Thai Villagers from the disputed border region near the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple wait for shelter Tuesday in Sisaket, Thailand. The area has been at the center of several clashes between the two nations since 2008. (Athit Perawongmetha, Getty Images )
By Todd Pitman
The Associated Press
Denverpost.com
PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia — A historic temple that was the scene of artillery battles between Cambodia and Thailand appears to have suffered minimal damage, as journalists used a fragile truce Tuesday to inspect the site.
Four days of shelling in the disputed border region blackened hillsides surrounding Preah Vihear temple and shrapnel from the blasts chipped away at some of the sanctuary's ancient walls, but the damage was light and the structure remained intact.
Cambodian officials said over the weekend that Thai artillery collapsed "a wing" of the temple, but Thai officials dismissed the account as propaganda. Tuesday was the first day journalists were able to visit the temple since Cambodia made the claim.
The two nations have clashed several times in the area since 2008, when the U.N. declared Preah Vihear a World Heritage site. But the latest skirmishes were the most intense yet, marking the first time artillery and mortars have been used, according to soldiers and locals.
At least seven people have died in the clashes that began Friday. One civilian and one soldier from Thailand have been killed, and another 25 Thai soldiers have been wounded.
Cambodia said five Cambodians have been killed, including at least two soldiers, and 45 people wounded.
Cambodian troops used a shaky cease-fire Tuesday to dig fresh positions and stack sandbags around the temple, which was awarded to Cambodia in a 1962 World Court ruling that many Thais dispute.
The temple — just several hundred feet from the border with Thailand — has fueled nationalism in both countries for decades.
The latest fighting comes as Thailand's embattled government faces protests from ultranationalists at home who say it hasn't done enough to protect Thailand's sovereignty in the border region.
While the World Court ruled on the temple's ownership, some of the tree-lined border around it has yet to be demarcated.
The Associated Press
Denverpost.com
PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia — A historic temple that was the scene of artillery battles between Cambodia and Thailand appears to have suffered minimal damage, as journalists used a fragile truce Tuesday to inspect the site.
Four days of shelling in the disputed border region blackened hillsides surrounding Preah Vihear temple and shrapnel from the blasts chipped away at some of the sanctuary's ancient walls, but the damage was light and the structure remained intact.
Cambodian officials said over the weekend that Thai artillery collapsed "a wing" of the temple, but Thai officials dismissed the account as propaganda. Tuesday was the first day journalists were able to visit the temple since Cambodia made the claim.
The two nations have clashed several times in the area since 2008, when the U.N. declared Preah Vihear a World Heritage site. But the latest skirmishes were the most intense yet, marking the first time artillery and mortars have been used, according to soldiers and locals.
At least seven people have died in the clashes that began Friday. One civilian and one soldier from Thailand have been killed, and another 25 Thai soldiers have been wounded.
Cambodia said five Cambodians have been killed, including at least two soldiers, and 45 people wounded.
Cambodian troops used a shaky cease-fire Tuesday to dig fresh positions and stack sandbags around the temple, which was awarded to Cambodia in a 1962 World Court ruling that many Thais dispute.
The temple — just several hundred feet from the border with Thailand — has fueled nationalism in both countries for decades.
The latest fighting comes as Thailand's embattled government faces protests from ultranationalists at home who say it hasn't done enough to protect Thailand's sovereignty in the border region.
While the World Court ruled on the temple's ownership, some of the tree-lined border around it has yet to be demarcated.
1 comment:
Now you guy see how the Thai propaganda machine works at full swing. They show the displaced Thai villagers and they play down the temple damage. Cambodia is still far behind in information dissemination management than the asshole Thai,because we just on our feet after a long agony of war.
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