Thai Troops Enter Disputed Territory On Thai-cambodian Border

[sriracha john]

Cambodian PM gives Thailand border ultimatum

PHNOM PENH (Reuters / 40 minutes ago) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen gave Thailand an ultimatum on Monday to withdraw troops from a disputed stretch of jungle-clad border within 24 hours or his forces would turn the area into a "death zone."

"Thai troops must withdraw from Cambodian land by tomorrow at the latest," Hun Sen told reporters after meeting Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat in Phnom Penh. "We will not allow them to occupy our land."

The Thai army denied any incursion by its soldiers near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, which sits on the natural escarpment dividing the two nations and which has been a source of enmity for decades.

"We see that territory is our land, too. What would it mean if we retreated," Sompong to reporters in Bangkok.

"If the Cambodians think it is their land, too, we should start bilateral talks to sort that out very quickly."

Tensions have been high since July when around 1,000 soldiers on both sides faced off only yards apart in trenches dug into a hillside that until 10 years ago was under the control of remnants of the Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot's guerrilla army.

The area is still littered with landmines, and two Thai soldiers lost legs earlier this month the day after a brief exchange of fire in which soldiers from both sides were wounded.

Cambodian Deputy Defense Minister General Neang Phat said more troops were heading to the area to oppose up to 500 Thai soldiers who had crossed the border.

"We are building up our troops at the border in response to Thailand but I cannot reveal the number," he told reporters.

Hun Sen said 84 Thai soldiers were "camping" on Cambodian soil about 30 meters (yards) away from his own forces.

At the heart of the dispute is 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub near the temple, which the International Court of Justice awarded to Cambodia in 1962, a ruling that has rankled many in Thailand ever since.

This year's flaring of the long-running argument started when protest groups seeking to overthrow the Thai government criticized Bangkok's backing of Cambodia's bid to list Preah Vihear as a U.N. World Heritage site.

[AlKing]

Cambodian PM gives Thailand border ultimatum

Sound like a war is unavoidable. Better book my ticket for London.

[sriracha john]

War threat

Cambodian PM Hun Sen ordered fresh troops to the border with an ultimatum to Thailand: Pull military forces back today or the border will become a "life and death battle zone". Hun Sen told reporters in Phnom Penh that he had warned Thailand's visiting Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat that without a quick pullout, Thai soldiers could face being fired upon by Cambodian troops in "large-scale armed conflict." "If they cannot withdraw tonight, they must withdraw tomorrow," said Hun Sen. "We have tried to be patient, but I told the Thai foreign minister today that the area is a life-and-death battle zone." His comments came after talks with Sompong in Phnom Penh. Sompong also met with his counterpart Hor Namhong in a bid to resolve the dispute over the area near the ancient Preah Vihear temple. The Cambodian foreign minister said yesterday's talks failed to end in agreement because his Thai opposite "could not sign anything." Hun Sen and Hor Namhong both told reporters that Cambodia could choose to take the border dispute before an international court if it was not resolved soon. The comments made by the Cambodian PM and foreign minister surprised Sompong and Thai officials, who were adamant that the meetings had not been a failure. Sompong said no Thai troop withdrawals would be made from the 4.6 sq km overlapping area between Kantharalak district in Si Saket and Preah Vihear province of Cambodia until the dispute over ownership is cleared through negotiations in the Joint Boundary Commission that was set up to demarcate the land border.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.net/topstories/tops...s.php?id=131403

[sriracha john]

Cambodia ratchets up border row

Hun Sen: Withdraw troops or face conflict

Cambodia yesterday told Thailand to immediately withdraw troops from the disputed border area near the Preah Vihear temple or risk a "large-scale armed conflict". Cambodian PM Hun Sen told reporters in Phnom Penh that he had warned Thailand's visiting Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat that without a quick pullout, Thai soldiers could face being fired upon by Cambodian troops, in a further escalation of long-simmering tensions. "If they cannot withdraw tonight, they must withdraw tomorrow," said Hun Sen. "We have tried to be patient, but I told the Thai foreign minister today that the area is a life-and-death battle zone." His comments came after talks with Sompong in Phnom Penh.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/141008_News/14Oct2008_news01.php

[sriracha john]

Cambodia warns of armed conflict with Thailand

Cambodia's Prime Minister, Hun Sen has warned Thailand to immediately withdraw troops from a disputed border area or risk large-scale armed conflict.

