Cambodia Threatens War With Thailand Within 24 Hours

[oosik]

here we go !!! Maybe a good war will help the thai politicians to get their sh*t strait

There is no such thing as a good war. maybe time for you too head back home and get your head out of the darkness

Perhaps both sides should apply the King Solomon tactic and divide the temple property in half. Tourists can pay to enter on the Thai property, then pay the Cambodians to leave. Either that or blow the damned thing up so there is nothing to fight over. Religious wars suck!

[sabaijai]

Not a religious war. The temple itself is not in dispute. Map of area in dispute, with respect to KPV, from The Nation:

[Sunderland]

Seems more likely that the Thais will start killing each other in Bangkok than launching a full scale war along the Cambodian border.

[Drafi]

Seems more likely that the Thais will start killing each other in Bangkok than launching a full scale war along the Cambodian border.

The question is 'cui bono'? Who will have a political profit from stepping up a border conflict right now? At least those in favor for a new military coup in Thailand might see some profit in a limited war with Cambodia which destabilizes Thailand and shifts power to the military.

[auserb]

Ok guys, and girls, .... can anybody tell me ??/

What is the situation now on the border ???

Are there any conflicts, fights or???? just a peace and quiet?

[Thaddeus]

Ok guys, and girls, .... can anybody tell me ??/

What is the situation now on the border ???

Are there any conflicts, fights or???? just a peace and quiet?

Pretty much peaceful..... haven't heard any planes flying overhead for days, there was a helicopter the other day, but that is quite normal.

[bergen]

Ok guys, and girls, .... can anybody tell me ??/

What is the situation now on the border ???

Are there any conflicts, fights or???? just a peace and quiet?

Quiet around KPV. Thai and Khmer soldiers are doing joint patrols. No withdrawel of troops .........yet.

[Bangyai]

seen many people on internet showing off photos of polished rtac's F16s in their hangers..........

when it comes to war the siamese are the french of asia....

spot on....

That's a tough sell... Thailand was the only country in Asia never to be colonized, save Japan. n They haven't won everything, but they've some pretty impressive wins, too. Rama 5 had gotten the Thai empire pretty powerful, expanding the borders on al sides, even controlling parts of China. The Thais were also the only country in SE Asia to attack anyone outside of SE Asia (Sri Lanka) ... Although technically speaking they weren't Thai quite yet ... the Country currently known as Nakhon Sri Thammarat attacked Sri Lanka, but were shown the door when many of the Tamils they hired turned on them on the battlefield, so weakening the country that it accepted membership into Siam.

was not colonized not because it had a mighty army to thwart the western powers but it was mainly due due to the fact that siam had became very war weary after many centuries of wars with her neighbours and particularly after getting painful punishings by the burmese which to this day is fed into school children like their version of the jews holocaust.......

anyhow subsequent rulers realized that wars were to be avoided at almost any cost..........check out how much concessions they had to make to the brits and the french to save itself from being colonized...............

as for the japanese.......instead of standing up to the agressors...........they let the japs cross it's territory to attack allies forces and it's neighbours.............they even decleared war on the americans and the brits .............

Couldn't agree more. Historically Siam is usually the weaker country, especially relative to Burma. Cannot remember how many time the Burmese has invaded Siam, rob their subject, burned the cities kill the men and bring home Siamese cute girls. There are only a handful account whereby The Siamese managed to defense for themselves. Not even sure if they have even tried to invade Burma before.

I know that many Siamese will be angry at me. But that's a fact.

Just to clarify the point, Thailand invaded Burma several times most notably under King Naresuan who actually took the Thai Army right up to Hongsawadi ( the capital ) with a view to sacking it only to find it had been burnt down by the Arakanese. He then took the Thai army deeper into Burma and invested Toungoo where the king of Hongsawadhi was being held by the viceroy of Toungoo. The Thais laid seige to the city but were unable to capture it. The Thais also attacked Burma on other occasions with a view to securing the Indian ocean seaports of Mergui, Tennasarim and Tavoy for their valuable trade.

In all, the Thais and Burmese fought with each other 44 times. I can thoroughly recommend Prince Damrong Rajanubhabs book, Our Wars With The Burmese ( Thai Rop Phama ) for a full account of the first 24. This book is the standard Thai version of events taught to Thai students but draws heavily from Burmese records as well as early European accounts.

[Bangyai]

For a useful collection of maps and historical data on the border check the following link.

www.geocities.jp/shinji_th/satelthai/projects/khaophraviharn/index.html

[DeadRock]

Mr Don,

Learn your history and remember how big Cambodia was in it's day, like Western Australia, shrinking to the size of Victoria, sad but true lot's have died for the sake of soil. The Thais have this hands down. At all costs to the Chinese.

[wayfarer108]

Thai and Khmer PMs to meet in Beijing over border tension

By The Nation, Agencies

The Prime Ministers of Thailand and Cambodia plan to hold talks in Beijing to defuse long running border dispute, which has escalated into a deadly gunfight along the overlapping claims last week.

Both leaders are expected to meet on the sidelines of the Asian and European Summit scheduled for October 24 to 25.

Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said he will seek opportunity to meet with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen on the sideline of the Beijing summit.

Somchai will leave for Beijing on October 23. The Beijing trip will be first oversea trip of Somchai, who took office in late September. Earlier he cancelled his familiarisation trips to some Asean countries to tend to the ongoing political crisis and the ongoing street protests against his administration.

In Phnom Penh, advisor to PM Hun Sen, Sri Thamrong, confirmed that the Cambodian prime minister will hold a bilateral talk with his Chinese counterpart, premier Wen Jiabao and one with PM Somchai.

Hun Sen departed for China on Monday from Phnom Penh.

It would be the first meeting between the two leaders since a deadly fighting on Oct 15 between Thai and Cambodian soldiers in a disputed border area near the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple.

Border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia flared in July when Preah Vihear was awarded United Nations World Heritage status, rekindling long-simmering tensions over ownership of land surrounding the temple.

The tension was escalated to fighting last week when Cambodian troops at Preah Vihear opened fires on Thai soldiers. A Khmer soldier was killed and many Thai troops were injured.

Following the fighting, both sides hold an emergency talk and agreed to conduct joint border patrols. The day after ended with both Cambodian and Thai officials agreeing to joint border patrols -- which have not started yet -- but offered no lasting solution to the military stand-off along the border.

Meanwhile a Thai-Cambodia talk of senior military officials aimed at defusing border tension has been postponed.

Senior army representatives had been due to meet with their Cambodian counterparts on Tuesday in the Cambodian town of Siem Reap, but negotiations have been put off until later in the week.

A Thai army spokesman said the regional border meeting scheduled on October 21 was postponed until they receive a mandate from the Parliament.

"On the Thai side, we have to get approval from parliament before the government can sign any pacts."

The talks would now be held on Thursday or Friday, still in Siem Reap.

Thai and Cambodian border has been quiet and remained calm during the weekend. Soldiers from both could be seen chatting with each other.

[AlKing]

I would not like to be in Somchai shoes at the moment. He he give even an inch, the PAD will come down on him hard (like in Noppadon case). How can you go to a negotiation without something in your pocket to trade?

I guess he will return with ZERO progress.

[Payboy]

I guess he will return with ZERO progress.

i wont be so sure of that - about "return" i mean....