Cambodian Military Tests Rockets 180 Km From Thai Border

[webfact]

Cambodian military tests rockets

KAMPONG CHHNANG (AFP) -- Cambodia's military mounted a rare public test of rockets on Thursday amid a lingering troop standoff over disputed territory with neighbouring Thailand.

In their first public drill since the country's civil war ended more than a decade ago, troops fired some 200 rockets from truck-mounted launchers at an airfield 180 kilometres (about 110 miles) from the Thai border.

Cambodian defence ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat told AFP the display was "not about flexing our muscles" against Thailand.

"The drill is not a threat or a show of force against neigbouring countries or foreign countries," Chhum Socheat said before the rockets were fired in front of assembled media and top brass.

Muffled thumps could be heard as salvos of rockets landed far from the launch site.

"It is about the strengthening of the abilities of our forces in order to fulfil the duties of national defence against invaders," Chhum Socheat added.

Prime Minister Hun Sen declared in a speech last week the rockets would be fired to gauge the quality of the Russian and Chinese-made Cold War-era weapons which have long lain unused in warehouses.

Cambodia and Thailand have been locked in nationalist tensions and a troop standoff at their disputed border since July 2008, when Cambodia's 11th century Preah Vihear temple was granted UNESCO World Heritage status.

Four soldiers were killed in clashes in the temple area in 2008 and three more in a gunbattle last April. Smaller flare-ups continue to be reported between troops in the area.

The Thai-Cambodia border has never been fully demarcated, partly because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia, which ended in 1998.

The World Court ruled in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia, although its main entrance lies in Thailand. The exact boundary through the surrounding grounds remains in dispute.

Relations plunged further in November after Hun Sen appointed ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra as his economic adviser and then refused to extradite him to Thailand, which he fled to avoid a jail term for corruption.

Thailand's government downplayed the Cambodian rocket drill and said there had been no troop reinforcements on the disputed border.

"I don't think Cambodia wants to intimidate us, as we have sent them a clear signal that we don't want the dispute to go out of control and affect people in both countries," deputy Thai prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban said.

Thai government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said the drill was "nothing to do with us, they are not firing into our territory."

-- ©Copyright AFP 2010-03-04

Published with written approval from AFP.

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[Donnyboy]

more provocation by Hun Sen, how far will he go?

[geovalin]

more provocation by Hun Sen, how far will he go?

Non sense.

Thais do military tests all the time, this is something normal.

By the way, Thais do the exercise far closer from the border (please remember some incidents last year).

My guess is that these rockets became obsolete and instead of just through them away, the Cambodians organized this ridiculous show. As ridiculous as the same show in Thailand.

Edited March 4, 2010 by geovalin

[RKASA]

Seems prudent on their part to do the launches 180km away, as I am pretty sure truck mounted rockets don't have range enough to be mistaken as an attack. Plus dollar for donuts they told the Thai's ahead of time.

I like the line

"Cambodia and Thailand have been locked in nationalist tensions and a troop standoff at their disputed border since July 2008, when Cambodia's 11th century Preah Vihear temple was granted UNESCO World Heritage status."

I guess that puts an end to the issue.

[animatic]

By the Red Rockets glare

the bombs bursting in lairs,

gave truth to the light that

Hun Sen's not all there.

[LeungKen]

By the Red Rockets glare

the bombs bursting in lairs,

gave truth to the light that

Hun Sen's not all there.

So, philosopher of May,

With my blessing go your way!

If you win such friends as these

You need never have a care,

Cannon you may safely tease,

And may juggle, at your ease,

With the whizzbangs in the air:

Though the world be full of sadness,

You may still have fun and gladness,

And be happy for a day,

Playing where the cannon play.

With apologies to Herbert Asquith

[rfukata]

more provocation by Hun Sen, how far will he go?

Non sense.

Thais do military tests all the time, this is something normal.

By the way, Thais do the exercise far closer from the border (please remember some incidents last year).

My guess is that these rockets became obsolete and instead of just through them away, the Cambodians organized this ridiculous show. As ridiculous as the same show in Thailand.

agree - Thais conduct military might intimidation towards Cambodia and Lao all the time. I live near several Khmer and Lao border

and always hear & see the jets roaring through - conducting airshow intimidation along the borders. As I heard clearly from a

long time resident from Ubon ' we are showing the cambodians our air power'.

I think the Thais assume to little about the Cambodians..they have just as much military might and perhaps more power when

actual war happens.

[junglist]

By the Red Rockets glare

the bombs bursting in lairs,

gave truth to the light that

Hun Sen's not all there.

Nice you’re a poet and you didn’t know it but your feet showed it. There Longfellows. hahahahah

[Meridian007]

Seems prudent on their part to do the launches 180km away, as I am pretty sure truck mounted rockets don't have range enough to be mistaken as an attack. Plus dollar for donuts they told the Thai's ahead of time.

