Thai, Cambodian troops clash near disputed temple

Fri, Apr 03, 2009
By Ek Madra
Reuters

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA - Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rocket and rifle fire on a disputed stretch of their border on Friday, killing one Thai in the latest flare-up of an ancient feud over a 900-year-old Hindu temple.

Both sides accused each other of firing first in two separate clashes near the Preah Vihear temple, which is claimed by both Southeast Asian nations and saw an armed stand-off last year.
One Thai soldier died from a rocket-propelled grenade fired by Cambodian troops when fighting resumed after midday talks between the border commanders failed.

Seven Thai soldiers were also wounded in the second battle, Wiboonsak Neepan, commander of Thailand's Second Army, told Reuters.

In Phnom Penh, Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said he had received reports of two Cambodian soldiers killed in the initial fighting this morning, but it was not confirmed.

Cambodian officials claimed two Thais died in the morning clash. Thailand said no one was hurt then and it planned to lodge a formal protest with the Cambodian government.

The latest fighting comes a day after a Thai soldier lost a leg when he stepped on a land mine in an area claimed by Thailand.

A Thai patrol visited the blast site on Friday morning and encountered 20 Cambodian soldiers.

"After talks between the two sides failed, the Cambodian side started to walk away and turned back to open fire at Thai troops with rifles and RPG rockets, forcing the Thai side to fire back in self-defense," Thailand's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Preah Vihear, or Khao Phra Viharn as it is known in Thailand, sits on an escarpment that forms the natural border between the two countries and has been a source of tension for generations.

The International Court of Justice awarded it to Cambodia in 1962, but the ruling did not determine the ownership of 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub next to the ruins, leaving considerable scope for disagreement.

Tensions rose last month when 100 Thai troops crossed into a disputed area near the temple and were stopped by Cambodian soldiers, but no fighting occurred.

The border had been quiet for months while the Southeast Asian neighbors sought to jointly demarcate the jungle-clad area where one Thai and three Cambodian soldiers died in last October's exchange of rifle and rocket fire.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge commander, warned this week that his soldiers would fight if Thai troops crossed the disputed border again.

The site is 600 km (370 miles) east of Bangkok and only a decade ago was controlled by remnants of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge guerrilla army.

Few foreign visitors go there, although both countries have said they would like to develop the area as a tourist destination.

The Cambodia-Thailand Joint Border Committee will meet again on Sunday for three days of talks in the Cambodian resort town of Siem Reap to try to find a solution to the row.

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Thai, Cambodian troops clash near disputed temple

Fri, Apr 03, 2009
By Ek Madra
Reuters

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA - Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rocket and rifle fire on a disputed stretch of their border on Friday, killing one Thai in the latest flare-up of an ancient feud over a 900-year-old Hindu temple.

Both sides accused each other of firing first in two separate clashes near the Preah Vihear temple, which is claimed by both Southeast Asian nations and saw an armed stand-off last year.
One Thai soldier died from a rocket-propelled grenade fired by Cambodian troops when fighting resumed after midday talks between the border commanders failed.

Seven Thai soldiers were also wounded in the second battle, Wiboonsak Neepan, commander of Thailand's Second Army, told Reuters.

In Phnom Penh, Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said he had received reports of two Cambodian soldiers killed in the initial fighting this morning, but it was not confirmed.

Cambodian officials claimed two Thais died in the morning clash. Thailand said no one was hurt then and it planned to lodge a formal protest with the Cambodian government.

The latest fighting comes a day after a Thai soldier lost a leg when he stepped on a land mine in an area claimed by Thailand.

A Thai patrol visited the blast site on Friday morning and encountered 20 Cambodian soldiers.

"After talks between the two sides failed, the Cambodian side started to walk away and turned back to open fire at Thai troops with rifles and RPG rockets, forcing the Thai side to fire back in self-defense," Thailand's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Preah Vihear, or Khao Phra Viharn as it is known in Thailand, sits on an escarpment that forms the natural border between the two countries and has been a source of tension for generations.

The International Court of Justice awarded it to Cambodia in 1962, but the ruling did not determine the ownership of 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub next to the ruins, leaving considerable scope for disagreement.

