A Change of Guard

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Friday, 4 March 2011

Cambodia takes attaches to disputed area

Foreign military attaches inspected the bomb crater left by Thai artillery shells inside the Preah Vihear temple compound and (bellow) a U.S military attache shakes hand with Gen. Chea Dara.

Writer: Wassana Nanuam & Manop Thip-Osod
Published: 4/03/2011
Bangkok Post

The Thai government is outraged by a visit from foreign attaches to the disputed border areas in Cambodia, an army source says.

But the source said: "If we open fire, this will play into the hands of Cambodia and it will show the world that we started the fight."

Cambodian troops have taken foreign military attaches on a visit to Preah Vihear temple and the surrounding disputed border area in what is seen by Thailand as a violation of an agreement made in 2000 between the two countries governing the disputed border site.

The army source said Cambodian troops yesterday led a group of military attaches from 12 countries from Phnom Penh to visit the temple.

The military attaches came from the US, France, Russia, China, Japan, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, Malaysia, Burma, Vietnam and Laos.

The source said they were visible to Thai troops through binoculars on the other side of the border on the mountaintop of Pha Mo I Daeng.

"The Suranaree task force has written to the Cambodian side to protest [against the] move, which violates an agreement governing the 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area also claimed by Thailand," the source said. [Cambodia controlled the area for more than 100 hundred years and the 1907 Franco-Siamese Treaty, the 1908 Franco-Siamese map and the 1962 verdict of the International Court of Justice put the area under Cambodia's sovereignty, until it was invaded by Thai troops on 15th July, 2008].

"Their visit did not have permission from Thailand."

The source said Cambodia claimed it had a plan to take the military attaches to visit Cambodia's Viharn province to inspect disputed border areas on Thursday and Friday.

The areas included Keo Sikha Kiri Savara pagoda sitting in the disputed area near the 11th century Hindu temple, as well as other surrounding disputed areas claimed by Cambodia.

The source said the military attaches could be seen visiting Preah Vihear temple.

The source said the move by the Cambodian side was an act of defiance and could only reignite border tensions.

In another development, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the government was "trying every means" to secure freedom for Thai Patriots Network co-ordinator Veera Somkwamkid and his secretary Ratree Pipatanapaiboon.

A Cambodian court on Feb 1 convicted the two to eight and six years in jail respectively for spying and illegal entry into Cambodian territory.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thailand must paid for all the damages to Preah vihear Temple! Thailand msut also held accountable for used cluster bombs against cambodian...Thailand must be prosecuted under international law..

Anonymous said...

Cambodia can take anyone for a tour inside its territory. All the lands around Preah Vihear belong to Cambodia according to the 1907 Franco-Siamese treaty, the 1908 Franco-Siamese map and the 1962 international court verdict. So Thailand has no right to say anything.

Anonymous said...

Fucken Thailand demanding cambodia not to do this? and not to that? What ta hell wrong with Thailand..? Buy more heavy weapons from China and blast them up!!