UN Security Council Agrees To Meet On Feb 14 On Thai-Cambodian Border Disputes

[webfact]

BORDER CLASHES

UN to meet on Feb 14 on Thai-Cambodian border disputes - reports

UN Security Council has agreed to meet on Feb 14 to solve the border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, Inter City Press reported.

The council reached the conclusion on late Tuesday, the Press; a non-governmental organization said.

To make clear that the UN is deferring to the regional group, Indonesia, as chair of this year's Asean, will be invited to the meeting. The country will be represented by Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.

The meeting seemed to respond to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's request for the UN to intervene in the dispute while Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva insisted that the dispute should be solved on bilateral basis.

Meanwhile Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the Press on Tuesday that he had spoken with the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia. Some wonder why Ban isn't mediating, or even asked to mediate, under UN Charter Article 99.

In Bangkok, Chavanond Indharakomalsut, secretary to the foreign minister that FM Kasit Piromya is scheduled to travel to the UN to explain the Thai positions to the UN chief next week.

One of the positions is that Thailand wanted the problems be solved bilaterally and did not want to see a third party step in.

-- The Nation 2011-02-09

[webfact]

UN Willing to Host Meeting over Border Clashes

The UN Security Council has expressed concern over the confrontation between Cambodia and Thailand, urging the two countries to execute a peaceful method to end the conflict.

Brazilian UN Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribertro Viotti, who holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for February, said that members of the Council voiced strong concern over the clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops.

She added that the United Nation is willing to hold a Security Council meeting to help mediate the conflict, but no details about an exact date has been reported so far.

Meanwhile, Indonesia's Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa, whose country holds the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN, said he has had a talk with Thai and Cambodian officials and stressed that the ASEAN is ready to provide a positive atmosphere for a resolution to the clash, while details remain to be established.

Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister Sok An wrote on Monday to UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, saying there has been serious damage to the temple following a series of attacks by Thai military personnel, and demanded that the world body host an urgent meeting to tackle the crisis.

Bokova issued a statement on Sunday to voice her condolences regarding the clashes, and called on all sides to ceasefire for the sake of preserving the site.

UNESCO officials in Phnom Penh have not commented on the issue.

Meanwhile, Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied a claim that armed Cambodian troops were camping inside the temple and were firing at Thai troops.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-09

[webfact]

Foreign Ministry spokesman: Thai FM Kasit to fly to New York to clarify to 15-member United Nations Security Council facts on Thai-Cambodian border clashes

-- TNA 2011-02-09

[webfact]

PM Acknowledges UN Concerns over Thai-Cambodian Conflict

The prime minister acknowledged the United Nations' concerns about cross-border fighting between Thailand and Cambodia, in a telephone conversation with the UN chief last night.

The foreign minister will fly to the UN headquarters next week to discuss the bilateral conflicts.

Secretary to the Foreign Minister Chavanont Intarakomalyasut said regarding last night's telephone dialogue between Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, that the prime minister acknowledged the UN's concerns about Thailand's clashes with Cambodia and suggestion that Thailand continue to exercise restraint and do its best to avoid confrontation with the neighboring country.

Chavanont added that Foreign Minister Kasit Biromya is scheduled to make a visit to New York next week, to clarify the issue at the UN headquarters.

Meanwhile, he noted that should UNESCO continue its push for the World Heritage listing of the Preah Vihear Temple, it will deepen the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-09

[webfact]

MFA spokesman: FM Kasit to clarify Thai-Cambodian clashes with UN Security Council on Feb 14, affirms constant contact with Cambodian FM, opposes UNESCO's visit to area /TAN_Network

[puyaidon]

Must be a really important adgenda item if they have to wait 5 days to meet about it.

Shows how much they really think about the dispute.

[webfact]

Thai FM to address UN on Cambodia border dispute

BANGKOK, February 9, 2011 (AFP) - Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya will brief the UN Security Council next week on a deadly border dispute with Cambodia, and could meet his Cambodian counterpart, an aide said Wednesday.

"Foreign Minister Kasit will arrive in New York on Monday to explain the situation as the UN invited him," his secretary Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said.

He said a meeting between Kasit and his Cambodian opposite number Hor Namhong in New York was "possible", without providing more details.

The two last met on Friday, just hours before the fighting erupted.