Tensions rose last month when 100 Thai troops crossed into a disputed area near the temple and were stopped by Cambodian soldiers, but no fighting occurred.

The border had been quiet for months while the Southeast Asian neighbors sought to jointly demarcate the jungle-clad area where one Thai and three Cambodian soldiers died in last October's exchange of rifle and rocket fire.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge commander, warned this week that his soldiers would fight if Thai troops crossed the disputed border again.

The site is 600 km (370 miles) east of Bangkok and only a decade ago was controlled by remnants of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge guerrilla army.

Few foreign visitors go there, although both countries have said they would like to develop the area as a tourist destination.

The Cambodia-Thailand Joint Border Committee will meet again on Sunday for three days of talks in the Cambodian resort town of Siem Reap to try to find a solution to the row.

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Soldiers die in new clash at temple flashpoint on Thai-Cambodia border

Cambodia says four Thai soldiers were killed as Bangkok plays down fighting as 'misunderstanding'

Friday 3 April 2009
Mark Tran and agencies
guardian.co.uk

Several soldiers died in a clash between Thai and Cambodian troops near an 11th century temple, with each side blaming the other for the latest flare-up in a disputed border area.

Cambodian officials said four Thai soldiers died and 10 were detained as troops fired at each other with machine guns and rocket launchers. Seni Chittakasem, the governor of Thailand's eastern Si Sa Ket province, confirmed that one Thai soldier was killed and said seven were wounded.


The incident was the latest in a long-festering dispute over the cliff-top Preah Vihear temple on the Cambodian side of an ill-defined border. Clashes in the area last year briefly brought fear of war.

A clash this morning was followed by artillery fire that lasted about 30 minutes.

Thailand's defence minister, Prawit Wongsuwan, played down the fighting. "It was an accident, a misunderstanding among officials on the ground, which is common when you are closely positioned," he told reporters in Bangkok.

A Cambodian soldier posted at the border, Yeim Kheang, told Agence France-Presse by telephone that a Cambodian market at the gateway to the temple had been badly burned during the fighting.

"We used heavy weapons including rockets, machine guns and mortars. In general, we used every weapon given to us. Many Thai soldiers ran away, leaving their weapons behind during the fight," he said.

Tensions had been high since an exchange of shots early in the morning after Cambodian soldiers went to investigate the area where a Thai soldier stepped on a mine on Thursday and lost his leg.

The exchange of fire came two days after Hun Sen, the Cambodian prime minister, warned Thailand of fighting if its troops crossed their disputed frontier. Thailand denies claims that about 100 troops crossed the frontier a week ago. The Thai prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, said he was ready to call his Cambodian counterpart but defended Bangkok's right to "preserve our sovereignty."

"It was likely caused by a misunderstanding or accident. I have asked every agency to work to solve the incident by creating a better understanding with Cambodia," he said on his return from the G20 summit in London.

Hun Sen and Abhisit are both scheduled to take part in a summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and key regional partners in the Thai beach resort of Pattaya next week.

The temple is located in an area that has long been a source of contention as Thailand and Cambodia share an 800-kilometre (500-mile) border, much of which has never been clearly demarcated because the countries refer to different maps.

Cambodia's French colonial masters claimed the temple, using a disputed 1907 map that marked the frontier. But when the French left in 1954, Thai troops seized the ruin. They only grudgingly left after the international court of justice in The Hague awarded it to Cambodia in 1962, but they held on to an adjacent 4.6 square kilometre patch of disputed scrub.

The court's ruling has rankled with Thai nationalists since then. When the UN awarded Preah Vihear world heritage site status in July last year, it once again became a flashpoint. Subsequent talks between Cambodia and Thailand have not resolved the dispute and Thailand's foreign minister apologised yesterday, after being accused by Hun Sen of calling him a gangster.

Preah Vihear has become a burning issue in Thailand's fraught domestic politics. Analysts say the Abhisit government – already perceived as ineffectual – cannot afford to be seen as weak on the issue.

