Click on text to enlarge.People's Daily Online
April 22, 2011
Cambodia sent a letter to the president of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Friday, asking it to interfere in the most recent armed clashes took place Friday morning between Cambodian and Thai troops at Ta Mon Thom and Ta Krabey temples in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province.
The letter, signed by Hor Namhong, Cambodian minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, stated the armed clashes occurred in the area of Ta Mon Thom and Ta Krabey temples (about 200 km west of disputed temple of Preah Vihear), accused Thailand using artilleries and airplane to "violate deep into Cambodia's territory and airspace" and said Cambodia suffering " many casualties during this attack."
Hor said that "this fresh act of aggression not only violates all legal instruments as stated in my letter dated Feb. 5, 2011 to the former UNSC president ..., but also the UNSC press statement on Feb. 14, 2011 and the statement of the chairman of ASEAN following the informal meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers on Feb. 22, 2011."
Meanwhile, Hor Namhong asked the president of UNSC to circulate the letter to all members of the UNSC. Hor said that "Cambodia has so far exercised its maximum restraint and demonstrated its goodwill in order to maintain an atmosphere favorable for a peaceful settlement. However, it reserves the rights to self- defense in the face of such deliberate acts of aggression."
Moreover, Hor Namhong said that Thai's most recent act against Cambodia also confirms the reason behind Thailand's insistence on resolving the conflict 'bilaterally', which "is a pretext for using its larger and materially more sophisticated armed forces against Cambodia."
The military clashes between the two countries' troops over the border disputed area began at 6:00 a.m. and ended at 10:30 a.m., caused three Cambodian troops killed and one injured, according to a military commander in frontline.
The military clash reoccurred just more than two months after the deadly clash on Feb. 4-7 at the border disputed area next to Preah Vihear temple, the World Heritage Site.
Indonesia, the current chair of the regional bloc of ASEAN, has offered to send monitors to the disputed area near the Preah Vihear temple, and the U.N. and ASEAN have called on both sides to resolve the conflict through a peaceful way. Cambodia expressed its welcome. But the meetings held earlier this month in Indonesia failed to resolve the situation
The border between Thailand and Cambodia has never been completely demarcated and the issue of Preah Vihear temple has been an age-old dispute.
Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was enlisted as World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008. Just a week after the enlistment, Cambodia and Thailand have had border conflict due to Thai claim of the ownership of 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub next to the temple, triggering a military build-up along the border, and periodic clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers have resulted in the deaths of troops on both sides.
Source: Xinhua
April 22, 2011
Cambodia sent a letter to the president of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Friday, asking it to interfere in the most recent armed clashes took place Friday morning between Cambodian and Thai troops at Ta Mon Thom and Ta Krabey temples in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province.
The letter, signed by Hor Namhong, Cambodian minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, stated the armed clashes occurred in the area of Ta Mon Thom and Ta Krabey temples (about 200 km west of disputed temple of Preah Vihear), accused Thailand using artilleries and airplane to "violate deep into Cambodia's territory and airspace" and said Cambodia suffering " many casualties during this attack."
Hor said that "this fresh act of aggression not only violates all legal instruments as stated in my letter dated Feb. 5, 2011 to the former UNSC president ..., but also the UNSC press statement on Feb. 14, 2011 and the statement of the chairman of ASEAN following the informal meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers on Feb. 22, 2011."
Meanwhile, Hor Namhong asked the president of UNSC to circulate the letter to all members of the UNSC. Hor said that "Cambodia has so far exercised its maximum restraint and demonstrated its goodwill in order to maintain an atmosphere favorable for a peaceful settlement. However, it reserves the rights to self- defense in the face of such deliberate acts of aggression."
Moreover, Hor Namhong said that Thai's most recent act against Cambodia also confirms the reason behind Thailand's insistence on resolving the conflict 'bilaterally', which "is a pretext for using its larger and materially more sophisticated armed forces against Cambodia."
The military clashes between the two countries' troops over the border disputed area began at 6:00 a.m. and ended at 10:30 a.m., caused three Cambodian troops killed and one injured, according to a military commander in frontline.
The military clash reoccurred just more than two months after the deadly clash on Feb. 4-7 at the border disputed area next to Preah Vihear temple, the World Heritage Site.
Indonesia, the current chair of the regional bloc of ASEAN, has offered to send monitors to the disputed area near the Preah Vihear temple, and the U.N. and ASEAN have called on both sides to resolve the conflict through a peaceful way. Cambodia expressed its welcome. But the meetings held earlier this month in Indonesia failed to resolve the situation
The border between Thailand and Cambodia has never been completely demarcated and the issue of Preah Vihear temple has been an age-old dispute.
Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was enlisted as World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008. Just a week after the enlistment, Cambodia and Thailand have had border conflict due to Thai claim of the ownership of 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub next to the temple, triggering a military build-up along the border, and periodic clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers have resulted in the deaths of troops on both sides.
Source: Xinhua
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