In Phnom Penh, government spokesman Ek Tha also said a UN Security Council meeting was expected on Monday on the issue, but said he could not say who would represent Cambodia.

"We are no longer confident in bilateral talks with Thailand," he added.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon spoke with the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia on Tuesday and said he again offered UN help to negotiate a deal to end the clashes around the ancient temple of Preah Vihear.

Thailand has said it sees no need for third-party mediation.

At least eight people were killed in four days of cross-border fighting starting on Friday, which the two neighbours have blamed on each other.

With a lull in violence since early Monday, the UN Security Council has held back from formal talks on the clashes to give time to a mediation bid by Indonesia, chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, diplomats in New York said.

Ties between the neighbours have been strained since Preah Vihear was granted UN World Heritage status in July 2008.

The World Court ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear itself belonged to Cambodia but both countries claim ownership of a 4.6-square-kilometre (1.8-square-mile) surrounding area.

It is unclear exactly what triggered the latest violence, but diplomatic frictions have grown since late December when seven Thais, including one lawmaker, were arrested by Cambodia near the border for illegal entry.

Both Thailand and Cambodia have written to the UN Security Council twice about the border unrest.

Cambodia has called for a UN buffer force to be put on the border and for an urgent Security Council meeting on the clashes, while Bangkok has accused Phnom Penh of seeking the "internationalisation" of the conflict.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-02-09

[webfact]

Cambodia, Thailand to face UN over border dispute

by Suy Se

PHNOM PENH, February 9, 2011 (AFP) - Diplomatic efforts to resolve a festering border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia gained momentum on Wednesday, with the two adversaries set to address the UN Security Council next week.

Thailand also raised the possibility of the first face-to-face talks between the two countries' foreign ministers since the deadly clashes erupted on Friday with a volley of shelling in disputed jungle surrounding a 900-year-old temple.

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya will brief members of the Security Council on Monday on the rift, an aide said, adding that a meeting with his Cambodian opposite number Hor Namhong on the sidelines was "possible".

In Phnom Penh, Prime Minister Hun Sen said his top diplomat was preparing documents for the UN meeting.

At least eight people were killed in four days of cross-border violence, which forced thousands of families to flee on both sides of the frontier.

Each side blames the other for starting the fighting but both have held fire since the last skirmish early Monday.

The 11th-century Preah Vihear temple, built to honour the Hindu god Shiva, has been a source of contention between Thailand and Cambodia since it was granted UN World Heritage status in July 2008.

The World Court ruled in 1962 that the clifftop structure belonged to Cambodia but both countries claim ownership of a 4.6-square-kilometre (1.8-square-mile) surrounding area.

Shrapnel and artillery fire appear to have scarred Preah Vihear, although no structural damage is visible, according to an AFP photographer who visited the site.

The world heritage body UNESCO said it was planning a mission to the area "as soon as possible" to assess the state of the temple, the most celebrated example of ancient Khmer architecture outside of Cambodia's Angkor Wat.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon spoke with both prime ministers on Tuesday and said he again offered UN help to negotiate a deal to end the clashes.

Thailand has said it sees no need for third-party mediation, while Cambodia has insisted on it.

"I told Ban Ki-moon these are not armed clashes. This is a war," Hun Sen said in a speech in the Cambodian capital.

"This war will be resolved through the mechanism of the United Nations."

He said Cambodia was no longer interested in bilateral meetings. "But we will continue to negotiate peacefully" with the presence of a third party, he added.

With a lull in violence, the UN Security Council has held back from formal talks on the unrest to give time to a mediation bid by Indonesia, chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, diplomats in New York said.

Marty Natalegawa, foreign minister of Indonesia -- the current ASEAN chair -- held talks with his counterparts from both countries earlier this week and according to Hun Sen will also attend the New York meeting.

It is unclear exactly what triggered the latest violence, but diplomatic frictions have grown since late December when seven Thais, including one lawmaker, were arrested by Cambodia near the border for illegal entry.

Both Thailand and Cambodia have written to the UN Security Council twice about the border unrest.

