A U.S commander with Thai troops during the military exercises.Monday, February 7, 2011
By Richard S. Ehrlich
The Washington Times
BANGKOK | Thousands of U.S. troops began military exercises with Bangkok's military on Monday, while a bloody, four-day artillery duel between Thailand and Cambodia flared on their border and a decades-long Muslim insurgency smoldered out of control in the south.
Cobra Gold, which is scheduled to conclude Feb. 18, is one of the world's biggest multinational, land-based maneuvers. It involves 11,220 people, including 7,200 U.S. service members.
U.S. and other foreign forces are using Thailand's Vietnam War-era Utapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield in Chanthaburi province and other facilities, about 280 miles southwest of the fighting along the Thai-Cambodian border.
The U.S. Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force, is deployed in Korat, about 180 miles west of the clashes.
U.S. boots are on the ground in this Buddhist, Southeast Asian ally, while a shooting feud between Thailand and Cambodia has killed at least seven people and wounded dozens more.
During the past four days, Thailand and Cambodia attacked each other's jungle-based positions with artillery, mortars, rocket-fired grenades and other weapons, pausing on occasion before shooting again.
They fought for at least one hour Monday after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said, "We need the United Nations to send forces here and create a buffer zone to guarantee that there is no more fighting."
Both sides then agreed to an unofficial cease-fire, but Thailand rejected U.N. intervention and insisted on direct talks with Cambodia.
Elsewhere in Thailand, the U.S. military's 30th Cobra Gold planned several live-fire demonstrations and other assaults.
Thai Lt. Gen. Surapun Wongthai serves as exercise commander, with U.S. Marine Lt. Gen. Kenneth Glueck Jr. as deputy commander, the Stars and Stripes newspaper reported.
Among the U.S. Marine units participating in Thailand are: Okinawa's 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment acting as its ground combat element; Marine Wing Support Squadron 172; Marine Aircraft Group 36; and Combat Logistics Regiments 35 and Combat Logistics Regiment 3, it said.
The Sasebo, Japan-based USS Essex, USS Germantown and USS Denver are also involved.
Cobra Gold training exercises include troops from Japan, South Korea, Singapore and, for the first time, Malaysia.
An amphibious assault is scheduled for Thursday on Thailand's southern Hat Yao coast. The cross-border fighting by Thailand and Cambodia was not expected to spill into areas used by Cobra Gold.
Each side repeatedly said the other country's forces fired first after shells landed in Thailand and Cambodia, hitting villages, setting homes and shops on fire and forcing hundreds of people to flee.
Bangkok and Phnom Penh both claim to own the thin slivers of border land near the stone rubble of an 11th-century Hindu temple built by Cambodians when their Khmer kingdom stretched across much of present-day Thailand.
The cross-border fighting damaged the Preah Vihear temple, which was part of an ancient network of scattered Hindu shrines when Cambodia's nearby Angkor Wat complex served as a center of political and spiritual power more than 900 years ago.
Preah Vihear also occupies a strategic military position because it is on a high cliff overlooking northern Cambodia's flatlands 1,722 feet below, about 150 miles north of Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital.
If Thai forces can dominate Preah Vihear or its surrounding territory on Thailand's eastern border, they would have a high-ground position against Cambodia, making both sides wary of each other's military forces close to the Dangrek Mountains' cliffside zone.
"Thailand is gravely concerned about the use the temple of [Preah Vihear] by Cambodia for military purposes," Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva wrote to the U.N. Security Council on Monday.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has designated the temple as a World Heritage Site. Both countries want to profit from the growing number of tourists visiting the ruins and stopping at restaurants, shops, hotels and other facilities during their travels.
The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but a 2-square-mile area on the surrounding cliff is disputed as both countries point to different historical maps.
The office of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York said on Sunday, "The secretary-general appeals to both sides to put in place an effective arrangement for cessation of hostilities, and to exercise maximum restraint."
Bangkok's internal political problems are also a wild card in the volatile mix, which could concern Cobra Gold.
Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, the Thai army chief, announced in January that he "did not want to stage a coup" despite his role in a 2006 putsch.
Thailand's military has staged more than 18 coups and attempted coups since the 1930s. The most recent, in September 2006, overthrew the popularly elected government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
In April and May, the army battled pro-democracy Red Shirts who blockaded Bangkok's streets, resulting in 91 deaths — mostly civilians — amid protests against the coup and demands to restore Mr. Thaksin to power.
The Red Shirts did not oppose last year's Cobra Gold. However, Sean Boonpracong, a Red Shirt spokesman at the time, warned, "If the United States ignores us, we would put forth more opposition to the next Cobra Gold exercise" in 2011.