He warned visiting Thai foreign minister, Sompong Amornviwat, that without a quick pullout, Thai troops could face armed opposition.

Tensions have been high since July when around 1,000 soldiers from both countries took up positions near the 900 year-old Preah Vihear temple.

The temple was awarded world heritage status by the United Nations cultural body UNESCO, angering nationalists in Thailand who still claim ownership of the site.

Mr Hun Sen says Thai troops must withdraw this week.

Soon after returning to Bangkok, Sompong announced he will discuss the Cambodian request with the Thai prime minister before taking any action.

He says more meetings between the two countries are the best way to solve the stand-off.

- ABC Radio (Australia) / 10 minutes ago

[sriracha john]

Cambodia warns of 'large-scale armed conflict' with Thailand

Cambodia has warned Thailand to immediately withdraw troops from a disputed border area or risk "large-scale armed conflict" as the neighbours failed to reach a negotiated settlement.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen told reporters he had warned visiting Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornviwat that without a quick pullout, Thai troops could face enemy fire, in a further escalation of long simmering tensions.

"If they cannot withdraw tonight, tomorrow they must withdraw," Hun Sen said.

"We try to be patient, but I told the Thai foreign minister today that the area is a life-and-death battle zone," he added.

His comments came after talks with Mr Sompong in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. Mr Sompong also met with his counterpart Hor Namhong in a bid to resolve the dispute over the area near the ancient Preah Vihear temple.

Hor Namhong told reporters that while he was meeting with Mr Sompong, he had received word that about 80 Thai soldiers had attempted to cross the border near the Khmer temple into Cambodia.

"I told my Thai counterpart that sending a lot of troops along the border is dangerous and can provoke a large-scale armed conflict," he told reporters, adding: "Even one shot can lead to a large-scale armed conflict."

Major General Srey Deok, who oversees the Cambodian military in the disputed area, said: "Thai troops have already entered the area. They are confronting our troops."

But Thai border commander Major General Kanok Netrakavaesana said his troops were merely on patrol, noting: "The Thai army has a responsibility to take care of the area... We stay where we stay."

The Cambodian foreign minister said Monday's talks failed to end in agreement because his Thai opposite number "could not sign on anything."

Soon after returning to Bangkok, Mr Sompong said he would discuss the Cambodian request with the Thai prime minister before taking any action.

"I will investigate the facts first and I will bring this topic to the prime minister," he said, but added that he thought more meetings between the two countries were the best way to solve the stand-off.

Tensions between the neighbours first flared in July after the temple was awarded world heritage status by the United Nations cultural body UNESCO, angering nationalists in Thailand who still claim ownership of the site.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the temple belongs to Cambodia, but surrounding land remains in dispute.

Tensions escalated into a military confrontation in which up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops faced off for six weeks. The two countries have swapped accusations of violating each other's territory in the dispute.

Both sides agreed to pull back in mid-August, leaving just a few dozen soldiers stationed near the temple. But talks on the eventual withdrawal of troops were postponed later that month amid political upheaval in Thailand.

Hun Sen and Hor Namhong both told reporters that Cambodia could opt to take the border dispute before an international court if the neighbours cannot resolve the dispute soon.

Much of the Cambodian-Thai border remains in dispute, and the slow pace of mine clearance has delayed demarcation.

- AFP / 2 hours ago

[george]

This thread continues here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Cambodia-Thr...-2-t217504.html