Thai-Cambodian Border Clashes Kill Six

[Laughing Gravy]

It is a very good way to deflect issues at home. Unite the Thai people with 'primitive nationalism' and rally the people against their enemies (the Cambodians).

Either way for ex-pats or Thais these are worrying times in Thailand.

[hungryhippo]

Does anyone know if Cambodia actually has any villages around the area? From the maps I've seen it looks like there are a bunch of Thai towns and villages but nothing except jungle on the Cambodian side.

[Mugg]

The clash broke out shortly after Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya finished a Joint Commission meeting with his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong in Siem Reap. They told reporters there that they were happy with the improving relations and agreed to use peaceful means to settle the boundary conflict.

Glad the talks went well, hate to see what would have happened it is didn't.

[JamesGoyder]

Thai refugees in Kantharalak:

A house in Ban Phu Saron which was hit by a shell, no-one in it luckily:

Edited February 5, 2011 by JamesGoyder

[JamesGoyder]

Ban Phu Saron School with a hole in the roof:

The school buildings where another shell struck:

Edited February 5, 2011 by JamesGoyder

[JamesGoyder]

A local admiring a shellhole in Ban Phum Saron:

[JamesGoyder]

The red flag marks where a shell landed at Ban Phum Saron School. There was a sports day and all the children were playing on the field in the background. I have no idea of the timescale of the shells landing though so it is quite possible the children might all have been in the shelter by the time this one hit.

[JamesGoyder]

If you will forgive me a little journalism...

I am currently in Kantharalak on the border between Thailand and Cambodia. There was fierce fighting yesterday with the village of Ban Phum Saron targeted for reasons which remain unclear.

Only one civilian was killed but the death toll could have been far higher as around 20 shells landed in a populated area. Three shells hit Ban Phum Saron School, which was having a sports day, but fortunately no-one was killed or badly injured.

All that remains of the one civilian casualty, a 50 year old Thai man, is a chunk of charred flesh about five yards from where the fatal shell landed. Presumably he had been working in the fields and was running back to the village when the shell struck.

Ban Phum Saron has been evacuated but there are still a number of local people checking out the shell craters and posing for photos. The atmosphere is more one of curiousity than fear and there is no perceptible undercurrent of animosity towards the Cambodians just a couple of kilometres to the East. People seem more intrigued than angry.

In a camp set up at the police station in Kantharalak some of the refugees who have fled the fighting look distinctly Khmer and there is a sense that this is a political problem and not a local one. Although the refugees are being fed by volunteers the sanitation facilities are barely adequate to cope with the sheer number of people and it is clearly not a suitable long term housing solution. With more fighting and fatalities reported at Phu Ma Khua this morning it might be a little while before they can safely return to their homes.

[gotlost]

http://www.thaivisa....83#entry4198183

Chong Jom Boarder Crossing closed.

Edited February 5, 2011 by gotlost

[Buchholz]

Ban Phu Saron School with a hole in the roof:

The school buildings where another shell struck:

In this photo taken on July 7, 2010, Cambodian army frontline commander General Chea Tara claps during a celebration in the complex of Cambodia's 11th century Hindu Preah Vihear temple. Tara said the temple was damaged when fighting with Thailand began Friday, Feb. 4, 2011.

AP

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//110205/481/urn_publicid_ap_org_a6f7d4e6a779431e9531e21b8ca28199/

[animatic]

Ban Phu Saron School with a hole in the roof:

The school buildings where another shell struck:

It would appear the Thais are getting their butt kicked....

If some nationalist soldier fired first, as seems to be suspected, but never admitted, he has a lot to be accountable for.

Edited February 5, 2011 by animatic

[SomTumTiger]

I hope the violence stops. Other than that I don't give a crap about this conflict. Not sure why so many are passionate about it. Not your country, after all.

[JamesGoyder]

Ban Phu Saron School with a hole in the roof:

The school buildings where another shell struck:

It would appear the Thais are getting their butt kicked....