Cambodia has called for a UN buffer force to be put on the border and for an urgent Security Council meeting on the clashes, while Bangkok has accused Phnom Penh of seeking the "internationalisation" of the conflict.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-02-09

[webfact]

CONTROVERSIAL TEMPLE

UNESCO should not send its team to Preah Vihear temple : Thai FM

By The Nation

UNESCO has to ask permission from the Thai side

Thai Foreign Ministry said Wednesday it was not proper for Unesco to send its mission to visit the disputed Preah Vihear Temple.

Ministry's spokesman Thani Thongpakdi said the present situations at the border was still tense.

"It is not an appropriate time for the Unesco's World Heritage Committee to dispatch its mission to visit the temple. The situation along the border is still tense," he said in a press briefing.

Moreover the UN agency has to ask permission from the Thai side to go there, he said.

Unesco planned to a team to visit the disputed Preah Vihear temple along the border between Cambodia and Thailand, where fighting has led to deaths and reportedly damage to the site in recent days.

Cambodia claimed that the temple was damaged by the artillery shells fired by Thai troops.

The temple has been designated a World Heritage site by Unesco.

Unesco Director General Irina Bokova earlier said heritage should unite people and serve as an instrument of dialogue and mutual understanding and not of conflict.

In 1962 the International Court of Justice decided the temple belonged to Cambodia, but failed to rule on a 4.6-square-kilometre plot of land nearby that both countries claim.

-- The Nation 2011-02-09

[gbswales]

I can't believe that anyone considers that a plot of land 2.6 kilometres in area is even worth talking about never mind fighting over - why not declare it joint territory and anyone daft enough to want to live on it can pay tax to two governments - this is 2011 and people are still dying over miserable patches of soil and piles of old useless stone relics (I am not saying dont preserve historical buildings but just not to the extent that they are considered worth more than a human life!)

[mkawish]

I can't believe that anyone considers that a plot of land 2.6 kilometres in area is even worth talking about never mind fighting over - why not declare it joint territory and anyone daft enough to want to live on it can pay tax to two governments - this is 2011 and people are still dying over miserable patches of soil and piles of old useless stone relics (I am not saying dont preserve historical buildings but just not to the extent that they are considered worth more than a human life!)

If you are in Thailand....

Visit some historical places around the area,

Read up on some of the reasons,

Watch some informative video on the current issues and conflicts,

before you started typing out statement such as you did....

....this is 2011 and people are still dying over miserable patches of soil and piles of old useless stone relics....

Apparently, you are not one of the locals who has interest in the miserable patches of soil and piles of old useless stone relics.....

and you appear to be senseless about the territorial as well....

one's trash.... other's treasure....

[mkawish]

CONTROVERSIAL TEMPLE

UNESCO should not send its team to Preah Vihear temple : Thai FM

By The Nation

UNESCO has to ask permission from the Thai side

Thai Foreign Ministry said Wednesday it was not proper for Unesco to send its mission to visit the disputed Preah Vihear Temple.

Ministry's spokesman Thani Thongpakdi said the present situations at the border was still tense.

"It is not an appropriate time for the Unesco's World Heritage Committee to dispatch its mission to visit the temple. The situation along the border is still tense," he said in a press briefing.

Moreover the UN agency has to ask permission from the Thai side to go there, he said.

Unesco planned to a team to visit the disputed Preah Vihear temple along the border between Cambodia and Thailand, where fighting has led to deaths and reportedly damage to the site in recent days.

Cambodia claimed that the temple was damaged by the artillery shells fired by Thai troops.

The temple has been designated a World Heritage site by Unesco.

Unesco Director General Irina Bokova earlier said heritage should unite people and serve as an instrument of dialogue and mutual understanding and not of conflict.

In 1962 the International Court of Justice decided the temple belonged to Cambodia, but failed to rule on a 4.6-square-kilometre plot of land nearby that both countries claim.

-- The Nation 2011-02-09

The very fact that at that time the court refused to rule on the surrounding territorial as belonging to the Camb, should shed some light

that the court did not consider it to be Camb....

Otherwise, she would have rule then in Camb favor.... without a doubt....

Again, as timid as most Thai are, they at that time also failed to exercise their due diligence to ask that court to rule specifically that the territorial around the Temple belonging to Thailand....

Immediately after the unfavorable ruling, the Thai had put up wire fencing around that temple to keep the Camb from encroaching upon Thai territorial to get to the temple....