"We have tens of millions of followers," said Mr. Boonpracong, who later distanced himself from the Red Shirts after being detained briefly by the army last year.
In 2004, the poorly disciplined Thai army suffocated more than 78 minority Malay-Thai Muslim men after tying them up and laying them flat on top of one another in army trucks.
Each year, London-based Amnesty International and other human rights groups report allegations of extrajudicial killings and torture committed by the army in the south, along Thailand's border with Muslim-majority Malaysia, where an unstoppable insurgency has left more than 4,000 people dead on all sides since 2004.
The Washington Times
BANGKOK | Thousands of U.S. troops began military exercises with Bangkok's military on Monday, while a bloody, four-day artillery duel between Thailand and Cambodia flared on their border and a decades-long Muslim insurgency smoldered out of control in the south.
Cobra Gold, which is scheduled to conclude Feb. 18, is one of the world's biggest multinational, land-based maneuvers. It involves 11,220 people, including 7,200 U.S. service members.
U.S. and other foreign forces are using Thailand's Vietnam War-era Utapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield in Chanthaburi province and other facilities, about 280 miles southwest of the fighting along the Thai-Cambodian border.
The U.S. Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force, is deployed in Korat, about 180 miles west of the clashes.
U.S. boots are on the ground in this Buddhist, Southeast Asian ally, while a shooting feud between Thailand and Cambodia has killed at least seven people and wounded dozens more.
During the past four days, Thailand and Cambodia attacked each other's jungle-based positions with artillery, mortars, rocket-fired grenades and other weapons, pausing on occasion before shooting again.
They fought for at least one hour Monday after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said, "We need the United Nations to send forces here and create a buffer zone to guarantee that there is no more fighting."
Both sides then agreed to an unofficial cease-fire, but Thailand rejected U.N. intervention and insisted on direct talks with Cambodia.
Elsewhere in Thailand, the U.S. military's 30th Cobra Gold planned several live-fire demonstrations and other assaults.
Thai Lt. Gen. Surapun Wongthai serves as exercise commander, with U.S. Marine Lt. Gen. Kenneth Glueck Jr. as deputy commander, the Stars and Stripes newspaper reported.
Among the U.S. Marine units participating in Thailand are: Okinawa's 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment acting as its ground combat element; Marine Wing Support Squadron 172; Marine Aircraft Group 36; and Combat Logistics Regiments 35 and Combat Logistics Regiment 3, it said.
The Sasebo, Japan-based USS Essex, USS Germantown and USS Denver are also involved.
Cobra Gold training exercises include troops from Japan, South Korea, Singapore and, for the first time, Malaysia.
An amphibious assault is scheduled for Thursday on Thailand's southern Hat Yao coast. The cross-border fighting by Thailand and Cambodia was not expected to spill into areas used by Cobra Gold.
Each side repeatedly said the other country's forces fired first after shells landed in Thailand and Cambodia, hitting villages, setting homes and shops on fire and forcing hundreds of people to flee.
Bangkok and Phnom Penh both claim to own the thin slivers of border land near the stone rubble of an 11th-century Hindu temple built by Cambodians when their Khmer kingdom stretched across much of present-day Thailand.
The cross-border fighting damaged the Preah Vihear temple, which was part of an ancient network of scattered Hindu shrines when Cambodia's nearby Angkor Wat complex served as a center of political and spiritual power more than 900 years ago.
Preah Vihear also occupies a strategic military position because it is on a high cliff overlooking northern Cambodia's flatlands 1,722 feet below, about 150 miles north of Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital.
If Thai forces can dominate Preah Vihear or its surrounding territory on Thailand's eastern border, they would have a high-ground position against Cambodia, making both sides wary of each other's military forces close to the Dangrek Mountains' cliffside zone.
"Thailand is gravely concerned about the use the temple of [Preah Vihear] by Cambodia for military purposes," Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva wrote to the U.N. Security Council on Monday.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has designated the temple as a World Heritage Site. Both countries want to profit from the growing number of tourists visiting the ruins and stopping at restaurants, shops, hotels and other facilities during their travels.
The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but a 2-square-mile area on the surrounding cliff is disputed as both countries point to different historical maps.
The office of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York said on Sunday, "The secretary-general appeals to both sides to put in place an effective arrangement for cessation of hostilities, and to exercise maximum restraint."
Bangkok's internal political problems are also a wild card in the volatile mix, which could concern Cobra Gold.
Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, the Thai army chief, announced in January that he "did not want to stage a coup" despite his role in a 2006 putsch.