I like the line

"Cambodia and Thailand have been locked in nationalist tensions and a troop standoff at their disputed border since July 2008, when Cambodia's 11th century Preah Vihear temple was granted UNESCO World Heritage status."

I guess that puts an end to the issue.

Sadly the end of that issue was decided by the, (IMO biased), ICJ decision of 1962. (pg. 64 of the pdf file here)

...For these reasons, The Court, by nine votes to three, finds that the Temple of Preah Vihear is situated in territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia;

The issue since 2008 has been about the 4.6 square kilometers of "disputed land", north of the temple. Both sides have different interpretations of the ICJ's judgment in regards to how the judgment affects the border. Since the judgment focused on the the building rather than the land, (and some say the border), The 2 countries have been fighting over whether the Treaty of 1907's map should be used to define the border or not.

Also sadly, the court seems to have decided on that as well in 1962, as a few pages earlier from the above quote, they discuss how the border on the map will take precedence over the word "watershed" in the treaty of 1907.

I think a more interesting issue, (and one winnable by Thailand if they focused on it), is how Cambodia incorrectly, (IMO), defined the maritime border into the Gulf of Thailand in 1972. If Thailand gave up on Preah Vihear, (I know they can't right now, it would be political suicide), and focused on this, it could win back some of the oil fields in the gulf which are currently in disputed as well as in "joint development" areas. They have to decide whether they want to fight over scrub land around a temple, or a potential money maker in the oil fields. Either solution is possible, but I don't think both are. Territorial sovereignty is a touchy issue for most countries.

Edited March 4, 2010 by Meridian007

[ding]

Long enough distance from Thailand, it seems. Announced that it was no a threat BEFORE the test. Doesn't sound like saber rattling IMHO.

[webfact]

UPDATE

Cambodia tests rockets to guard against 'invaders'

by Suy Se

KAMPONG CHHNANG (AFP) -- Cambodia mounted Thursday a rare public test of rockets to protect against "invaders", amid a lingering military standoff over disputed territory with neighbouring Thailand.

In the first such public drill since the country's civil war ended more than a decade ago, troops fired some 200 rockets from truck-mounted launchers at an airfield 180 kilometres (about 110 miles) from the Thai border.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said the exercise was "not about showing any military muscles", even though he is at loggerheads with the Thai government, but said it was to prepare for the defence of his country.

"This is a normal drill and preparation to defend the nation in case there is an invasion," Hun Sen said during a separate ceremony in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh shortly after the rockets were fired.

Hun Sen has recently made a number of fiery speeches railing against Thai "invaders" and "thieves" in disputed territory around an 11th century temple on their border, where there have been deadly clashes in the past two years.

Shortly before the weapons were fired in front of assembled media and top brass at Kampong Chhnang, some 100 kilometres from Phnom Penh, defence ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat also said the drill was not meant as a show of force.

"It is about the strengthening of the abilities of our forces in order to fulfil the duties of national defence against invaders," Chhum Socheat added.

Muffled thumps could be heard as salvos of rockets landed.

Hun Sen declared that the test was a success, saying targets 20, 30 and 40 kilometres away from the launch site were hit.

"(We) have had these kinds of weapons since the 1980s, but we have stored them in warehouses for too long. So now the weapons needed to be taken out to test fire to see whether they exploded or not," Hun Sen said.

Cambodia and Thailand have been locked in nationalist tensions and a troop standoff at their disputed border since July 2008, when Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was granted UNESCO World Heritage status.

Four soldiers were killed in clashes in the temple area in 2008 and three more in a gunbattle last April. Smaller flare-ups continue to be reported between troops in the area.

The Thai-Cambodia border has never been fully demarcated, partly because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia, which ended in 1998.

The World Court ruled in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia, although its main entrance lies in Thailand. The exact boundary through the surrounding grounds remains in dispute.

Relations plunged further in November after Hun Sen appointed ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra as his economic adviser and then refused to extradite him to Thailand, which he fled to avoid a jail term for corruption.

Thailand's government downplayed the Cambodian rocket drill and said there had been no troop reinforcements on the disputed border.

"I don't think Cambodia wants to intimidate us, as we have sent them a clear signal that we don't want the dispute to go out of control and affect people in both countries," deputy Thai prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban said.

Thai government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said the drill was "nothing to do with us, they are not firing into our territory."

-- ©Copyright AFP 2010-03-04

Published with written approval from AFP.

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[animatic]

By the Red Rockets glare

the bombs bursting in lairs,

gave truth to the light that

Hun Sen's not all there.

So, philosopher of May,

With my blessing go your way!

If you win such friends as these

You need never have a care,

Cannon you may safely tease,

And may juggle, at your ease,

With the whizzbangs in the air:

Though the world be full of sadness,

You may still have fun and gladness,

And be happy for a day,

Playing where the cannon play.

