Map from the 1962 court's verdict. Areas above the yellow line is Thailand and below the yellow line is Cambodia. Red stars with arrows are spots where the clashes occurred.(Unofficial translation by Khmerization)
Kingdom of Cambodia Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
Press Release
The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation of the Kingdom of Cambodia wishes to inform national and international public opinion about the events that happened in the Preah Vihear areas as follow:
-On the 2nd of April 2009, one Thai soldier stepped on a landmine at Veal Entry which is located 500 metres deep inside Cambodian territory. After the incident (explosion), a group of Thai troops moved toward the incident scene, but was stopped by a group of Cambodian soldiers. The Cambodian troops requested the Thai troops to withdraw from the spot and both sides agreed to meet again at 9 am the next day as the Thai side had promised that they will return to the areas unarmed.
-But at 6:40 am on the 3rd of April 2009, Cambodian troops saw a group of heavily-armed Thai soldiers entering the Cambodian territories. And at 7:12 am, those Thai soldiers had launched an attack on the Cambodian soldiers for about 7-8 minutes at Veal Entry and at the spot where the mine had exploded. The two Thai encroachments on the same day is a blatant violation of the agreement agreed upon by both sides on 2nd April 2009. And for both encroachments, the Thai side did not inform the Cambodian side as they had promised.
-At 11:45 am on 3rd April 2009, there was a meeting between the Cambodian and Thai sides at Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak pagoda. Both sides had agreed to resolve the issue peacefully and with the utmost restraints. At 2 pm, Thai troops had launched another attack on the Cambodian side at Veal Entry which lasted for about 35 minutes.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation wishes to inform the national as well as international public opinion that:
-The location where the mine had exploded was situated at Ta Sem area of Veal Entry at border point VA649307 which is situated inside Cambodia, according to the 1908 map and the treaty of 1904 that both sides had agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding of 2000. Furthermore, it is well known that those landmines had been planted during the three decades of the Cambodian civil war and which have not been cleared yet.
-The locations of the armed clashes on 3rd April 2009 in Phnom Trop at border point VA6392, at Ta Sem, at Veal Entry and in front of the Preah Vihear temple are territories that are wholly under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Through these armed clashes, the Thai side had fired DK 12.7 rocket launchers, B40 rocket launchers, M79 rocket launchers and other automatic weapons which have destroyed the headquarter of the Preah Vihear Authority which is located inside the Preah Vihear temple compound and the large staircases in front of the temple had been hit by bullets and rockets. The market on the staircases of the temple had been burnt down and many rounds of shells had landed near the Preah Vihear temple. In exercising a self-defence and in defence of the Cambodian territorial integrity, no Cambodian troops had been wounded or killed as have been reported by the media.
The government of Cambodia greatly regrets that Thai troops had repeatedly continued to invade the same spots, ie: Ta Sem, Veal entry, Phnom Trop and area in front of the Preah Vihear temple which forced the Royal Cambodian Forces, in exercising self-defence, to fight back in order to protect the Cambodian territorial integrity, national sovereignty and the Cambodian national heritage which had already become the world heritage. As always, Thai troops had encroached into the territories of the Kingdom of Cambodia by using the borderlines unilaterally drawn by Thailand which has no legal basis.
The Royal Government of Cambodia strongly believes that all border issues and incidents must be resolved through negotiations. Cambodian had shown goodwill and utmost restraint in the search for a peaceful resolution to the border problems with Thailand through bilateral mechanism. However, Cambodia reserves the rights to self-defence as well as the rights to resolutely protect her territorial integrity. Cambodia hopes that Thailand has the same goodwill which can lead to a pernament and a quick end of the border conflicts between the two countries.
Royal Capital of Phnom Penh, 3rd April 2009
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
Kingdom of Cambodia Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
Press Release
The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation of the Kingdom of Cambodia wishes to inform national and international public opinion about the events that happened in the Preah Vihear areas as follow:
-On the 2nd of April 2009, one Thai soldier stepped on a landmine at Veal Entry which is located 500 metres deep inside Cambodian territory. After the incident (explosion), a group of Thai troops moved toward the incident scene, but was stopped by a group of Cambodian soldiers. The Cambodian troops requested the Thai troops to withdraw from the spot and both sides agreed to meet again at 9 am the next day as the Thai side had promised that they will return to the areas unarmed.
-But at 6:40 am on the 3rd of April 2009, Cambodian troops saw a group of heavily-armed Thai soldiers entering the Cambodian territories. And at 7:12 am, those Thai soldiers had launched an attack on the Cambodian soldiers for about 7-8 minutes at Veal Entry and at the spot where the mine had exploded. The two Thai encroachments on the same day is a blatant violation of the agreement agreed upon by both sides on 2nd April 2009. And for both encroachments, the Thai side did not inform the Cambodian side as they had promised.
-At 11:45 am on 3rd April 2009, there was a meeting between the Cambodian and Thai sides at Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak pagoda. Both sides had agreed to resolve the issue peacefully and with the utmost restraints. At 2 pm, Thai troops had launched another attack on the Cambodian side at Veal Entry which lasted for about 35 minutes.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation wishes to inform the national as well as international public opinion that:
-The location where the mine had exploded was situated at Ta Sem area of Veal Entry at border point VA649307 which is situated inside Cambodia, according to the 1908 map and the treaty of 1904 that both sides had agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding of 2000. Furthermore, it is well known that those landmines had been planted during the three decades of the Cambodian civil war and which have not been cleared yet.
-The locations of the armed clashes on 3rd April 2009 in Phnom Trop at border point VA6392, at Ta Sem, at Veal Entry and in front of the Preah Vihear temple are territories that are wholly under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Through these armed clashes, the Thai side had fired DK 12.7 rocket launchers, B40 rocket launchers, M79 rocket launchers and other automatic weapons which have destroyed the headquarter of the Preah Vihear Authority which is located inside the Preah Vihear temple compound and the large staircases in front of the temple had been hit by bullets and rockets. The market on the staircases of the temple had been burnt down and many rounds of shells had landed near the Preah Vihear temple. In exercising a self-defence and in defence of the Cambodian territorial integrity, no Cambodian troops had been wounded or killed as have been reported by the media.
The government of Cambodia greatly regrets that Thai troops had repeatedly continued to invade the same spots, ie: Ta Sem, Veal entry, Phnom Trop and area in front of the Preah Vihear temple which forced the Royal Cambodian Forces, in exercising self-defence, to fight back in order to protect the Cambodian territorial integrity, national sovereignty and the Cambodian national heritage which had already become the world heritage. As always, Thai troops had encroached into the territories of the Kingdom of Cambodia by using the borderlines unilaterally drawn by Thailand which has no legal basis.
The Royal Government of Cambodia strongly believes that all border issues and incidents must be resolved through negotiations. Cambodian had shown goodwill and utmost restraint in the search for a peaceful resolution to the border problems with Thailand through bilateral mechanism. However, Cambodia reserves the rights to self-defence as well as the rights to resolutely protect her territorial integrity. Cambodia hopes that Thailand has the same goodwill which can lead to a pernament and a quick end of the border conflicts between the two countries.
Royal Capital of Phnom Penh, 3rd April 2009
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
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