Renewed Thai-Cambodian Border Fighting: Army

[Ricci]

I´m sitting safe by the computer 9000 km from the warzone but I have all the answeres. I wonder why nobody asks me?

i'm sitting worried by the computer 70 km from the latest mortars and i DO NOT have any answers

i only want them to stop this frikkin bullsh!t

[warfie]

I suppose you guys above missed the posts and images by the western guy in this forum or the ones posted by Al Jazeera...unless you think they are 'government news' too. *sigh*

Now what are you talking about. Aljazeere does not have a man there they take there news if any from other sources. Can you point out the images on this thread that show Cambodia starting this.

If you would stop and think about it you would realize it was Thailand that started it. We have a group in Bangkok just screaming for a war and all it takes is one of them with a gun to start it. That particular group has proven that it cares nothing about Thailand.

And you insist on supporting them.

Try thinking peace for a change.

[webfact]

UPDATE

Bombs shatter truce

By Supalak Ganjanaknundee

The Nation

Published on February 7, 2011

Cambodia fires rockets, artillery; Thailand retaliates; over 10 Thai soldiers, civilians hurt; Local residents escape shells 'flying over our heads'; PM Abhisit: We won't withdraw troops from border

The border ceasefire collapsed yesterday evening when the Thai and Cambodian military launched a fierce artillery exchange around disputed border areas near Preah Vihear temple.

"Cambodia lit up fireworks at 6.40pm and then fired artillery and rockets into Thai side. We retaliated in the same proportion," Army spokesman Col Sansern Keowkam-nerd said.

Preah Vihear damaged?

This third round of border clashes has damaged the disputed 11th-century Preah Vihear Temple, Agence France-Presse quoted the Cambodian government as having said.

Thai residents in villages along the border rushed to seek shelter and fled into bunkers to avoid incoming shells.

"A lot of shells were flying over our heads in and out, but we don't know where they landed," a villager said in a phone call from a bunker in Si Sa Ket's Roung sub-district.

Cambodian troops reportedly launched artillery shells and rockets from positions at Phu Ma Khua hill and Chong Don Aou to many Thai villages on the border.

More than 10 soldiers and civilians were admitted to a hospital in Si Sa Ket's Kanthalalak district, officials said. There were no confirmed reports of deaths.

The current border clash broke out on Friday. Both sides reached a brief truce on Saturday afternoon.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday rejected a call for demilitarisation of disputed areas along the border. The government would not withdraw troops as Thailand needed to claim its right in the border, he said.

"I insist that a troop withdrawal as proposed by Cambodia could not be done since we have to maintain our right [over the area] although it is risky to have another clash," Abhisit told reporters.

Over the past two years, Cambodia has proposed withdrawing troops on both sides out of the disputed area adjacent to the disputed Hindu temple at Preah Vihear to avoid military clashes.

Professors, academics and intellectuals led by former rector of Thammasat University Charnvit Kasetsiri and Prof Emeritus of Anthropology and International Studies at the University of Washington Charles Keyes signed a petition to call both sides to withdraw troops from the area.

"We urge the mutual withdrawal of armed forces from disputed areas as quickly as possible, in order to diminish tension and confrontations between those responsible for both countries' border security," they said in a statement issued yesterday.

Other prominent academics who signed the petition included Thong-chai Winichakul of Wisconsin-Madison University, Yos Santasombat from Chiang Mai University, plus Thitinan Pongsudhirak and Puang-thong Pawakapan of Chulalongkorn University.

Abhisit blamed the World Heritage listing of Preah Vihear temple as causing the conflict.

"I want to emphasise that World Heritage listing of Preah Vihear has lead to the conflict, therefore we continue to disagree with the listing," he said. "With the situation now, international community should understand what we trying to say."

If the United Nations and the World Heritage Committee stopped the listing process, it would be easier to solve the border conflict, he said.

The Hindu temple at Preah Vihear has been at the central of a dispute between Thailand and Cambodia for many years as both sides claim rights over the ruins and its vicinity.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear was situated in Cambodian territory. Thailand accepted the verdict but argued that the surrounding area belonged to it.

The issue flared again when the the temple was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2008 and Thailand disagreed on the grounds that the nearby area was under still under dispute.

"It's impossible to allow Cambodia to take the listing unilaterally," Abhisit said.

The boundary in the area was delimited in the early 20th century when Cambodia was a French colony but it has not yet been demarcated.

Yesterday, the academics suggested both countries should use the joint boundary mechanism to end the border conflict.

"We urge that border disputes, especially those related to Preah Vihear and its surroundings, be solved by bilateral negotiations, through the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) set up by the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding of June 14, 2000," they said in the statement.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tea Banh said the JBC was the right body to solve the boundary problem although it would take time since its task needed to approval from the Thai parliament.

-- The Nation 2011-02-07

[MaiChai]

Seems pretty clear the Cambodians want the land around the temple so they can build that road to it.

Thai media are reporting they agreed ceasefire and then 3 hours later Cambodians send another letter to UN saying Thais have entered Cambodia and are being agressive.

I would not be surprised if the Thais flattened the temple; its Khumer anyway and would solve the problem!

[londonthai]

fireing into the temple and villages, where there are no soldiers, is barbaric and is aganist international law.

for nationalists preah vihear is just an excuse for their propaganda and controlling the power within their countries.