If some nationalist soldier fired first, as seems to be suspected, but never admitted, he has a lot to be accountable for.

I'm on the Thai side of the border, have no idea what is happening on Cambodian side so couldn't comment on whether anyone was getting their 'butt kicked'.

There doesn't seem to be a strong military presence near Ban Phu Saron today so I think the only people who were affected here were civilians. I wasn't here yesterday though so I'm speculating.

[SomTumTiger]

All that civilian damage - must be from those "Highly trained Crack Cambodian Commandos" people keep saying exist. Showing up to war in their Toyota Vigos.

[JamesGoyder]

A coffin for the 23 year old Thai soldier who was killed at Pra ma khua in the early hours of Saturday morning:

He looks very young:

[JamesGoyder]

A coffin for the 23 year old Thai soldier who was killed at Pra ma khua in the early hours of Saturday morning:

He looks very young:

He is very young, only 20, not 23 as a military spokesman originally stated.

Edited February 5, 2011 by JamesGoyder

[TimC]

This 'crap' had better not interfere with my Cambodian visa run or I'll be writing the U.N. Security council myself to complain about the lack of Immigration Security ... or NOT! This is getting serious as it's beginning to interfere with tourism ...

[phiphidon]

DPM Suthep denies Thais soldiers captured by Cambodian troops, expects clashes between Thai and Cambodian solders will not intensify /MCOT

TVThai Cambodian press reported Cambodia admitted to firing first but situation escalated because of Thai troops' strong reaction /TAN_Network

DPM Suthep denies Thais soldiers captured by Cambodian troops

How many more times is the Deputy Prime Minister going to lie only to be proved to be wrong. This man was chosen to be deputy leader and in charge of the CRES (before he made way for the Defence Minister who I am sure is most trustworthy)?

[antsrule]

Which Englishman said something like "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel"? Dr. Johnson?

At least it isn't a Buddhist temple, given that the Buddha taught all suffering is caused by attachment.

Thank you, that pretty much sums it up

[whybother]

DPM Suthep denies Thais soldiers captured by Cambodian troops, expects clashes between Thai and Cambodian solders will not intensify /MCOT

TVThai Cambodian press reported Cambodia admitted to firing first but situation escalated because of Thai troops' strong reaction /TAN_Network

DPM Suthep denies Thais soldiers captured by Cambodian troops

How many more times is the Deputy Prime Minister going to lie only to be proved to be wrong. This man was chosen to be deputy leader and in charge of the CRES (before he made way for the Defence Minister who I am sure is most trustworthy)?

Was he lying? Was he stating what he knew at the time? Were Thai soldiers "captured" by Cambodian troops?

[philhal2]

US urges restraint on Thai-Cambodia border

WASHINGTON, (AFP) - The United States on Friday urged Thailand and Cambodia to show "maximum restraint" after soldiers exchanged fire on the two countries' border, leaving at least two people dead.

"The United States urges both sides to exercise maximum restraint and take all necessary steps to reduce tensions and avoid further conflict," a State Department spokesperson told AFP.

"We are closely monitoring the situation," she said.

Thailand and Cambodia each accused each other of starting the skirmishes near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, which has long been a source of dispute between the Southeast Asian nations.

Cambodia said it planned to take the incident to the UN Security Council.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-02-05

Give all the politicians and the religious leaders along with those involved in the dispute a gun and put them in an arena . End of problem . These are the people who want someone else to die for the issues they create , but never themselves .

Resolutions and Solutions to solve the dispute will come quickly when it is their own life on the line .

Edited February 6, 2011 by philhal2

[animatic]

All that civilian damage - must be from those "Highly trained Crack Cambodian Commandos" people keep saying exist. Showing up to war in their Toyota Vigos.

Or they have no compunctions about causing direct damage to any target in Thailand to put a stop to the battle sooner. I have no doubts they knew exactly what targets they were hitting, the ones that cause the most political damage. Which is why I posted what I did above.

[LomSak27]

You really think the Cambodians started it?

Man you have be years on the leo and grey matter gone to porridge to give it much credence.