The tower of Ta Krabey temple (pictured has reportedly collapsed after deliberately hit by Thai rockets.The Australian
From: AP
April 26, 2011
CAMBODIA yesterday accused Thailand of damaging two ancient temples during three days of clashes in which at least 12 soldiers have died.
There was no immediate comment from Thai authorities, and the extent of the damage was unclear yesterday as a precarious calm held in the disputed border region housing the nearly 1000-year-old stone temples of Ta Moan and Ta Krabey from the Khmer empire.
The chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, was in intense talks with both sides to try to end to the conflict, said Hamzah Thayeb, an official at Indonesia's Foreign Ministry who oversees Asia-Pacific affairs.
Mr Natalegawa had been due in Cambodia yesterday but the trip was postponed because Indonesia was still negotiating terms on sending in military observers -- a move Thailand has rejected.
The dispute between Cambodia and Thailand involves small swaths of land along the border, with nationalistic politics fuelling tensions.
Clashes have erupted several times since 2008, when Cambodia's 11th-century Preah Vihear temple was given UN World Heritage status over Thailand's objections.
The clashes are the first since February, when eight soldiers and civilians were killed near the Preah Vihear temple, which suffered minor damage from exploding artillery and mortar shells that knocked small chucks out of a few of its walls.
The latest fighting is about 160km west of Preah Vihear and resumed late on Sunday night, both sides said.
A Thai army spokesman claimed Cambodian troops had opened fire and killed a Thai soldier while a Cambodian soldier on the front line claimed Thai snipers had killed one Cambodian soldier and wounded two others.
Cambodia's Defence Ministry said Thai forces fired 1000 artillery and mortar shells on Sunday, damaging the two temples and some shells had landed about 20km inside Cambodian territory, destroying a school and a dozen homes and forcing 17,000 people to flee.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a cease-fire but the two sides disagree on what triggered the fighting and differ on how to negotiate the conflicting territorial claims underlying the crisis.
Indonesia's efforts to mediate have been stymied so far by Thailand's reluctance to allow Indonesian military observers into the area of dispute. Thailand insists the problem should be solved through bilateral talks with Cambodia, but Cambodia wants third-party mediation.
The fighting comes as Thailand's military raises its profile in domestic politics ahead of elections expected by July. The army previously effectively vetoed a plan to have Indonesian observers monitor the border situation.
CAMBODIA yesterday accused Thailand of damaging two ancient temples during three days of clashes in which at least 12 soldiers have died.
There was no immediate comment from Thai authorities, and the extent of the damage was unclear yesterday as a precarious calm held in the disputed border region housing the nearly 1000-year-old stone temples of Ta Moan and Ta Krabey from the Khmer empire.
The chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, was in intense talks with both sides to try to end to the conflict, said Hamzah Thayeb, an official at Indonesia's Foreign Ministry who oversees Asia-Pacific affairs.
Mr Natalegawa had been due in Cambodia yesterday but the trip was postponed because Indonesia was still negotiating terms on sending in military observers -- a move Thailand has rejected.
The dispute between Cambodia and Thailand involves small swaths of land along the border, with nationalistic politics fuelling tensions.
Clashes have erupted several times since 2008, when Cambodia's 11th-century Preah Vihear temple was given UN World Heritage status over Thailand's objections.
The clashes are the first since February, when eight soldiers and civilians were killed near the Preah Vihear temple, which suffered minor damage from exploding artillery and mortar shells that knocked small chucks out of a few of its walls.
The latest fighting is about 160km west of Preah Vihear and resumed late on Sunday night, both sides said.
A Thai army spokesman claimed Cambodian troops had opened fire and killed a Thai soldier while a Cambodian soldier on the front line claimed Thai snipers had killed one Cambodian soldier and wounded two others.
Cambodia's Defence Ministry said Thai forces fired 1000 artillery and mortar shells on Sunday, damaging the two temples and some shells had landed about 20km inside Cambodian territory, destroying a school and a dozen homes and forcing 17,000 people to flee.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a cease-fire but the two sides disagree on what triggered the fighting and differ on how to negotiate the conflicting territorial claims underlying the crisis.
Indonesia's efforts to mediate have been stymied so far by Thailand's reluctance to allow Indonesian military observers into the area of dispute. Thailand insists the problem should be solved through bilateral talks with Cambodia, but Cambodia wants third-party mediation.
The fighting comes as Thailand's military raises its profile in domestic politics ahead of elections expected by July. The army previously effectively vetoed a plan to have Indonesian observers monitor the border situation.
12 comments:
this dragging on and on, the sam old boring shit is being said, now when is cambodia deploying new weapons and surveillance cameras for proof.they being serious but not serious enough.
Its leaders got donations over 1 billion dollar for every year, but do not have $300 to buy a camera for recording.
It very serious how corrupted the CPP is.
its government taking this serious, they should . if the cpp wants to be in control, they should think this straight or else its their down full, personally i dont want any thai bastards winning but the government is playing like a wild goose.
Thai is chipping us little by little until there is no more. We need to put a stop to this action. This is a great opportunity to take back Kambuja's land that were lost to them. Thai's aggression will justify our action. We need to take our land back in order to keep Thai from being so close to our border and population.
Thai's aggression is like a cancer. If this cancer is not treated or stop, it will spread everywhere and eventualy will kill us. We need to push them back all the way to Malaysia. We need to control Bangkok, put Khmer government in Bangkok in order to control this cancer. Otherwise, there won't be any peace in the region.Thai's greediness is ruined the peaceful atmospher in Asia. Thai needs to be Asian (peaceful people) again instead of the Westerner (the aggressor).
Malaysia needs to join force with Kambuja in order to crush Thai. Malaysia can take the southern front while Kambuja will take the Norther and Eastern front. We'll divide up the land after the war end. This will teach Thai not to be so arrogant.
Khmer always respect Thai as a younger brother. Thai lost respect for Khmer. Khmer needs to teach the younger brother a lesson. The younger brother has lost his respect for the older brother.
Sam Rainsy party and other small party need to join force in order to take Khmer's land back. Sam Rainsy party and smaller party can adminster Bangkok after the war.
Well, after many rotten Thai dead soldiers are collected, Thai military resume the attack. Do you begin to understand why there is no permanant ceasefire? Thailand is the one that can stop or start this fight because Thailand is the one that started this fight. Do you see why ceasefire will never be permanant?
Laos, Mayama, Maylasia and Cambodia need to join force. We'll divide up the land after the war.
You guys can divide and get whatever you want, all I want are 7 Thai virgin girls which was promised to me by Allah.
12:53 PM, agree. Thai aggression against Cambodia is like a cancer. if we don't treat the cancer, it will spread everywhere. It's time we try to stop this Thai cancer by defending our territory at all cost. The Thai cancer/aggression has spread from Preah Vihear to Ta Krabey and Ta Moan Thom temples. Soon, it will spread to O'Smach, Anlong Veng, O'Bei Choan, Thmor Puok, Thmor Da in Pursat and so on. We must not allow it to spread, we must stop this Thai cancer at all cost.
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