[OzMick]

The army for all their faults are not stupid and despite all the blustering about the popularity of the Dems they know there is a distinct possibility that the backlash from their little killing suaree on Ratchaprasong may well and truly turn round and bite them on their arse and put the Peau Thai back iin power without a coalition. Once in power, not that they have ever had to justify their actions, how can they remove an elected government for a second time. Many apolitical voters who may previously have wasted their vote for some cash will now feel enough is enough its time to make a change for Thailand. If they intervene now because effectively Thailand is at war (without the declaration) with Cambodia, regrdless that they are provoking it, they will believe taking control of the country can be justified to other countries. Its only a shame it can not be justified to most of this nation

I understand that this was a personal opinion, but could you justify it with just one poll or election result, post last April, which even suggests that PTP has gained popularity?

[OzMick]

fireing into the temple and villages, where there are no soldiers, is barbaric and is aganist international law.

for nationalists preah vihear is just an excuse for their propaganda and controlling the power within their countries.

There are no soldiers at the temple? So who's shooting?

[bobmac10]

I'm quite amazed at the transparency of this phony "war"

Politics 101: When in trouble on the domestic front/polls are looking bad, start a war.

Every dictator knows the rules, and it usually works.

The Thais will be watching this tonight on all TV news programs, inflaming nationalistic pride.

What a joke.

[Darkman]

I heard the Thai's have come up with a new approach to the is problem.

They think if they bomb the sh*t out of the temple until there is nothing left, no one will want the land and the problem disappears.

[JamesDean3]

Well the Yellow shirts are probably so happy that they are putting condoms on over there head.

This is what they have been hoping for. The lot of them should be airlifted into the center of it and they might change there mind.

This could all be a plot by a group of people in Thailand and it may not really have anything to do with the temple or Cambodia. Maybe a political group in Thailand (not wanting to name names) has implanted agents inside the military on the border with the intent to stir up a war with Cambodia to cause the current government to loose face which would lead to it's downfall. Who knows what plots are going on behind closed doors with some of these political groups.

There are a few potential scenarios:

1) Mr T in Dubai again availed of the services of Mr H of Cambodia by stirring up some trouble along the border;

By doing so he can hit 3 birds with one stone

a) so that the elections in the summer will be postponed - as chances are Mr Ts party will lose - and they cant afford that.

bring headache to Abhisits Govt so us to divert their attention from the major task at hand of "Taxing The Rich land owners to which Mr T also belongs.

c) destroy Thailands Tourism Industry (his ultimate aim in last years Red Riots) and thereby thumb his nose at the Thais.

2) For Cambodia it would also pay its dividends in the ff:

a) get the White Oil Companies to pay up if they want to drill in Cambodia waters - "Hello Chevron Thailand" !!!!

A shallow stand down of the military = X $ Million Dollars; Cease fire will cost XX $$ Million dollars; Peace Treaty XXX $$$ Million dollars up front.

Get the UN to get their hands dirty once and for all and get the Europeans and Americans to shed a Tear for the Poor Oppressed Cambodians

and shun Thailand for being a Bully. - It works wonders on their Tourism Promotion. No need to pay gargantuan dollars for cheap ads in CNN.

c) Bolsters Mr H popularity in his country and can be PM for life.

d) Get more AID now from the G-7 who want peace more than anything else for their Monopolies to go unabated.

3) The PAd and Reds will have agenda delivered to them in a silver platter:

a) The PAD so that they can bolster their image.

The Reds so they can get rid of the Democrats.

[whybother]

<snip>

bring headache to Abhisits Govt so us to divert their attention from the major task at hand of "Taxing The Rich land owners to which Mr T also belongs. No Thai government has any kind of progressive taxation policy, least of all this one.

<snip>

The current government ARE working on a policy for taxing unused land, which is usually owned by the rich land owners.

3) The PAd and Reds will have agenda delivered to them in a silver platter:

a) The PAD so that they can bolster their image. The PAD have a pretty fixed, small support base nowadays. Their raison d'etre has largely vanished post-coup.

Who was that little group that took over the airports? But agree, the PAD have no reason for being while there is no chance of Thaksin coming back. If the PTP get in and start talking about bringing him back (which seems to be their only platform), then they will be out in force again.

[otherstuff1957]

The forum Reds seem to be firmly pro-Cambodian & are greatly cheered by a possibility of a Thai defeat. I wonder if this is just a Farang viewpoint or if the Thai Reds are also cheering the Khmers on. Have any of you heard what your Red wives/girlfriends think about this?

BTW, I'm not cheering on either side... I think they're both idiots.

[h90]

The forum Reds seem to be firmly pro-Cambodian & are greatly cheered by a possibility of a Thai defeat. I wonder if this is just a Farang viewpoint or if the Thai Reds are also cheering the Khmers on. Have any of you heard what your Red wives/girlfriends think about this?

BTW, I'm not cheering on either side... I think they're both idiots.

That are the usual anti-pad reds. Would pad say give the temple to cambodia, they would demand that cambodia is invaded. If pad says the sky is blue, they tell no it is red. if pad say it is red, they say no it is blue....If pad say Abhisit resign, the funny red forum warriors start loving Abhisit.....

[sirchai]

People that stayed in their homes on Fri to keep the thieves out are this time getting the hell out of there tonight.....the bombing is apparently getting very close to Kantharalak

To be perfectly honest, too close. Some friends from Kantharalak came by my house because it was too dangerous to wait for more Artillerie.... :jap:

[metisdead]

A reply to a post has been removed as the act of replying to the post altered the quoted text.

30) Do not modify someone else's post in your quoted reply, either with font or color changes, added emoticons, or altered wording.

[Buchholz]

Now what are you talking about. Aljazeere does not have a man there they take there news if any from other sources. Can you point out the images on this thread that show Cambodia starting this.

Al Jazeera's Wayne Hay is on location.

You can follow him here: http://twitter.com/#!/wayne_hay

I am looking forward to your public apology.

No luck with that yet, eh?

.