"This is so touchy for the Thai government as it is seen as a test of its mettle," said Tim Forsyth, a Thailand expert at the London School of Economics. "It is all part of a crisis of legitimacy for the government."

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Soldiers die in new clash at temple flashpoint on Thai-Cambodia border

Cambodia says four Thai soldiers were killed as Bangkok plays down fighting as 'misunderstanding'

Friday 3 April 2009
Mark Tran and agencies
guardian.co.uk

Several soldiers died in a clash between Thai and Cambodian troops near an 11th century temple, with each side blaming the other for the latest flare-up in a disputed border area.

Cambodian officials said four Thai soldiers died and 10 were detained as troops fired at each other with machine guns and rocket launchers. Seni Chittakasem, the governor of Thailand's eastern Si Sa Ket province, confirmed that one Thai soldier was killed and said seven were wounded.


The incident was the latest in a long-festering dispute over the cliff-top Preah Vihear temple on the Cambodian side of an ill-defined border. Clashes in the area last year briefly brought fear of war.

A clash this morning was followed by artillery fire that lasted about 30 minutes.

Thailand's defence minister, Prawit Wongsuwan, played down the fighting. "It was an accident, a misunderstanding among officials on the ground, which is common when you are closely positioned," he told reporters in Bangkok.

A Cambodian soldier posted at the border, Yeim Kheang, told Agence France-Presse by telephone that a Cambodian market at the gateway to the temple had been badly burned during the fighting.

"We used heavy weapons including rockets, machine guns and mortars. In general, we used every weapon given to us. Many Thai soldiers ran away, leaving their weapons behind during the fight," he said.

Tensions had been high since an exchange of shots early in the morning after Cambodian soldiers went to investigate the area where a Thai soldier stepped on a mine on Thursday and lost his leg.

The exchange of fire came two days after Hun Sen, the Cambodian prime minister, warned Thailand of fighting if its troops crossed their disputed frontier. Thailand denies claims that about 100 troops crossed the frontier a week ago. The Thai prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, said he was ready to call his Cambodian counterpart but defended Bangkok's right to "preserve our sovereignty."

"It was likely caused by a misunderstanding or accident. I have asked every agency to work to solve the incident by creating a better understanding with Cambodia," he said on his return from the G20 summit in London.

Hun Sen and Abhisit are both scheduled to take part in a summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and key regional partners in the Thai beach resort of Pattaya next week.

The temple is located in an area that has long been a source of contention as Thailand and Cambodia share an 800-kilometre (500-mile) border, much of which has never been clearly demarcated because the countries refer to different maps.

Cambodia's French colonial masters claimed the temple, using a disputed 1907 map that marked the frontier. But when the French left in 1954, Thai troops seized the ruin. They only grudgingly left after the international court of justice in The Hague awarded it to Cambodia in 1962, but they held on to an adjacent 4.6 square kilometre patch of disputed scrub.

The court's ruling has rankled with Thai nationalists since then. When the UN awarded Preah Vihear world heritage site status in July last year, it once again became a flashpoint. Subsequent talks between Cambodia and Thailand have not resolved the dispute and Thailand's foreign minister apologised yesterday, after being accused by Hun Sen of calling him a gangster.

Preah Vihear has become a burning issue in Thailand's fraught domestic politics. Analysts say the Abhisit government – already perceived as ineffectual – cannot afford to be seen as weak on the issue.

"This is so touchy for the Thai government as it is seen as a test of its mettle," said Tim Forsyth, a Thailand expert at the London School of Economics. "It is all part of a crisis of legitimacy for the government."

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Cambodia says 4 Thai troops killed in border clash

Friday, April 03, 2009
By SOPHENG CHEANG

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Thai and Cambodian soldiers traded fire with machine guns and rocket launchers along a disputed border, killing as many as four people Friday in an escalation of tensions in a long-standing feud over an 11th century temple.

Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said four Thai soldiers were killed and 10 captured during the two clashes. Thailand's Foreign Ministry insisted only one Thai soldier was killed, seven were injured and none was taken prisoner, while two Thai army officers, who refused to be named, said two soldiers were killed and 10 injured.
The clashes occurred several hours apart near the same border location.

