Thai-Cambodia Border Conflict Festers

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Border conflict festers

By The Nation

Abhisit will seek talks with Hun Sen, doubts his intentions; Cambodian PM vows to raise issue at Asean summit, says does not want clashes to spread

Efforts to bring peace to the borders of Thailand and Cambodia have got nowhere as leaders of the two countries have yet to offer ways to settle the armed conflict, despite saying they are ready to talk.

Both nations claim they did not trigger the border skirmishes and have called on each other to stop shooting.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told the House of Representatives yesterday that he would seek an opportunity to talk with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on the sidelines of the Asean Summit in early May in Jakarta.

Hun Sen's move

However, Hun Sen said he would raise the border conflict at the Asean meeting, rather than talking bilaterally with his Thai counterpart.

"Cambodia will raise the issue at the Asean summit next month, so Abhisit and I can negotiate during the Asean Summit," Hun Sen was quoted as saying by Xinhua News Agency.

"Even though there are no Cambodia-Thailand border issues on the agenda for the Asean Summit, I will raise them with Asean leaders," he said.

Thailand and Cambodia have been in military conflict over the boundary in two major areas - Preah Vihear in Si Sa Ket, and Ta Muen Thom in Surin.

Hun Sen said Cambodia would talk to Thailand over the conflict at Ta Muen and Ta Kwai bilaterally, but needed a third party for the Preah Vihear dispute.

The Preah Vihear Temple issue has been raised with the United Nations Security Council and Asean, he said. "We have to respect the role of Asean. All the negotiations about the disputed border areas near Preah Vihear Temple must be with the participation of a third party."

Abhisit said he doubted the Cambodian leader's motives, saying: "If you are ready to talk, why do you keep firing guns?"

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya told the House yesterday his government would do all it could to push Cambodia into bilateral talks to settle the dispute. He urged the legislative body to help convince Cambodian leaders to restore peace along the border.

Kasit met US Ambassador to Thailand Kristie Kenney to brief her on the conflict with Cambodia. He urged Washington to help persuade leaders in Phnom Penh to sit together with Thailand for peace talks. The minister also met envoys from Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and Canada for the same purpose.

Kasit said Thailand was not an aggressor and wanted to live peacefully with Cambodia.

Hun Sen said Cambodia does not want conflict with its bigger neighbour Thailand and called for a ceasefire, saying: "Cambodia doesn't want the conflict to spread further. Cambodia is small, poor and has small armed forces, but don't forget that ants can hurt an elephant."

Peace effort fails

An attempt to open peace talks between senior officials of the two neighbours failed yesterday as Defence Minister Prawit Wongsu-wan changed his mind at the last minute about meeting his Cambo-dian counterpart Tea Banh. He was reported to be disappointed over reports in the Cambodian media about the conflict, according to a military source. He was told that the Cambodians claimed he was seeking peace talks because the Thai military had admitted it was defeated and had lost the battle, the source said.

Prawit flew to China yesterday as originally scheduled and will seek a meeting with Tea Banh after the trip later this week, according to his secretary Noppadon Intapanya.

Fighting between Thai and Cambodian troops at Ta Muen and Ta Kwai temples continued for the sixth day yesterday with exchange of small arms fire in the border area.

The fighting erupted last Friday after Cambodian troops attempted to take a position in the Phnom Dangrek mountain near the Hindu temple. The fighting has left six dead, including a civilian on the Thai side, and injured more than 50 so far.

-- The Nation 2011-04-28

Related topic

Cambodian PM Hun Sen Calls For Truce With Thailand

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PM: Too many conflicting signals from Cambodia

By NERISA NERYKHIEW

THE NATION

The government has stepped up the call for Cambodia to stop firing into Thailand and is urging Asean leaders to convince Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to commence bilateral negotiations.

The call was made at a House session yesterday that was held to discuss the conflicting signals coming from Cambodia, which is calling for a ceasefire and negotiations but shelling Thai territory over the past six days at the same time.

"The government is doing everything in its power to restore peace as soon as possible at the Thai-Cambodian border," Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said.

