Photo by: Heng Chivoan
RCAF General Chea Dara holds up a map of the Thai-Cambodian border area near Preah Vihear temple during a speech Wednesday at the Council of Ministers.
ROYAL Cambodian Armed Forces deputy commander Chea Dara told an audience at the Council of Ministers on Wednesday that Cambodian troops have killed 88 Thai troops along the countries’ contentious border near Preah Vihear temple, compared with just two Cambodian troops killed by the Thais.
Speaking in front of an audience of several hundred government officials and parliamentarians, Chea Dara extolled Cambodian troops’ valour, affirming that the RCAF will defend the Kingdom against any incursion.
“I came here to talk about the triumph in which we shot and killed 38 Thai soldiers in October of 2008 and another 50 Thai soldiers in April” of 2009, Chea Dara said. “After the fight, we helped the Thai soldiers find the dead bodies of their colleagues, and they have never dared to fight again.”
Thai troops, Chea Dara added, were doomed to sustain casualties because of their poor tactics.
“The Thai soldiers were odd – they looked down on us and dared to pursue our soldiers, but we were patient when we opened fire on them because we needed to ensure stability for the national elections in July of 2008,” Chea Dara said.
Veerachon Sukondhadhpatipak, deputy spokesman of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, said he did not have exact totals at hand, but called Chea Dara’s figures on Thai casualties extremely unrealistic. News reports have cited just seven soldiers in total from both sides killed since hostilities first began in 2008.
“It’s impossible. 88? No way,” Veerachon said. He speculated that Cambodian figures had perhaps been inflated by false reports from low-level troops.
“Every time when they attack, they might want to report that they were able to do something, do the damage to the Thai soldiers,” Veerachon said. “If it is something that makes [commanders] happy, they just accept the information, regardless of if it’s true or false.”
Deputy Prime Minister Sok An congratulated the RCAF forces for bravely performing their duties.
“Thai soldiers violated Cambodian sovereignty after Preah Vihear temple was listed as a World Heritage site, but we were successful in protecting our sovereignty,” he said.
Cambodian and Thai troops have exchanged fire intermittently along their border near Preah Vihear temple since 2008, when Thailand contested the temple’s inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage site for Cambodia. Skirmishes broke out most recently in January of this year, though no one was hurt.
5 comments:
We are still the loser. 4.6 km2 is still in Thai hands. Stop barking.
True Khmer
25 March 2010 10:21 PM
True Khmer, how is the 4.6 km still in thai hands? Have you even been to the area? You are probably a fucking idiot that talks out of his ass. Maybe you are the one that needs to stop barking, ah pleur.
True Khmer is right. Someone, who doesn't know that 4.6 km2 is still in Thai's hand. Must be True Hun's or Hanoi's dog. Be patience True Khmer he is ah pleur and bat psa himself.
True Khmer is right. The 4.6sqkm are still in Thai's hand or divided in half because Thai soldiers are still deployed at Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak. Thai soldiers also controlled some parts of Veal Entry, Phnom Trop and O'Chak Chreng, Ta Krabey and Ta Moan Thom temples. Before 17th July 2008, these areas were completely under Cambodia's control. Chea Dara is a coward general, he only scream but on the grounds Cambodia lost territories all the time. He boasted about killing 88 Thai soldiers, I don't believe these numbers. It is too high. If 88 Thais were killed then more Cambodians must be killed because Thailand has more modern weapons and better trained soldiers. If the numbers are correct, Chea Dara should prove it with photographs of the dead Thai soldiers. The Cambodian soldiers now acted like the KR soldiers in 1977-1979. The KR at that time boasted and lied to the people everyday that they are winning the battles against the Viet army, but the reality is they are losing the war with Vietnam. Not long after they had boasted, Vietnam invaded Cambodia on 7th Jan. 1979. Now Chea Dara acted the same, lied to the people and lied to his bosses- Hun Sen and Sok An to get promoted or not to get blamed etc..This is dangerous for our nation.
if he is great for killing Thai soldiers that many why don't Hun Sen send him to fight against Vietnamese armies because they are the one who steal Cambodian land on the southside.
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