Thailand's military has staged more than 18 coups and attempted coups since the 1930s. The most recent, in September 2006, overthrew the popularly elected government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
In April and May, the army battled pro-democracy Red Shirts who blockaded Bangkok's streets, resulting in 91 deaths — mostly civilians — amid protests against the coup and demands to restore Mr. Thaksin to power.
The Red Shirts did not oppose last year's Cobra Gold. However, Sean Boonpracong, a Red Shirt spokesman at the time, warned, "If the United States ignores us, we would put forth more opposition to the next Cobra Gold exercise" in 2011.
"We have tens of millions of followers," said Mr. Boonpracong, who later distanced himself from the Red Shirts after being detained briefly by the army last year.
In 2004, the poorly disciplined Thai army suffocated more than 78 minority Malay-Thai Muslim men after tying them up and laying them flat on top of one another in army trucks.
Each year, London-based Amnesty International and other human rights groups report allegations of extrajudicial killings and torture committed by the army in the south, along Thailand's border with Muslim-majority Malaysia, where an unstoppable insurgency has left more than 4,000 people dead on all sides since 2004.
7 comments:
Isn't it funny, a few weeks ago, I have heard all the voices of radical Cambodians who are determined to start a fight with both Thai's and Vietnam and yet now all of them seem to be so quiet. What happened? Uncle Ho Chi Min, where the hell are you? Do you still have the guts to try and fight two enemies at time as you indicated, or do you think it is better off to try and take time to reform your country's economy first and building the military later? You all regard the moderate voices like mine as "cowards" and and branded Hun Sen as "Hanoi Dog" now who is trying to save your asses at the moment? As you can see, those "bitches Americans" are not on your side. That is why you need to stop turning against your very own prime Mister. "Unity is Strength", when you continued bickering against your very own kinds, your enemies will look down on you.
To all members of countries who will participate in the Cobra Gold's military exercise: US, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Malaysia; please postpone this exercise. The exercise would cause the situation Cambodia-Thai conflict more intensify. You are friends of both Cambodia and Thai; particularly, South Korea and Japan, your people have bad experience in war game. I beg you all!- From a Cambodian who had bad experience in wars between the year 60-90. -
In the past only US and Thai did the exercises but recent years the US invited more partners to participate in the event to minimize Thai ego. Thai were not happy about the inclusion of the others but can not protest anyway. Thai is not the sole important guy in the region anymore and Thai felt big slab in the face. Furthermore US had Cambodian started hosting anti-terrorist exercises for 2 years now. You can see that US is not neglect Cambodia anymore. But the US-Thai relationship dated more than 130 years and the smart ass Thai know how to exploit it.
Thai love American dick inside their asshole...that's why? You Thai fuck with cambodia in the wrong time!..We are no longer weak as you thought asshole!
Uncle Ho Chi Minh said,
12:08 AM , Isn't it funny how you're trying to be a smartass, when you're acutally a dumbass. Let get to the lowdown. Prior to this clash between Thai and Khmer, the dominant topic of discussion was Hanoi and Hun Sen giving away Khmer land to Youn. And no shit numbnut, the comments were about Youn. Now the discussion is on clash between Siem and Khmer. If you have any logical sense, you'll see that the internal political issue in Cambodia seem to be put on hold. Just because someone isn't criticizing Hun Sen government at this moment, doesn't mean, whatever you're fucking think. I don't know what you're trying to get at, but if Youn decided to wage war with Khmer for any good fucking reason, don't think Khmer is just going to let Youn do what it wants. Khmer always fight 2 enemies, either Siem or Youn. This time is Siem, tomorrow might be Youn. That was a fucking cheap shot there 12:08 AM. I didn't you're that stupid to come up with such comment. I don't know what got you the courage to become stupid all of the sudden.
Imaging if China decided to conduct a military exercise with Cambodia. You can bet your hard earn mothly salary money that ASEAN or America would be barging like a pack of dogs in a pound. Appearently, America can do what it wants. America is not being sentitive to the political querrel between Cambodia and Thailand. By conducting such military exercise, America is also flexing its muscle to show who has Thailand's back. This is a pad on the back for Thailand by America. This is a reason why Cambodia feel that she is better off being partner with China.
(USA)
Wow! These are the interesting commonts. I love all of them.
I want to read more commonts. Let's people share their voices.
I think the world must help Cambodians to have better military trained and equipped in order to have a fair fights. Whatever Cambodians decide to fight with Thais or Vietnamese. Let's Khmers have fair adventages. US is always with the one who is lesser advantages. That is what the US stands for.
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