The neighbouring country initiated an armed attack on Thailand, which had not been anticipated or justified, Abhisit said, adding that the Army was duty-bound to repel the attack and had followed internationally accepted rules of engagement. He insisted that the skirmish was limited to military targets.

The government has always been ready to settle the dispute via bilateral negotiations, he said, adding that suspiciously Cambodia had offered a ceasefire on Tuesday but it did not stop shelling. He said he intended to meet his Cambodian counterpart in Jakarta on the sidelines of the Asean Summit next month.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, meanwhile, said that Thailand had no reason to provoke a battle because Thais have huge investment stakes in Cambodia. He said it was unfortunate that clashes had broken out because Cambodian soldiers were encroaching on Thai territory at the two ancient temple ruins of Ta Muen and Ta Kwai he said.

Kasit suggested that Parliament and the Asean legislature send a letter calling on Hun Sen to settle the border dispute via negotiations.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Thailand had acted with restraint and ensured a measured response to the border skirmish.

"Thailand, its government and citizens want peace and are striving for friendly relations with neighbouring countries. We are not a war-mongering nation," he said, calling for bilateral negotiations to settle the dispute.

Suthep said Thailand had never provoked or initiated the border attacks, which began in Surin on Friday, but was obligated to defend its territory.

He said he suspected that the dispute over Preah Vihear Temple might have triggered the military attacks, adding that the border skirmishes would not escalate into a full-scale ware even though the Cambodian side appears unwilling to stop firing into Thai territory. "Though Thailand aims for peace, it has to safeguard its territory," he explained.

Meanwhile, a number of government MPs took the floor yesterday to voice concerns about the border clashes.

Bhum Jai Thai MP Sanong Thapaksornnarong from Buri Ram questioned the early election at a time when the country was on the brink of a war. He called on his fellow lawmakers to unite in defending the country, attacking certain opposition MPs who, he said, had adopted the Pheu Cambodia Party instead of their Pheu Thai Party.

He also alleged that foreign troops were helping Cambodia attack Thailand.

Puea Pandin MP Somkiat Soralamba said he suspected Cambodia was retaliating against the protests led by the People's Alliance for Democracy, during which the protest leaders had made insulting remarks against Hun Sen for months. He also voiced concern that the fighting would escalate due to the presence of F-16 fighter aircraft at the border areas.

In a government rebuttal, Suthep said the F-16 jets were conducting a training flight and were not linked to the skirmishes.

-- The Nation 2011-04-28

[dangman]

obvious propaganda..

it's all cambodia's fault.

and the only people who have died, been injured and are suffering are thai.

aw, look at that second photo.. what man among men.. how could he ever do wrong?

fantastic journalism there.. literally.

[anotheruser]

Why can't Thailand just admit that Preah Vihear belongs to Cambodia, which it obviously does? My solution would be for the U.N. just to send an F-16 to go blow the place up and end the conflict. Sort of like what parents do to kids when they can not get along.... if you kids can't share nobody can have it.

[cougar52]

What is amazing to me is Thailand's stance on no 3rd party observers, and can settle all this my ourselves, then turn right around and ask the U.S. to talk to Cambodia and pressure Hun Sen to their way of thought. Just to amazing of these Thai's think they can do and say what every they want without a shred of truth of the facts.

I think at the end of the day they watch to many Thai Soap Dramas and really believe that they can continue with the smoke and mirrors show and no one can see through the smoke.

[zzaa09]

obvious propaganda..

it's all cambodia's fault.

and the only people who have died, been injured and are suffering are thai.

aw, look at that second photo.. what man among men.. how could he ever do wrong?

fantastic journalism there.. literally.

Noting fantastic, actually. Quite normal, even predictable, journalism.

[IanPrince99]

I love the 2nd photo too. Look, everyone is so happy and laughing with the Saint in the middle. Many Thai household have similar photos.

[wintermute]

I love the 2nd photo too. Look, everyone is so happy and laughing with the Saint in the middle. Many Thai household have similar photos.

The Englishman gracing the loyal subjects with his presence. :jap: