that small arms and rocket propelled grenades were used in the clash between Thai and Cambodian soldiers. Mr. Tharit said that Thai soldiers confirmed that they would not begin any shooting, but they are prepared to counterattack to defend themselves under Article 51 of the UN charter.

Mr. Tharit added that the permanent secretary for foreign affairs would meet with the Cambodian charge d'affaires on Wednesday evening to lodge a protest note to Cambodia about the firefight.

He said prompt evacuation depends on the situation. According to the spokesman, there are about 1,000 Thai nationals in Phnom Penh and about 500 Thais in Siem Reap. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is cooperating with Thai Airways to prepare for possible evacuation, he said adding three flights can be arranged in a day. (TNA)