Mom Kunthear
Photo by: Sovan Philong
Villagers in Oddar Meanchey province flee fighting along the Thai-Cambodian border in April.
Dozens more families living along the border in Oddar Meanchey province fled their homes yesterday as reports of frontline military reinforcements raised the spectre of a repeat of April’s deadly clashes near Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples, local and military officials said.
Uon Ri, chief of Thmar Daun commune, located in Banteay Ampil district, said yesterday that 55 families had now left their homes to seek shelter at the Wat Ku pagoda, about 15 kilometres from the border, as well as the Boeung Trakoun border gate.
“We have not been ordered from the top to leave home. They themselves are in fear because they live near the frontline,” he said.
Phar Ny, a 31-year-old resident of Thmar Daun village, said yesterday that she feared for the safety of her three children and was gathering her clothes and belongings in preparation for the walk away from the border.
“I have to run to find a safe place before the shooting erupts because I have small children,” she said, adding that she was afraid that reported reinforcements of Thai troops signalled preparation for an attack.
Phar Ny said other villagers who had not yet decided to flee were remaining at home, keeping away from rice fields and plantations and staying on alert.
Pich Sinath, Thamar Daun village chief, said Cambodians were panicking because they believed that an attack by Thailand was imminent. Just 20 out of 76 families in the village remained in their homes, he said.
Tens of thousands fled homes on both sides of the border near Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples during heavy fighting in April and May that left at least 18 dead.
Tensions have risen in recent days after Thailand withdrew from the UNESCO World Heritage Committee during a meeting in Paris after it was unable to derail Cambodia’s proposed management plan for the Preah Vihear temple, a longtime source of conflict between the neighbouring kingdoms.
Military officials said the border situation remained steady.
Mai Mao, deputy commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces division 41, which is stationed at Ta Moan temple, said yesterday that the situation at the frontline was “normal”. “We are prepared to protect territorial integrity, but today the people are in turmoil and ran down from the mountain,” he said. “They panicked and ran in and out. It is their right to find safe shelter.”
Meanwhile, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the border conflict would not derail national elections scheduled for July 3, while Thai military officials said there was “no plan” to attack Cambodia, the Bangkok Post reported yesterday.
9 comments:
Thailand never stop bullying and intimidating its neighbors...
This picture remind me about khmer refugees escape to Thailand...1979! Thai black sodier abuses them like animals..
Khmer around the world; does it brings back the memory as former refugee? Many of us have been there in 1979 before we were allowed to go to other countries. We were living under the hot sun without knowing what will bring us tomorrow. We were living in the refugee camp depending on the UN to provide us foods. Thailand was making so much monies from refugee crisis. Barb wire fence surround the camp like we were prisoner. If you went outside the fence to buy foods (រត់ពន្ឋណ៍); your sentenced was either shot or beat you to death. UN workers had to intervene to help Khmer refugee sometimes from Thai's soldiers. Some of you might remembered how Thai's soldiers came into the refugee camp drunk starting touching women and caused problem when Khmer men fought back. They brought the entire army unit and locked down the entire camp. The abused we went through was inhuman. In the morning 8AM, if Cambodian refugee forget to stand or stop when the Thai's national anthem was playing, Thai's soldiers beat the refugees and shave their head. If the refugees forgot to wear ID badge, the Thai's army kick them and beat them. If they play (ខ្លាគ្លោក) and the Thai's soldier caught you; they will make you drink fish saurce and eat the (ខ្លាគ្លោក). I also received report from the Vietnamese refugees side that there are incidients such as Thai's soldiers rapped their women infront of them and the guy commited suicide by cut his own stomach opened infront of the Thai's soldiers as protest because he cannot bare watching his sister got rapped by so many Thai's soldiers. Many Khmer can attested to the refugee experiences in Thailand. Why did Thai's treated Cambodian so cruel? They also treated the Burmese similarly and there were complaint by Human Right groups. Is this part of the Thai's culture? Somtime, I wonder why Thai's soldiers are cruel and why they treated another human being like animal.
Thai black soldier who done this kind of cruelty...I've seen khmer refugees beaten like animals by Thai black soldier, they abused our people like animals...You know sometime people forgot wore the id#tag stuff like that?
I am sure those soldiers that were stationed to oversee the refugee camps are alive. I want to know their response. Why did they hate us so much? Khmer had no place to go and they were not a threat at all. Why push us to the corner and hunt us like animal? If you look at wikipedia regarding phrea vihea or phnom dong reak, you find story about how Thai's soldiers dumped thousands of Khmer refugees into the canyon(ជ្រោះភ្នុំ). Many felt to death including women, children, and others. Did any body do investigation? No. Why?
I have great hate and bitterness for Thailand and its citizens. It wasn't just Cambodian that Thai were mistreated, it was also the Vietnamese escaping the fall of Saigon. Their boats were seized, the occupants were robbed and killed, women were rapped, and children were toss aboard. Even Laotians who are Thai closest brothers were facing abuse by Thai guards in the refugees camps in the 80's. Also, Karan Burmese refugees living in refugees camps now are facing the same manor of abuse as Cambodians refugees in the 80's. I don't know why Thai are so cruel and very hostile to their neighbors. I hope someday, Thai will experience the same pain. Bad karma will come back to them. They are Buddhist, they should know.
All refugees people escaped to Thailand during 1979 were abused and killed by Thai soldier, including Burmese, Lao, Hmong, Vietnamese, Cambodian, i'm trying to stir any conflict here, but telling the truth, i have been there and experienced the abused by Thai soldiers...I think Thailand do not like other nations from other country to come into their country, i think Thailand is racist country! Thailand hated different nationality who came to their country, they don't like It!
correction= i'm not trying to stir up or escalate any conflict...But It's true that Thai soldier abused and killed so many refugees people...
I hope khmer army give them another big lesson...
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