With apologies to Herbert Asquith

Lovely!

I come from the land of Longfellow's Tales of a Wayside Inn.

[webfact]

THAI-CAMBODIA TIES

Bangkok has no problem with Cambodia's military exercise : PM

By The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minster Abhisit Vejjajiva downplayed on Thursday the Cambodian rocket test, saying Thailand has no problem with the exercise as it was a domestic affairs.

"I have already talked to our military commanders before the Cambodian rocket test. They know the situation very well," Abhisit told reporters.

"Military exercise is a normal practice. We also have our own drill recently."

Some 200 rounds from the Soviet-made, BM21 rocket launcher were fired in the mountains of remote Kampong Chhnang province, some 80 kilometres north of the capital Phnom Penh, on Thursday.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said the exercise was "not about showing any military muscles", even though he is at loggerheads with the Thai government.

He said the drill was aimed at preparing for the defence of his country.

"This is a normal drill and preparation to defend the nation in case there is an invasion," Hun Sen said during a separate ceremony in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh shortly after the rockets were fired.

Thailand and Cambodia are in loggerhead over the disputed areas adjacent to the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear as well as Hun Sen's appointment of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as his advisor.

Hun Sen often launched verbal attacks to Thai leaders to show his disappointment over the issue of Preah Vihear.

Shortly before the weapons were fired in front of assembled media and top brass at Kampong Chhnang, defence ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat also said the drill was not meant as a show of force.

"It is about the strengthening of the abilities of our forces in order to fulfil the duties of national defence against invaders," Chhum Socheat added.

Muffled thumps could be heard as salvos of rockets landed.

Hun Sen declared that the test was a success, saying targets 20, 30 and 40 kilometres away from the launch site were hit.

"(We) have had these kinds of weapons since the 1980s, but we have stored them in warehouses for too long. So now the weapons needed to be taken out to test fire to see whether they exploded or not," Hun Sen said.

-- The Nation 2010-03-04

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[gemini81]

Not too intimidating wth their dinosaur era lack of technology. probably told thailand before, or just a "statement" by Sen. Those old antique weapons would pose more of a threat to themselves than any enemy. vietnam era at best. their soldiers look liek they're already served 5 years as POW's.

[mca]

Provocation from Cambodia? The sheer hypocrisy of Thailand!

[ballpoint]

Provocation from Cambodia? The sheer hypocrisy of Thailand!

Maybe it would be if you weren't making it up.

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minster Abhisit Vejjajiva downplayed on Thursday the Cambodian rocket test, saying Thailand has no problem with the exercise as it was a domestic affairs.

"I have already talked to our military commanders before the Cambodian rocket test. They know the situation very well," Abhisit told reporters.

"Military exercise is a normal practice. We also have our own drill recently."

What is it about Abhisit's statement that says it was provocation?

[animatic]

Cambodia mounted Thursday a rare public test of rockets

In the first such public drill since the country's civil war ended more than a decade ago

"This is a normal drill and preparation to defend the nation in case there is an invasion," Hun Sen said

From "rare" and "last time was 10 years ago"... we go to Hun Sen blathering about how it's just a "normal" drill.

Yeah normal drill once a decade LOL.

The best questions are:

How many misfires?

How many duds?

And friendlies killed by accident?

[mca]

Maybe it would be if you weren't making it up.

Double drat. You got me there ballpoint.

(Though I certainly hope there aren't folks out there who thought my post was serious. That would be a concern)

[hammered]

Provocation from Cambodia? The sheer hypocrisy of Thailand!

Maybe it would be if you weren't making it up.

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minster Abhisit Vejjajiva downplayed on Thursday the Cambodian rocket test, saying Thailand has no problem with the exercise as it was a domestic affairs.

"I have already talked to our military commanders before the Cambodian rocket test. They know the situation very well," Abhisit told reporters.

"Military exercise is a normal practice. We also have our own drill recently."

What is it about Abhisit's statement that says it was provocation?

All the provocation comes form Hun Sen who is bust trying to make sure the Cambodians dont notice that Vietnam is moving its border a little westwards right now. A Thai enemy helps.

[Ricardo]

<snip for brevity>

Shortly before the weapons were fired in front of assembled media and top brass at Kampong Chhnang, defence ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat also said the drill was not meant as a show of force.

<snip for brevity>

-- The Nation 2010-03-04

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

Why bother to invite the media, when you're testing to see whether these old munitions still work, unless it's not also meant as some sort of show of force ?

[geriatrickid]

Why bother to invite the media, when you're testing to see whether these old munitions still work, unless it's not also meant as some sort of show of force ?

Because Hun Sen believes in being open.

I don't think anyone is going to be intimidated by those old rockets and I am sort of happy they have been detonated. It means less rockets available to go boom.

Edited March 5, 2010 by geriatrickid