Thai villagers training to defend their homeland

In the wake of the Thai-Cambodian border skirmish near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, village defence volunteers in Thailand’s border province of Si Sa Ket have undergone basic military training to help guard their villages. These men in Phumsarol, a small village in Kantharak district, are practicing their basic military lessons, to provide security for their village following the October 15 firefight on the Thai-Cambodian border. These defence volunteers have been trained by Thai Second Region Army officials. They learn how to use weapons, to patrol around the disputed area, and to report the latest situation to the military. "We are backed up by these extra teams of volunteers. We give them advice. If there is something unusual, they will immediately inform us," said Chief of Public Relations at the Second Region Army, Second Lieutenant Chainarong Prayoonkam. This is not the first time these residents in Phumsarol village, bordering Cambodia, have taken on defensive action to protect their community and sovereignty. Back in the 1960s, some were trained during the Communist insurgency in Thailand and also the fighting among Khmer Rouge and other factions in Cambodia more than 20 years ago. One volunteer involved in this mission expressed his feelings toward the latest military confrontation. "I think the ferocity of violence on Oct 15 was less severe than the fighting in the period of the Cambodia Civil War in the 1970s and the stream of communism in Thailand. The villagers are panicking less," said Pling Mathong, village defence volunteer at Phumsarol village. Although the latest skirmish along the border of the neighbouring countries seems less violent compared to the past, the people of the two countries still hope their leaders can find a peaceful solution to end the dispute soon.