And there was not a whimper nor any protest from the victorious Camb then.... and for some 30 years thereafter....

But after some 30 years, the Camb wants to claim the surrounding land as their own, in spite of the fact that the court refused some 30 yrs ago.... to rule in their favor....

Any reasonable mind would consider such a move as.... ruthless, unreasonable, illogical and desperate.... to say the least....

Especially, when Camb and HuSen started to use military weapons to shell the defenseless Thai villages and villagers from the high temple ground PraVeHarn....

this very act amounts to an act of war....

but then Cam/HuSen was at the same time, crazy enough to accuse Thailand of being the aggressor starting all this violence.... imho....

Most interestingly, the UN is willing to step in and mediate in 2 wks?.... for a piece of the action on the maritime gas and oil spoils under seas--I guess....

[webfact]

Thailand, Cambodia set to face off at UN

By The Nation, Agencies

Kasit: Cambodia wants sympathy; we won't allow Hun Sen to bully Thailand; Hun Sen: Thailand created this war; Abhisit must take responsibility

Thailand will finally face off with Cambodia over the recent military clashes, at the United Nations Security Council next week, after earlier insisting that the border conflict be settled only at the bilateral level.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, who will represent Thailand in addressing the UN body on Monday, yesterday launched a scathing attack on Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, calling him a "bully boy".

"Cambodia has only a single objective - to have the Preah Vihear [World Heritage designation] and claim the 4.6 square kilometres of disputed area," Kasit said at a seminar held by the Senate's committee yesterday.

"Russia, India and China might have backed Cambodia's aggression against Thailand on February 4, and now Cambodia is taking the issue to the UN Security Council.

"Although Cambodia is creating the perception that it is being harassed by Thailand and trying to win sympathy from the international community, Thailand will not allow Hun Sen, a bully boy, to bully Thailand," Kasit said.

The minister said he would explain the situation and the Thai stance at the meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday. Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, as the chairman of Asean, will be at the same meeting, he said.

Marty has already met with his Cambodian and Thai counterparts separately on Monday and Tuesday. He said in Bangkok that Asean supported the two neighbours settling the conflict bilaterally.

Border skirmishes between Thailand and Cambodia from February 4-7 killed at least eight people, including a Thai civilian.

Hun Sen rejected Thai media reports that his eldest son Hun Manet was wounded in the latest exchange of fire with Thailand on Monday.

Both sides accused each other of violating each other's territorial sovereignty and each complained to the UN against the other.

Cambodia is keen for the UN to intervene but Thailand wants to settle the conflict face to face.

Hun Sen said the border skirmish over the past days at Preah Vihear was "a real war" and the existing bilateral mechanisms would not work to end the conflict.

"This is the real war, not a military clash," he said, while closing the annual conference of the Ministry of Commerce. "Thailand created this war. [Thai Prime Minister] Abhisit must be responsible for the war."

Hun Sen pressed the UN Security Council to convene an urgent meeting on the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict. "There will be no more bilateral talks, and all negotiations will be with the participation of a third party", he was quoted by China's Xinhua news agency as saying.

"Now bilateral mechanism is worthless, so it needs an international mechanism. Cambodia will use international mechanisms as much as possible, such as asking the UN to convene urgent meetings, and sending UN peacekeepers

or UN observers to Cambodia."

The meeting procedure at the UN Security Council remained unclear. Agence France-Presse quoted diplomats in New York as saying that the UN body had held back from formal talks on the clashes to give time for a mediation bid by Indonesia as chair of Asean.

Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman, Thani Thongpakdi, said Kasit needed to address the Security Council because Thailand wanted to explain its stance and situation to the UN body. "It is a useful forum for us to explain our point of view," he said. "The UN Security Council would neither intervene in the issue nor mediate the conflict between the two countries."

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he has explained everything to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon when he talked to him on the phone on Tuesday and the UN supported Thailand's efforts to settle the conflict with Cambodia bilaterally.

Ban also talked to Hun Sen and offered UN help to negotiate a deal to end the conflict.

-- The Nation 2011-02-10

[webfact]

France offers old maps to help resolve Thai-Cambodia spat

PARIS (AFP) - France offered Wednesday to help resolve a festering border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia by providing maps it made at the start of the last century when it ruled Indo-China.

