Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong gestures during a press conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Saturday, June 20, 2009. Cambodia on Saturday reacted with repeated comments made by top Thai government officials over the complaint to withdraw Preah Vihear temple from World Heritage site.
PHNOM PENH (AFP) — Cambodia on Saturday rebuked Thailand for reopening a debate over an ancient temple on their disputed border that has led to seven soldiers being killed.
High-ranking Thai officials this week asked world heritage body UNESCO to reconsider its decision to formally list the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, as ownership of land surrounding the ruins is still in dispute.
Soldiers from Cambodia and Thailand continue to patrol the area and occasional outbreaks of violence between them have triggered gunbattles that have killed seven troops in the past year.
But Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters that soldiers would be ready to defend their land again if necessary.
"Cambodia welcomes Thailand militarily, diplomatically, internationally or through peaceful negotiations," Hor Namhong said.
"(But) it (border fighting) has happened twice... (so) if they want to send their troops to Cambodia a third time, we will welcome them too," he said.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva made a one-day visit to Cambodia last week in an attempt to push forward border talks, but his subsequent comments only appear to have reignited the dispute.
"I heard that the second Thai commander on the border put his troops on alert and I'd like to tell them that Cambodian soldiers are also on alert," Hor Namhong added.
Cambodia and Thailand have been at loggerheads over the land around the Preah Vihear temple for decades, but tensions spilled over into violence last July when the temple was granted UN World Heritage status.
The border between the two countries has never been fully demarcated, in part because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia.
6 comments:
I think if UNESCO were to unlist the temple as WORLD HERITAGE. then the thai will put full war against cambodia or they just replicate preah vihear on the thai side. the thai do get bully and tricky. if this were true. i think we should invade thialand. Malaysia from the south,loas from the north,and burma from the west and so on. etc,etc....
don't believe the thai words any more. we should grab that temple and land and gave thai a finger from now on. if they step one inch in our land we should kill them like rabbits.
Hor Namhong's tough talk should be employed since the beginning of the conflict when Thai sent their troops to invade Khmer territories. But his tough talk now is also welcome. this is crystal clear message to Thailand. But Namhong's tough talk must be followed with real actions.
21 June 2009 12:27 AM
Have you been following this issue at all dude? Hor Namhong has always issue a stern warning to Thailand before the last two clashes. Like the one at Eagle field. He said that we would fire if they kept coming there, two days later, boom. Then, after the clash. Thai always comes around for a talk again.
I think Thailand is trying to test our will. If we're say put, they'll wore themselves out and go away eventually. It's better to be a defender than invader. Invaders will always go home eventually.
Cambodia does not have the capability to invade Thailand or Vietnam, Laos may be.
The Cambodian leaders, especially Hun Sen and Hor Namhong, have flip-flopped many times in regard to Preah Vihear issue. Before they were so vocal and loud about bringing the case to the UN, Asean and international court, but they later changed their mind.
Indonesia and Malaysia offered to help mediate the issue but Hun Sen refused the offer. Now we are by our own and the Thai took advantage of us in every way- on the grounds and on the negotiation tables.
Can you tell me if preah vihear is in the middle of Thailand and Cambo? i need for my project
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