A Cambodian Buddhist monk watches a house damaged by a rocket during Monday night's armed clash near the disputed border area between Cambodia and Thailand in Kork Morm village, Udor Meanchey province, Cambodia, Tuesday, April 26, 2011. Thai and Cambodian military officers say the border between their two countries is calm after four days of clashes. (Photo: AP)
Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Tuesday, 26 April 2011
"The two men spoke by phone as border skirmishes spread to Preah Vihear province, where the two sides exchanged rocket and artillery fire."
Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Tuesday, 26 April 2011
"The two men spoke by phone as border skirmishes spread to Preah Vihear province, where the two sides exchanged rocket and artillery fire."
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The defense ministers of Thailand and Cambodia agreed to hold talks for a ceasefire late Tuesday, as spreading border clashes entered their fifth day.
Defense Minister Tea Banh agreed with his counterpart, Pravit Wongsuwan, to hold talks in Phnom Penh “soon” to discuss a ceasefire, according to a Cambodian statement late Tuesday.
The two men spoke by phone as border skirmishes spread to Preah Vihear province, where the two sides exchanged rocket and artillery fire, military officials said.
Fighting took place at Veal Entry, or Eagle Field, and other sites near the 11th-Century temple, and near the Ta Krabei and Ta Muan temples in Oddar Meanchey province.
At least 13 people have been killed in the deadliest clashes since a military build-up began in July 2008. At least 11 people died in heavy fighting near Preah Vihear temple in February.
This week’s fighting has displaced more than 23,000 Cambodians in Oddar Meanchey province, according to a Cambodian statement.
The Cambodian Defense Ministry said in a statement late Monday that the Thai military had “assaulted” civilian targets as well as military targets in Oddar Meanchey. The ministry said in a statement that third-party observers would be welcomed in Cambodia to aid in a ceasefire.
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http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/04/27/national/Thailand-needs-to-reconsider-its-position-30154056.html
Thailand needs to reconsider its position
By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation
Published on April 27, 2011
The latest border skirmish between Thailand and Cambodia at Ta Mouan Thom temple is solid proof that Abhisit Vejjajiva's foreign policy and diplomatic skill towards Cambodia are absolutely wrong and have failed to help bring peace with its neighbour.
Many soldiers and civilians have lost their lives in recent years since Thailand opposed Cambodia's plan to get World Heritage listing for the Preah Vihear temple in 2008.
The latest clash at Ta Mouan and Ta Kwai (known in Cambodia as Ta Krabei), some 150km west of Preah Vihear, is just an extension of the conflict in February, which was caused by Cambodian disappointment at Abhisit's policy.
The issue became complicated and very difficult to resolve as the current Thai government mixed everything up. Thailand and Cambodia's conflict these days are a combination of boundary issues, military arrangements at the border, management of the World Heritage plan, as well as local and international politics.
The root cause of the problem began when Abhisit's government linked the World Heritage management plan with boundary demarcation of areas near to the temple. This government would use all means to block the management plan for Preah Vihear if demarcation of the boundary is not completed.
But even a schoolboy knows that boundary demarcation is time-consuming work and it could be separated from the management of World Heritage property. Legal experts agree that World Heritage listing should not cause Thailand to lose rights of sovereignty over territory adjacent to the temple - if that land really belongs to this country.
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Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen also knows that Abhisit wants to use this issue to delay his plan for Preah Vihear.
Abhisit has felt compelled to do this, as he has been pressured by conservative and nationalist groups, which have camped near his office for months now.
A plan to make permanent peace at the border was also deferred because the Thai military hesitated to receive Indonesian observers at the border. The government has stalled on this since it agreed to the proposal in February. No observer from Indonesia has set a foot on the ground since the last clash at Preah Vihear in February.
Perhaps it's too shallow to think that Cambodia attacked Thailand simply because it wants to 'internationalise' the conflict. Would anybody think twice on why Phnom Penh might want to do this? And why Thailand was so scared of a multilateral forum wanting to resolve the problem?
Abhisit insists from time to time that existing bilateral mechanisms should be used to strike a deal with Cambodia over the conflict - as though he never knew that such a method would be ineffective at settling a contemporary dispute.
It sounds very na๏ve to call local commanders on both sides for a ceasefire when everybody knows that only Prime Minister Hun Sen can make such a decision. So the question is why doesn't Abhisit, as head of government, call his Cambodian counterpart to get a ceasefire?
If the government has no diplomatic capacity to convince Cambodian leaders to settle the conflict, the only option is for an acceptable third party. So, if Thailand has nothing to hide, having foreign observers at the border to monitor a cease-fire should not be a worry.
In this context, Asean, which is now chaired by Indonesia, is available and ready to enhance its role in solving the problem for its two member states.
Phnom Penh is also ready to comply with Asean's line, as it called for observers. But the problem has been on our side.
Time is running out and the situation is escalating. Perhaps the original plan to dispatch only 15 Indonesian observers on each side is not enough now. If Thailand wants to limit the size of the problem and find a solution, it needs to adjust its position and make a decision now.
Best articles By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
KHMERIAZTION should post it
non bias pulling no punches but quite hurt .
Anybody want to be a journalist this is the best journalist you can learn from .
I think he is really concern as Khmer he doesn't want Thai politic to use his hometown as the battle ground for political gain while his families and people at both site of the border suffers.
And he talking what is right and what is wrong he got it all.
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