"The fighting has stopped. Commanders from both sides are talking," Maj. Nou Sarath, a Cambodian soldier at the border, told The Associated Press.

The fighting is the latest flare-up near the cliff-top Preah Vihear temple, which is on the Cambodian side of an ill-defined border that has been a source of conflict for decades. Two clashes last year sparked brief concerns of war.

In the first round of fighting Friday, Cambodia fired on some 60 Thai soldiers after they entered Cambodian territory, sparking a battle that lasted about 10 minutes, said Yim Kheang, a Cambodian soldier at the border. Officials from both sides said there were no injuries.

Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said the clash started when Thai soldiers arrived to investigate the site where one of their colleagues had his leg blown off by a land mine on Thursday. As they approached the area, Cambodian soldiers opened fire, he said.

Thailand and Cambodia have long had competing claims to land surrounding the temple, which the World Court awarded to Cambodia in 1962. Tensions flared last July after UNESCO, the U.N. cultural agency, approved Cambodia's bid to have the temple named a World Heritage Site. Both sides deployed troops.

Thai Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan downplayed Friday morning's clash.

"It was an accident, a misunderstanding among officials on the ground, which is common when you are closely positioned," he told reporters in Bangkok.

In the second clash, Cambodians insisted that Thai soldiers shot rocket-propelled grenades into their territory. Tharit denied the allegation. A Cambodian market near the border was set fire by a Thai rocket but the market was empty so there were no casualties, Cambodian soldiers said.

"The Cambodians started firing rocket-propelled grenades and rifles at us," Tharit said. "That led to several casualties on our side."

On Thursday, a Thai soldier in the area lost his leg after stepping on a land mine, but Thai and Cambodian military officials disagreed over which side of the border he was on at the time.

Cambodia and Thailand share a 500-mile (800-kilometer) land border, much of which has never been clearly demarcated because the countries refer to different maps.

Tharit called on both sides to "exercise utmost restraint and not use any force."

"We ask them to go back to the negotiating table," he said, referring to border negotiations that are to resume at the end of the month.

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Cambodia says 4 Thai troops killed in border clash

Friday, April 03, 2009
By SOPHENG CHEANG

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Thai and Cambodian soldiers traded fire with machine guns and rocket launchers along a disputed border, killing as many as four people Friday in an escalation of tensions in a long-standing feud over an 11th century temple.

Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said four Thai soldiers were killed and 10 captured during the two clashes. Thailand's Foreign Ministry insisted only one Thai soldier was killed, seven were injured and none was taken prisoner, while two Thai army officers, who refused to be named, said two soldiers were killed and 10 injured.
The clashes occurred several hours apart near the same border location.

"The fighting has stopped. Commanders from both sides are talking," Maj. Nou Sarath, a Cambodian soldier at the border, told The Associated Press.

The fighting is the latest flare-up near the cliff-top Preah Vihear temple, which is on the Cambodian side of an ill-defined border that has been a source of conflict for decades. Two clashes last year sparked brief concerns of war.

In the first round of fighting Friday, Cambodia fired on some 60 Thai soldiers after they entered Cambodian territory, sparking a battle that lasted about 10 minutes, said Yim Kheang, a Cambodian soldier at the border. Officials from both sides said there were no injuries.

Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said the clash started when Thai soldiers arrived to investigate the site where one of their colleagues had his leg blown off by a land mine on Thursday. As they approached the area, Cambodian soldiers opened fire, he said.

Thailand and Cambodia have long had competing claims to land surrounding the temple, which the World Court awarded to Cambodia in 1962. Tensions flared last July after UNESCO, the U.N. cultural agency, approved Cambodia's bid to have the temple named a World Heritage Site. Both sides deployed troops.

Thai Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan downplayed Friday morning's clash.

"It was an accident, a misunderstanding among officials on the ground, which is common when you are closely positioned," he told reporters in Bangkok.

In the second clash, Cambodians insisted that Thai soldiers shot rocket-propelled grenades into their territory. Tharit denied the allegation. A Cambodian market near the border was set fire by a Thai rocket but the market was empty so there were no casualties, Cambodian soldiers said.

