A Thai soldier recovers a rocket following an exchange of fire between Thai and Cambodian soldiers near the tense border
By Michelle Fitzpatrick
PHNOM PENH (AFP)— Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged fire on their disputed border for a ninth straight day on Saturday, both sides said, casting doubt on efforts to end the countries' bloodiest conflict in decades.
The latest hostilities at two ancient temples on their shared jungle frontier erupted just hours after Cambodia announced a second truce in as many days, although Bangkok denied knowledge of a new peace deal.
Each side has traded accusations of untrustworthiness in solving a dispute that has killed 16 people and displaced more than 85,000 civilians.
"Even though there is a recent ceasefire... Thailand still breached it," Cambodia's Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters in Phnom Penh on Saturday.
"It shows that we cannot trust our counterpart," he said in comments that echoed those made by Thai officials a day earlier.
The latest flare-up was confirmed by both countries, but while it was followed by a lull in fighting, frontline soldiers remained on alert.
"Clashes could happen at any time," Cambodian field commander Suos Sothea told AFP by telephone.
There were no reports of new deaths, although at least 10 Thai soldiers were injured in clashes on Friday night and Saturday morning, army sources in Thailand said.
Cambodia's defence ministry accused Thailand in a statement of using grenades and firing mortar rounds at Cambodian troops in the latest clashes.
The two neighbours have come under increasing international pressure to stop the violence.
A first attempted truce on Thursday, confirmed by the two countries, proved short-lived and Bangkok has contradicted Phnom Penh's latest claims, saying Friday's talks between commanders on the ground did not amount to a genuine breakthrough.
"We actually have talked at local officers' level which I hope will lead to a real ceasefire," said Thailand's government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn.
Hor Namhong returned Saturday from The Hague where he had submitted a request to the World Court to clarify a 1962 ruling about land around the ancient Preah Vihear temple -- an area that has inflamed tensions between the two neighbours.
"The request for the interpretation by the court is a way to resolve the problem peacefully," he said at Phnom Penh airport.
The court ruled more than four decades ago that the 900-year-old temple belonged to Cambodia, but both countries claim ownership of a 4.6-square-kilometre (1.8-square-mile) surrounding area.
Thailand said it had hired legal advisors and would fight the case.
The stone structure has been the focus of border tensions since it was granted UN World Heritage status in 2008 and 10 people died in hostilities between the neighbours there in February.
The Thai-Cambodian frontier has never been fully demarcated, partly because it is littered with landmines left over from years of war in Cambodia.
The current unrest is centred around two other contested temple complexes 150 kilometres (90 miles) west of Preah Vihear, although there was some fighting at the site itself on Tuesday.
Seven Thai troops and eight Cambodian soldiers have died since the fighting began on April 22, and Bangkok has said a Thai civilian was also killed.
By Michelle Fitzpatrick
PHNOM PENH (AFP)— Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged fire on their disputed border for a ninth straight day on Saturday, both sides said, casting doubt on efforts to end the countries' bloodiest conflict in decades.
The latest hostilities at two ancient temples on their shared jungle frontier erupted just hours after Cambodia announced a second truce in as many days, although Bangkok denied knowledge of a new peace deal.
Each side has traded accusations of untrustworthiness in solving a dispute that has killed 16 people and displaced more than 85,000 civilians.
"Even though there is a recent ceasefire... Thailand still breached it," Cambodia's Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters in Phnom Penh on Saturday.
"It shows that we cannot trust our counterpart," he said in comments that echoed those made by Thai officials a day earlier.
The latest flare-up was confirmed by both countries, but while it was followed by a lull in fighting, frontline soldiers remained on alert.
"Clashes could happen at any time," Cambodian field commander Suos Sothea told AFP by telephone.
There were no reports of new deaths, although at least 10 Thai soldiers were injured in clashes on Friday night and Saturday morning, army sources in Thailand said.
Cambodia's defence ministry accused Thailand in a statement of using grenades and firing mortar rounds at Cambodian troops in the latest clashes.
The two neighbours have come under increasing international pressure to stop the violence.
A first attempted truce on Thursday, confirmed by the two countries, proved short-lived and Bangkok has contradicted Phnom Penh's latest claims, saying Friday's talks between commanders on the ground did not amount to a genuine breakthrough.
"We actually have talked at local officers' level which I hope will lead to a real ceasefire," said Thailand's government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn.
Hor Namhong returned Saturday from The Hague where he had submitted a request to the World Court to clarify a 1962 ruling about land around the ancient Preah Vihear temple -- an area that has inflamed tensions between the two neighbours.
"The request for the interpretation by the court is a way to resolve the problem peacefully," he said at Phnom Penh airport.
The court ruled more than four decades ago that the 900-year-old temple belonged to Cambodia, but both countries claim ownership of a 4.6-square-kilometre (1.8-square-mile) surrounding area.
Thailand said it had hired legal advisors and would fight the case.
The stone structure has been the focus of border tensions since it was granted UN World Heritage status in 2008 and 10 people died in hostilities between the neighbours there in February.
The Thai-Cambodian frontier has never been fully demarcated, partly because it is littered with landmines left over from years of war in Cambodia.
The current unrest is centred around two other contested temple complexes 150 kilometres (90 miles) west of Preah Vihear, although there was some fighting at the site itself on Tuesday.
Seven Thai troops and eight Cambodian soldiers have died since the fighting began on April 22, and Bangkok has said a Thai civilian was also killed.
2 comments:
Treaty 1904-1907 (ICJ) ruling what ever we have it won't help when Thailand play a fool they pretend like they have legitimate right to every thing that not belong to them it is spoil brat the problem with this kind of people talking with reason it not working may be the only way it hit them where it hurt most .
We haven't put pressure on trade but if we put pressure on trade our biggie lost revenue ( all the importer in our side relate to high ranking official casino some of them belong to our high ranking official or very powerful tycoon).
We should doing business with Malay Singapore Viet China close all the Thai borders see if we can survive without Thai?.
Every Thai TV Thai said Khmer owe Thai favor big time and Khmer betray Thai by attacking Thai so on and so on what we owe them "nothing " their soldier free to kill our civilian anytime as they wish during 1979 they raped our women they shelling our innocent refugees camp they fired at us when we try to escaped the war may be that they called favors.
For cluster Bombs, Thai media don't show, but for a piece of BM-21 (which is not high casualty for long long period), Thai media show.
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