Below: Damages to Causeway of Gopura II and Gopura III at Preah Vihear temple from Thai army shelling.
Writer: Wassana Nanuam and AGENCIES
Published: 26/05/2011
Bangkok Post
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has rejected allegations by Phnom Penh that the ancient Preah Vihear temple was attacked by Thai troops in recent border skirmishes.
He also said Indonesian observers would not be allowed to enter the disputed area unless the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting is held.
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An said on Monday that he would present to Unesco evidence of damage to the temple after Thai troops allegedly fired 414 artillery rounds at it during the deadly clashes from Feb 4 to 7.
Sok An led the Cambodian delegation to meet the Thai delegation led by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti at the Unesco-organised meeting in Paris which started yesterday and ends today.
Mr Abhisit said he was not worried about Cambodia's move as it was clear that Cambodia breached the World Heritage Commission agreement by deploying its troops at the temple.
Mr Abhisit also denied allegations recently made by Cambodia that Thailand had cancelled the planned GBC, saying the meeting can still be held.
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong sent a letter to Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, as Asean chair, on Tuesday, demanding a positive response from Thailand in implementing the "package of solutions" agreed to during the meeting of the foreign ministers of Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia on May 9 in Jakarta.
"It is absolutely unacceptable to act otherwise and inconsistent with the package," he said in the letter.
The package included the deployment of the observers from Indonesia and set the GBC meeting date.
Thailand allowed the Indonesian observer team but said their deployment, agreed at the Asean Summit early this month, to monitor a ceasefire on the border must only be done after Cambodia withdrew its troops from the disputed area and the GBC meeting was held.
Meanwhile, the deputy commander of the Suranaree Task Force, Wut Saengchak, said the Cambodian military has violated the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding 186 times.
Col Wut said that before February, the Cambodian military had violated the MoU 120 times. From February onward, they violated it 66 more times.
Moreover, the Cambodian military had reinforced its troops along the border as well as moving artillery launchers near the Preah Vihear temple area.
"They have also used wives and children of their soldiers as human shields in their military outposts," said Col Wut.
He said his task force had sent a letter to the Cambodian military asking them to relocate the women and children but they had not done so.
Col Wut said the Suranaree Task Force has prepared four locations to be outposts for the Indonesian survey teams which are 30 kilometres away from the Thai-Cambodian border near the Preah Vihear temple. But the teams would not be allowed to enter the 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has rejected allegations by Phnom Penh that the ancient Preah Vihear temple was attacked by Thai troops in recent border skirmishes.
He also said Indonesian observers would not be allowed to enter the disputed area unless the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting is held.
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An said on Monday that he would present to Unesco evidence of damage to the temple after Thai troops allegedly fired 414 artillery rounds at it during the deadly clashes from Feb 4 to 7.
Sok An led the Cambodian delegation to meet the Thai delegation led by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti at the Unesco-organised meeting in Paris which started yesterday and ends today.
Mr Abhisit said he was not worried about Cambodia's move as it was clear that Cambodia breached the World Heritage Commission agreement by deploying its troops at the temple.
Mr Abhisit also denied allegations recently made by Cambodia that Thailand had cancelled the planned GBC, saying the meeting can still be held.
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong sent a letter to Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, as Asean chair, on Tuesday, demanding a positive response from Thailand in implementing the "package of solutions" agreed to during the meeting of the foreign ministers of Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia on May 9 in Jakarta.
"It is absolutely unacceptable to act otherwise and inconsistent with the package," he said in the letter.
The package included the deployment of the observers from Indonesia and set the GBC meeting date.
Thailand allowed the Indonesian observer team but said their deployment, agreed at the Asean Summit early this month, to monitor a ceasefire on the border must only be done after Cambodia withdrew its troops from the disputed area and the GBC meeting was held.
Meanwhile, the deputy commander of the Suranaree Task Force, Wut Saengchak, said the Cambodian military has violated the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding 186 times.
Col Wut said that before February, the Cambodian military had violated the MoU 120 times. From February onward, they violated it 66 more times.
Moreover, the Cambodian military had reinforced its troops along the border as well as moving artillery launchers near the Preah Vihear temple area.
"They have also used wives and children of their soldiers as human shields in their military outposts," said Col Wut.
He said his task force had sent a letter to the Cambodian military asking them to relocate the women and children but they had not done so.
Col Wut said the Suranaree Task Force has prepared four locations to be outposts for the Indonesian survey teams which are 30 kilometres away from the Thai-Cambodian border near the Preah Vihear temple. But the teams would not be allowed to enter the 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area.
3 comments:
regardless Abhisite said, we needs to sue siam for this damages,, no excuses
Sok an needs to make ah siam or thai pay for the damages of the temples.
Our readers can say whatever, but the Cambo Govt is only good at suing and chasing Khmer for critical of government including put lighting at the Angkor Wat and the border issue with Vietnam.
If you can go to one of the top CPP officials to sue Thai for the damaged to the temple, the first it do is to sue and arrest you first for critical of the government and tell it what to do.
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