French officials made the maps in preparation for the Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907, which delimited the area over which the two countries are squabbling.

Foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero told reporters that Paris was happy to provide the documents "to any country that asks us to consult them or to make a copy of these documents."

At least eight people have been killed in four days of cross-border violence between Thailand and Cambodia around the ancient temple of Preah Vihear, which forced thousands of families to flee on both sides of the frontier.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-02-10

[Steely Dan]

The very fact that at that time the court refused to rule on the surrounding territorial as belonging to the Camb, should shed some light

that the court did not consider it to be Camb....

Otherwise, she would have rule then in Camb favor.... without a doubt....

The very fact that Thailand did not appeal the ICJ decision should tell you Thailand feared the same outcome for the surrounding land as they got with the temple, hence best to keep quiet and try to play on the ambiguity at a later date.

Anyway no wonder the Cambodians want this to go to the U.N in light of the French helpfully offering to dig the old 1907 map out. In light of this I suspect Thailand may not like that outcome, though I hasten to add that from all I've read it would appear that the original ruling unfairly favoured Cambodia for reasons to do with the colonial history of the region.

The biggest irony to me is that Thailand probably had their best chance of a favourable outcome through bilateral negotiations but PAD agitation and provocation allowed Hun Sen to engineer border fighting and therefore an excuse to get the U.N in to rule in their favour (which is their expectation). It's no use playing draughts if everyone else is playing chess.

[geriatrickid]

Must be a really important adgenda item if they have to wait 5 days to meet about it.

Shows how much they really think about the dispute.

On the contrary, it is a date when love is in the air: Valentines Day. :wub:

If you have a wife or girlfriend, forget that day at your own peril.

Seriously though, it takes time to organize the meetings; Key peoples' schedules have to be cleared, meeting rooms booked, security arrangements made and most importantly, people need time to prepare the discussion points. There's no point showing up and not being productive.

[webfact]

Thai and Cambodian Foreign Ministers to Hold Talks Mediated by UN Security Council

The foreign minister will clarify Thailand's stance at the UN Security Council, emphasizing that Cambodia started the problem.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya announced during a conference that he will represent Thailand in clarifying the Thai-Cambodia situation and expressing Thailand's stance at the United Nations Security Council in New York on the 14 of this month.

Kasit will also talk with Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.

He said he will ask the United States for help in solving the Thai-Cambodian conflict, given that Thailand and the U.S. are allies.

The foreign minister went on to say he will emphasize that Cambodia started the problem, and that if the battles continue, he is sure Laos and Vietnam will support Thailand.

He added that the main reason Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered an end to shelling is because he wants rights over Preah Vihear Temple and the surrounding area.

Meanwhile, Russia, India and France are supporting Cambodia on this.

Kasit confirmed the claim by Senator Kamnoon Sidhisamarn that the government hired specialists led by former president of Thammasat university Charnvit Kasetsiri.

Charnvit's stance over the border conflicts is with that of the current government's.

However, Kasit stated that the hiring happened before he became foreign minister, adding that the Foreign Ministry contains a number of officers dominated by past governments.

He said, therefore, that some previous action could have been taken and kept secret from him.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-10

[webfact]

DPM Suthep Rejects Help From France

After the French government offered to help settle the issue of disputed territory between Thailand and Cambodia, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of national security Suthep Thaugsuban strongly rejected the help, reiterating once again that the two neighbors would settle the issue bilaterarlly. France had offered to make available maps and documentation from when it had occupied Cambodia.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-10

[creck]

France offers old maps to help resolve Thai-Cambodia spat

PARIS (AFP) - France offered Wednesday to help resolve a festering border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia by providing maps it made at the start of the last century when it ruled Indo-China.

French officials made the maps in preparation for the Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907, which delimited the area over which the two countries are squabbling.

Foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero told reporters that Paris was happy to provide the documents "to any country that asks us to consult them or to make a copy of these documents."

At least eight people have been killed in four days of cross-border violence between Thailand and Cambodia around the ancient temple of Preah Vihear, which forced thousands of families to flee on both sides of the frontier.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-02-10

Maps made in preparation for the treaty? - This just ain't true.

Read the proceedings of the ICJ.