"The Cambodians started firing rocket-propelled grenades and rifles at us," Tharit said. "That led to several casualties on our side."

On Thursday, a Thai soldier in the area lost his leg after stepping on a land mine, but Thai and Cambodian military officials disagreed over which side of the border he was on at the time.

Cambodia and Thailand share a 500-mile (800-kilometer) land border, much of which has never been clearly demarcated because the countries refer to different maps.

Tharit called on both sides to "exercise utmost restraint and not use any force."

"We ask them to go back to the negotiating table," he said, referring to border negotiations that are to resume at the end of the month.

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Thai, Cambodian military seek to defuse border tensions

BANGKOK, April 3 (TNA) - Thai Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan on Friday said Thai and Cambodian military officers discussed defusing tensions, after the two countries border guard troops exchanged gunfire in an early morning border incident in disputed territory near the ancient Preah Vihear temple.

A Thai soldier lost a leg in a land mine explosion on Thursday but Thai and Cambodian officers disagreed over which country he was in at the time.

Gen. Prawit said the incident was the result of a misunderstanding between operations officers of both sides along the border.

His remarks came two days after the Cambodian premier Hun Sen warned Thailand that it would face fighting if its troops crossed the disputed border.

Maj-Gen. Thawatchai Samutsakorn, deputy chief of Thailand’s second army, said the exchange of gunfire took place about 7am on Friday, three kilometres west of Preah Vihear temple or Phra Viharn as it is known in Thailand. There were no reports of any casualties from either side.

The clash broke off in the yet-to-be-demarcated disputed area of 4.6 sq km (1.8 sq miles) where Sgt-Maj. Suwat Chanaboon lost his left leg after stepping on a landmine while patrolling the border, the senior military officer said.

Cambodian forces said the Thai soldier was on their soil when the mine exploded.

Cambodia accused Thai troops of crossing the border, a charge Thailand has publicly denied.

Gen. Thawatchai rushed to the clash site to discuss the situation with Cambodian military officers.

It was the latest incident in a long-standing conflict over contesting claims to land surrounding the historic Preah Vihear temple, awarded World Heritage Site status by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) last year.

The incident marked the first deadly cross-border shooting since last October's border clash which left four troops dead.

The two countries have not yet resolved their border dispute in recent border talks.

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Thai, Cambodian military seek to defuse border tensions

BANGKOK, April 3 (TNA) - Thai Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan on Friday said Thai and Cambodian military officers discussed defusing tensions, after the two countries border guard troops exchanged gunfire in an early morning border incident in disputed territory near the ancient Preah Vihear temple.

A Thai soldier lost a leg in a land mine explosion on Thursday but Thai and Cambodian officers disagreed over which country he was in at the time.

Gen. Prawit said the incident was the result of a misunderstanding between operations officers of both sides along the border.

His remarks came two days after the Cambodian premier Hun Sen warned Thailand that it would face fighting if its troops crossed the disputed border.

Maj-Gen. Thawatchai Samutsakorn, deputy chief of Thailand’s second army, said the exchange of gunfire took place about 7am on Friday, three kilometres west of Preah Vihear temple or Phra Viharn as it is known in Thailand. There were no reports of any casualties from either side.

The clash broke off in the yet-to-be-demarcated disputed area of 4.6 sq km (1.8 sq miles) where Sgt-Maj. Suwat Chanaboon lost his left leg after stepping on a landmine while patrolling the border, the senior military officer said.

Cambodian forces said the Thai soldier was on their soil when the mine exploded.

Cambodia accused Thai troops of crossing the border, a charge Thailand has publicly denied.

Gen. Thawatchai rushed to the clash site to discuss the situation with Cambodian military officers.

It was the latest incident in a long-standing conflict over contesting claims to land surrounding the historic Preah Vihear temple, awarded World Heritage Site status by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) last year.

The incident marked the first deadly cross-border shooting since last October's border clash which left four troops dead.

The two countries have not yet resolved their border dispute in recent border talks.

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