EXPLOSIVE: Kim Samnang, who lost his forearm; and what is believed to be a cluster bomb fired by Thai troops, found near Svay Chrum village.
20th February, 2011
Bangkok Post
Ironically, Cambodia, which was one of the leaders on the convention to ban cluster mines, backed out of signing it in December 2008 citing the Preah Vihear border conflict.
Cambodia argued it was in no rush to sign, as Thailand was not yet a signatory. Cluster bombs are considered a major threat to civilian populations as they spread across a large area and can lay dormant for long periods of time.
ALLEGED CLUSTER BOMB ATTACK
''My base was shelled between 3:15-4:10pm on Feb 4,'' said Lt Col Sok Min of the Cambodian border police in Svay Chrum.
''I was standing at the gate looking at the mountain and I heard the sound of a bomb approaching, and made it just in time to the bunker.
''The only thing I could hear was BOOM, pop, pop, pop _ like popcorn _ and all I could see was smoke.''
Border policeman Kim Samnang said the bombs were distinctive by their sound. ''I suspected there was something different when I heard the pop-pop-pop,'' he said. ''I had heard about bomblets [cluster munitions] in other provinces.
''At 6pm the next day, we turned on the generator to pump water and decided to watch the Sunday boxing.
''Someone came in with this thing with a white string and I put my hand up and told him to put it down,'' he said.
Policeman Cheng Mol put it on the table and it exploded - killing two, and injuring eight.
Samnang and Mol both lost forearms. They now share a ward at Siem Reap provincial hospital.
''I was injured by cluster munitions,'' Samnang told the Bangkok Post Sunday ''Two days ago, an NGO showed us a photo. It had slightly different colouring, but it's the same kind of bomblet. It looked like a cow bell or something,'' Mol said.
The Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) arrived on the scene the morning after the explosion.
''I had never seen anything like them before, they're not like the American War bomblets,'' said Saem Ponnreay, CMAC Demining Unit 3 manager.
''People were playing with the things, spinning them in the air by their cords. We sent photos to headquarters and they confirmed that they were M42/46 submunitions.
''We had recently cleared this area. Now we have to come back.''
CMAC issued a statement on Feb 10 claiming that: ''During the cross-fire there [was] identified evidence of heavy artilleries such as 105mm, 130mm and 155mm used by Thai military, and CMAC experts have confirmed that these artilleries contained cluster munitions including M35, M42 and M46 types.''
Cluster Munition Coalition member Sister Denise Coughlin surveyed the situation this week. ''I am saddened by the suffering and displacement of people from both sides of the border. I witnessed with my own eyes, cluster munitions on the ground,'' she said.
''I have also spoken to the victims who identified the M46 as the munition that injured them.
''The use of cluster bombs causes devastating consequences years after the conflict. A friend of mine lost both his arms in 2004, from cluster munitions left over from the 70s.
''I dont want that to happen to anyone else.''
In a statement issued on Feb 10, the coalition, which represents 350 civil groups worldwide, asked both Thailand and Cambodia to clarify whether their armies had used cluster munitions in the recent conflict.
According to the coalition, both countries have stockpiles of cluster munitions, but little is known about their status or composition.
Cambodia has cited an ongoing review of its defence and security situation as the reason for its delay in joining the treaty, while Thailand says it has concerns over its ability to destroy its stockpile although it has said previously it would not use the weapons.
CMAC faces a huge task, even if the fighting stops tomorrow. ''We don't know how many shells landed around here. Some could have fallen in unpopulated areas. There are 72 bomblets in every shell,'' Ponnreay said.
''Before we can let civilians back in, we need to educate them. We have reached 4,000 families in the camps and told them not to touch them, and to call our hotlines if they see one.''
When he appeared before the UN Security Council on Monday, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya categorically denied ''the groundless accusation by Cambodia that Thailand used cluster munitions during the recent skirmishes''.
Mr Kasit added that Thailand has been actively supporting disarmament efforts, including the elimination of cluster munitions.
''We are seriously considering joining the Convention on Cluster Munitions,'' he said. The army also strongly denied the Cambodian cluster bomb allegation.
20th February, 2011
Bangkok Post
Ironically, Cambodia, which was one of the leaders on the convention to ban cluster mines, backed out of signing it in December 2008 citing the Preah Vihear border conflict.
Cambodia argued it was in no rush to sign, as Thailand was not yet a signatory. Cluster bombs are considered a major threat to civilian populations as they spread across a large area and can lay dormant for long periods of time.
ALLEGED CLUSTER BOMB ATTACK
''My base was shelled between 3:15-4:10pm on Feb 4,'' said Lt Col Sok Min of the Cambodian border police in Svay Chrum.
''I was standing at the gate looking at the mountain and I heard the sound of a bomb approaching, and made it just in time to the bunker.
''The only thing I could hear was BOOM, pop, pop, pop _ like popcorn _ and all I could see was smoke.''
Border policeman Kim Samnang said the bombs were distinctive by their sound. ''I suspected there was something different when I heard the pop-pop-pop,'' he said. ''I had heard about bomblets [cluster munitions] in other provinces.
''At 6pm the next day, we turned on the generator to pump water and decided to watch the Sunday boxing.
''Someone came in with this thing with a white string and I put my hand up and told him to put it down,'' he said.
Policeman Cheng Mol put it on the table and it exploded - killing two, and injuring eight.
Samnang and Mol both lost forearms. They now share a ward at Siem Reap provincial hospital.
''I was injured by cluster munitions,'' Samnang told the Bangkok Post Sunday ''Two days ago, an NGO showed us a photo. It had slightly different colouring, but it's the same kind of bomblet. It looked like a cow bell or something,'' Mol said.
The Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) arrived on the scene the morning after the explosion.
''I had never seen anything like them before, they're not like the American War bomblets,'' said Saem Ponnreay, CMAC Demining Unit 3 manager.
''People were playing with the things, spinning them in the air by their cords. We sent photos to headquarters and they confirmed that they were M42/46 submunitions.
''We had recently cleared this area. Now we have to come back.''
CMAC issued a statement on Feb 10 claiming that: ''During the cross-fire there [was] identified evidence of heavy artilleries such as 105mm, 130mm and 155mm used by Thai military, and CMAC experts have confirmed that these artilleries contained cluster munitions including M35, M42 and M46 types.''
Cluster Munition Coalition member Sister Denise Coughlin surveyed the situation this week. ''I am saddened by the suffering and displacement of people from both sides of the border. I witnessed with my own eyes, cluster munitions on the ground,'' she said.
''I have also spoken to the victims who identified the M46 as the munition that injured them.
''The use of cluster bombs causes devastating consequences years after the conflict. A friend of mine lost both his arms in 2004, from cluster munitions left over from the 70s.
''I dont want that to happen to anyone else.''
In a statement issued on Feb 10, the coalition, which represents 350 civil groups worldwide, asked both Thailand and Cambodia to clarify whether their armies had used cluster munitions in the recent conflict.
According to the coalition, both countries have stockpiles of cluster munitions, but little is known about their status or composition.
Cambodia has cited an ongoing review of its defence and security situation as the reason for its delay in joining the treaty, while Thailand says it has concerns over its ability to destroy its stockpile although it has said previously it would not use the weapons.
CMAC faces a huge task, even if the fighting stops tomorrow. ''We don't know how many shells landed around here. Some could have fallen in unpopulated areas. There are 72 bomblets in every shell,'' Ponnreay said.
''Before we can let civilians back in, we need to educate them. We have reached 4,000 families in the camps and told them not to touch them, and to call our hotlines if they see one.''
When he appeared before the UN Security Council on Monday, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya categorically denied ''the groundless accusation by Cambodia that Thailand used cluster munitions during the recent skirmishes''.
Mr Kasit added that Thailand has been actively supporting disarmament efforts, including the elimination of cluster munitions.
''We are seriously considering joining the Convention on Cluster Munitions,'' he said. The army also strongly denied the Cambodian cluster bomb allegation.
5 comments:
Well, next round of fighting Cambodia will use cluster bomb against Thailand...BACK! Thailand is to blame for...starting this shit!
Thailand love to used dirty trick, when they can't fight with poor khmer soldiers...Example like, raise white flag, stop fighting, and than reinforce their troops and stab khmer in the back...Thai very good in using dirty trick! I don't know why UN still do nothing with Thailand used cluster bombs??
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 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,
Cambodian Govts must provide money for this soldier the rest of his life and take care his family the rest of their life...under the LAW! The United Nation must investigate on Thailand using cluster bombs! Its against the international law...in Geneva!!
Being Thai citizen is cheap right now due to this dirt trick.
If I were Thai (No, never, just assume), I would be so shameful that my giant country use this cluster bombs to attack the weak country like Cambodia. It is better to use air force, rather than this dirty bombs.
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