The maps were still in preparation when the final signature on the treaty and commission (to finalise the border) was made. It was accepted by the countries concerned in 1908 that the map had errors. The ICJ also accepted that large errors were made in the area of the temple. The treaty and the French delegation at the time were clear that the cliff face should have been the border.

[animatic]

DPM Suthep Rejects Help From France

After the French government offered to help settle the issue of disputed territory between Thailand and Cambodia, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of national security Suthep Thaugsuban strongly rejected the help, reiterating once again that the two neighbors would settle the issue bilaterarlly. France had offered to make available maps and documentation from when it had occupied Cambodia.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-10

Two reasons.

1 ) because Thailand does stand a better chance bilaterally...

or did before this week.

2 ) because the old french maps do NOT help Thailands position on the issue.

Edited February 10, 2011 by animatic

[mkawish]

Thai and Cambodian Foreign Ministers to Hold Talks Mediated by UN Security Council

The foreign minister will clarify Thailand's stance at the UN Security Council, emphasizing that Cambodia started the problem.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya announced during a conference that he will represent Thailand in clarifying the Thai-Cambodia situation and expressing Thailand's stance at the United Nations Security Council in New York on the 14 of this month.

Kasit will also talk with Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.

He said he will ask the United States for help in solving the Thai-Cambodian conflict, given that Thailand and the U.S. are allies.

The foreign minister went on to say he will emphasize that Cambodia started the problem, and that if the battles continue, he is sure Laos and Vietnam will support Thailand.

He added that the main reason Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered an end to shelling is because he wants rights over Preah Vihear Temple and the surrounding area.

Meanwhile, Russia, India and France are supporting Cambodia on this.

Kasit confirmed the claim by Senator Kamnoon Sidhisamarn that the government hired specialists led by former president of Thammasat university Charnvit Kasetsiri.

Charnvit's stance over the border conflicts is with that of the current government's.

However, Kasit stated that the hiring happened before he became foreign minister, adding that the Foreign Ministry contains a number of officers dominated by past governments.

He said, therefore, that some previous action could have been taken and kept secret from him.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-10

webfact....

Could someone be mistaken concerning Charnvit's official position....?

Could we have the original Thai language concerning Charnvit's expressed opinion supporting current Thai govt....? Thx much.

Edited February 10, 2011 by mkawish

[webfact]

Associated Press Sighted Armed Cambodian Forces Camping in Preah Vihear Temple

According to a report by an international news agency, hundreds of Cambodian soldiers have fortified Preah Vihear Temple and its surrounding area.

The Associated Press has reported that hundreds of Cambodian soldiers in camouflage uniforms have fortified Preah Vihear Temple and the surrounding disputed area with sandbag bunkers.

A number of artillery shells, rocket launchers, and mortars were also sighted in the area. The reporters said the weapons were aiming at Thailand.

One of the Cambodian soldiers said he was transported to the area from his regular post and will return once the fighting has ended.

The report also indicates that there is only minor damage from the fighting, such as bullet marks on the temple's walls, contrary to Cambodia's claim that the temple was severely damage in the clases, which prompted Phnom Penh's request for a UNESCO inspection.

The Thai government has submitted a protest to UNESCO, claiming that Cambodian forces have been camping in the World Heritage site to carry out attacks against Thailand.

At the same time, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has accused Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva as the aggressor.

Hun Sen has vowed that he will seek to put Abhisit on trial at the International Criminal Court.

UNESCO has canceled its plan to send its inspection team.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-10

[mkawish]

Such a pitifully....

unfulfilled old man of war....

who also used to sleep and eat and beg inside Thai territorial.... for mercy and free handouts....

under Thai soldiers' protection and mercy.... inside Thai territorial..... just about two decades ago....

But in 2010.... the same man desires to claim those patches of land as his own....

Only HuSan would do that.... at the drop of his hat....

[Steely Dan]

Such a pitifully....

unfulfilled old man of war....

who also used to sleep and eat and beg inside Thai territorial.... for mercy and free handouts....

under Thai soldiers' protection and mercy.... inside Thai territorial..... just about two decades ago....

But in 2010.... the same man desires to claim those patches of land as his own....

Only HuSan would do that.... at the drop of his hat....

Yes there's gratitude for you. After giving refuge to Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge when the the Vietnamese kicked them out of Cambodia this is how Hun Sen reciprocates.

