Photo by: Heng Chivoan
A Royal Cambodian Armed Forces soldier relaxes at Preah Vihear temple during a lull in fighting with Thailand earlier this month.
Cambodian and Thai military commanders have reportedly agreed to a ceasefire in the disputed areas close to Preah Vihear temple, after clashes in the area earlier this month left at least 10 people dead and dozens injured on both sides.
Touch Ra, deputy chief of the border relations office in Oddar Meanchey province, said today that military commanders from the two sides met for a two-hour closed-door meeting on Saturday attended by Hun Manet, Prime Minister Hun Sen’s eldest son.
“The result of the meeting has not been revealed as it was held secretly,” Touch Ra said.
But he added that since the meeting was conducted, the situation along the border has returned to normal.
“Most of the people have returned to their homes and are continuing with their businesses.
“The situation has calmed down and the people have no more fear of gunfire along the border.”
Chea Morn, commander of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Military Region 4, declined to comment today.
The talks followed four days of clashes from February 4-7, in which troops traded artillery, mortar and small arms fire in disputed areas close to Preah Vihear temple, which sustained damage in the skirmishes.
The Bangkok Post reported today that military commanders from both sides had inked a ceasefire agreement following Saturday’s talks, though it is unclear whether the agreement will hold.
A previous truce was called on February 5, but violence flared up again the next day.
The paper quoted an army source as saying Second Army commander Thawatchai Samutsakhorn was part of a Thai delegation led by Army chief-of-staff Daopong Rattanasuwan. The Cambodian delegation was led by Hun Manet, according to the report.
“All is well,” said Thawatchai Samutsakhorn after the agreement was signed at a restaurant near the Choam Sa-Ngam border crossing between Oddar Meanchey and Sisaket provinces.
The apparent agreement has stoked nationalist sentiment in Thailand, with Yellow Shirt activists from the People’s Alliance for Democracy claiming it could disadvantage Thai claims to disputed territories close to Preah Vihear.
At a press conference in Bangkok, Yellow Shirt spokesman Panthep Puapongpan said the conditions under the ceasefire deal had put Thailand in an underdog situation and would lead to a permanent loss of Thai land to Cambodia, the Bangkok Post reported.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva denied the claims in his weekly address today, saying the agreement “will not lead to any loss of Thai soil as speculated”.
The agreement comes ahead of a meeting of ASEAN’s foreign ministers in Jakarta tomorrow, which is set to discuss the stand-off between Cambodia and Thailand.
Prime Minister Hun Sen said last week that at the meeting Cambodia will press Thailand to sign a permanent ceasefire under ASEAN’s auspices, requesting that the bloc deploy observers into disputed border areas.
Thailand has been steadfastly opposed to a multilateral solution to the border conflict, which has erupted into sporadic violence since July 2008, when UNESCO listed Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site over Thai objections.
Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said Foreign Minister Hor Namhong will lead a delegation to Indonesia today to attend the meeting.
Thai state media also reported on Saturday that former UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura will next week pay a visit to Bangkok and Phnom Penh to hear both sides’ views on the recent conflict, though he will not visit disputed areas along the border.
2 comments:
Why Thai political leaders are driven by yello shirt extremist group?
The Cambodia-Thai conflict is unnessary and bogus. Demarcation of border is a technical issue and can be solved by adult conversation. That's.
But the real problem is not about the border. It's about super power countries play political game each other. China becomes more and more aggresive influence in the region. While the US can't ignore the threat. This is a perfect opportunity for the US to punish any countries in the region who has been going away from the US.
Thai is a puppet of the US foreign policy and this puppet is bark like a crazy fox by ignoring and disrespecting the international law and its own neighbour countries. How far this puppet will go crazy?
Why do Kos Trol, sea and lands proximately over 10 000 km2 have been lost to Vietnam by who treaty? Why don’t Cambodia goverment transparencies explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?
Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 and what's about over 10 000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?
Kos Trol, Sea and lands over 10 000km2 have been lost to Vietnam by who treaty at 1979 to 1985 treaty! Treaty! Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protect a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group rather in the real name of protecting Khmer nation?
Cambodian army at front line suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition, their families have no health care help, no securities after they die but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning with young girls message, have super health care from oversea medical treatment, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make Cambodian people suffer everyday as Cambodian people know already.
Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that result lost over 10 000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why don't they transparency inform all Cambodian and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't include Kos Trol (Kos Trol size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapoor with heap of great natural resources) in education system in Cambodia.
Look at Hun Sen families, relatives; friends are billionaires, millionaires where do they get the money from if we all just get out of war with empty hands? Hun Sen always say in his speech Cambodia just get up from war, just get up from Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% innocent Cambodian people are so poor struggling with living every day.
Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
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