P.S This is not a part of Thai history which should be much cause for pride, If I were Thai I'd want to change the subject.

[ryladie99]

Such a pitifully....

unfulfilled old man of war....

who also used to sleep and eat and beg inside Thai territorial.... for mercy and free handouts....

under Thai soldiers' protection and mercy.... inside Thai territorial..... just about two decades ago....

But in 2010.... the same man desires to claim those patches of land as his own....

Only HuSan would do that.... at the drop of his hat....

Yes there's gratitude for you. After giving refuge to Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge when the the Vietnamese kicked them out of Cambodia this is how Hun Sen reciprocates.

P.S This is not a part of Thai history which should be much cause for pride, If I were Thai I'd want to change the subject.

Thailand has conflict with Cambodia on and off since the day one. Cambodia never feels grateful no matter what. History repeats itself. Last time Thailand went to the Dutch and gave Half of the temple. This time she better knows how to negotiate. My opinion.

[webfact]

Air Force spokesman says Thai Air Force flights above Preah Vihear Temple is for practice purposes and not to challenge Cambodia /TAN_Network

[Steely Dan]

Khun Abhisit, You are an intelligent man but you are in danger of being sidetracked into a no win situation by Hun Sen (& Thaksin?) on one side and the PAD loons on the other. There is no profit in giving the Cambodians any excuse for firing at Thai territory and there is certainly no profit in letting PAD activists get anywhere near the border. Why not pull all troops back by several kilometers and even allow the UN in to monitor this? They will soon lose interest if there is no shooting and then the ball is back in Hun Sen's court. If he tries to establish facts on the ground by building a road to the temple simply close the border and stop any flights to Cambodia, this would undoubtably cause hardship to Thais but it would cause Hun Sen to lose popularity far quicker as Cambodia is dependant on Thailand more than the other way round. Just the threat of this would be enough to force Cambodia to enter into bilateral talks.

Just my two bahta worth.

[webfact]

ASEAN OFFICIAL STATEMENT

ASEAN chair invited to UNSC meeting on Cambodian-Thai Border Dispute

By ASEAN Secretariat, 10 February 2011

Following swift diplomatic efforts by the Foreign Minister of Indonesia, Dr. Marty Natalegawa - as Indonesia is the current Chair of ASEAN - to defuse ongoing violence between Cambodia and Thailand that started over the weekend, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has taken on the issue as an urgent matter.

The ASEAN Chair has been invited to attend a vital meeting alongside Cambodia and Thailand at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Monday, 14 February. This reflects the global community's trust in ASEAN as a viable regional instrument to facilitate peaceful means for dispute settlement.

"ASEAN Chair's attendance at the UNSC meeting represents an evolution of ASEAN's effort to resolve bilateral disputes amongst its Member States as provided for by the ASEAN Charter," said the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan. "This is particularly important as it will set precedence for future ASEAN dispute settlement mechanisms."

In the spirit of the ASEAN Charter, calling for closer and more effective consultations on political and security matters, ASEAN is seeing its Chair personally engaged in offering good offices for the first time in its history. "Both sides welcome Minister Marty to help in their search for an amicable and peaceful solution to their differences, as ASEAN continues to strengthen its dispute settlement mechanism, in line with the ASEAN Charter," added Dr Surin.

According to Article 52 of the United Nations Charter, collaboration with "regional arrangements" on the maintenance of peace and security is encouraged.

At least eight lives have been lost in clashes between troops of both countries over the weekend near the 900-year old Hindu Temple of Preah Vihear which sits on a disputed border area.

"We at the ASEAN Secretariat stand ready to provide all possible support for the renewed efforts to seek a peaceful and amicable solution to this long-running dispute between our two Member States,

" Dr. Surin concluded.

-- The Nation 2011-02-10

[MaiChai]

Push them off the cliff?

[whybother]

Such a pitifully....

unfulfilled old man of war....

who also used to sleep and eat and beg inside Thai territorial.... for mercy and free handouts....

under Thai soldiers' protection and mercy.... inside Thai territorial..... just about two decades ago....

But in 2010.... the same man desires to claim those patches of land as his own....

Only HuSan would do that.... at the drop of his hat....

What relevance does a few "free handouts" have in relation to the Thai-Cambodian border?