YouTube – 160 houses fired in Phnom Penh.wmv
 

Bangkok Post recently, 16/09/2009, reported of 200 police deployed from Si Sa Ket and nearby provinces to the area near the Preah Vihear temple to deal with the planned rally by yellow-shirt demonstrators. And the policemen will join with the military force stationed in the area to prevent the demonstrators going into the claimed area by Thai of 4.6 square kilometres land along the Thai-Cambodia border.

Yet another strange is that ”The policemen [Thai] were ordered not to carry weapons and prohibited from using force to deal with yellow-shirts”. The prediction is that this is a new trick by Thai government, they used these yellows shirt and invading Cambodia at the same time just like last year in 2008 when the temple was awarded as World Heritage site by UNCESCO.

The yellow shirts, of People’s Alliance for Democracy, declared recently to gather on September 19 in Si Sa Ket to demand the Khmers to move out of the claimed area around the Hindu shrine. Is it possible to do so?

The PAD’s planned march has alarmed army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda. He is concerned that if any trekker were to be "captured" due to step on the deputed area by the Cambodian soldiers, the incident would set off a chain of reaction that could have far-reaching consequences on national security and bilateral relations.

Cambodian soldiers and villagers had constructed houses and shops there long before the Thai troops started to make a "counter-presence". Cambodian occupants had taken root in the area since 1999, whereas the Thai soldiers have only gone into the zone in July last year.

Cambodian defense ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat said at least 50 police with dogs, batons, and tear gas have been deployed at the temple ahead of the demonstration.

"Our anti-riot police have been deployed to the border Preah Vihear temple in case the Thai Yellow Shirt protesters illegally cross the border to cause problems," Chhum Socheat told AFP.

"We will order our forces to prevent them from entering. We don’t want bloodshed to happen, but if they don’t listen to us, we will use our self-defense measures," Socheat said.

Thai army should take measures to prevent the protesters from getting near the claimed area since they all, People’s Alliance for Democracy, might appear provocative to Cambodian troops.

The international court ruled the temple belonged to Cambodia more than 40 years ago, but border over areas around the temple has becoming worsen when Thai soldier was stepped to Cambodia’s territory last year.

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PHNOM PENH (AFP) — Cambodia on Saturday rebuked Thailand for reopening a debate over an ancient temple on their disputed border that has led to seven soldiers being killed.

High-ranking Thai officials this week asked world heritage body UNESCO to reconsider its decision to formally list the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, as ownership of land surrounding the ruins is still in dispute.

Soldiers from Cambodia and Thailand continue to patrol the area and occasional outbreaks of violence between them have triggered gunbattles that have killed seven troops in the past year.

But Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters that soldiers would be ready to defend their land again if necessary.

"Cambodia welcomes Thailand militarily, diplomatically, internationally or through peaceful negotiations," Hor Namhong said.

"(But) it (border fighting) has happened twice… (so) if they want to send their troops to Cambodia a third time, we will welcome them too," he said.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva made a one-day visit to Cambodia last week in an attempt to push forward border talks, but his subsequent comments only appear to have reignited the dispute.

"I heard that the second Thai commander on the border put his troops on alert and I’d like to tell them that Cambodian soldiers are also on alert," Hor Namhong added.

Cambodia and Thailand have been at loggerheads over the land around the Preah Vihear temple for decades, but tensions spilled over into violence last July when the temple was granted UN World Heritage status.

The border between the two countries has never been fully demarcated, in part because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia.

Thai media say a copy of the famed temple is on the horizon, while Cambodian officials threaten to complain to UNESCO.

Photo by: TRACEY SHELTON

Cambodian soldiers at the Preah Vihear temple complex earlier this month.

CAMBODIAN officials have reacted strongly to Thai media reports that the country plans to build a replica of Preah Vihear temple along the border, saying  it could violate international law.

Chuch Phoeun, secretary of state at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, said that Preah Vihear’s status as a UNESCO World Heritage site prohibited the construction of any building surrounding the temple site.

"It is impossible to replicate the temple without permission from the country that owns it," said Chuch Phoeun. "This is an intentional attempt by the Thais to stir up Cambodia because they are jealous of [us]." Chuch Phoeun added that if Bangkok violates the law, Cambodia will report it to UNESCO.

Thai media on Monday reported that Thailand planned to build a copy of the disputed 11th-century temple as a tourist attraction, and that local authorities had been ordered to undertake a feasibility study before the project begins.

It is impossible to replicate the temple without permission from [the govt]

The rumored Thai plans are the latest shot fired in a border dispute that has been simmering since UNESCO listed Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site in July last year.

ASEAN urged to act
Ahead of the 17th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting, which kicks off Wednesday in Phnom Penh, the Cambodia Watchdog Council (CWC), a local civil society group, called on ASEAN and EU officials to address the ongoing border standoff.

In a statement Monday, the CWC claims that since July 15 last year, Thai soldiers have continually violated Cambodian territory, but that numerous bilateral negotiations have failed.

"The ASEAN and EU members present for this two-day meeting have to raise the issue of Thai incursions into Cambodia," the statement said.

But Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said the Thai-Cambodia border standoff was not on the agenda for the meeting.

"We’re not going to stop civil society from expressing their concern on this issue, but the government’s principle is to resolve the conflict peacefully and bilaterally," he said.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is scheduled to visit Cambodia on June 12-13, when he is expected to hold border talks with Prime Minister Hun Sen.

(source: http://www.phnompenhpost.com)

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Residents around the market at Preah Vihear temple say they want compensation from Thailand for what they estimate is about US$9 million in damages.

A vendor picks through the debris of Preah Vihear market, destroyed in in a firefight with Thai soldiers earlier this month.

RESIDENTS near the Preah Vihear temple complex where a  market was destroyed by Thai rocket fire in early April have calculated damages in excess of US$9 million, a representative announced Tuesday.

Some 260 property owners have submitted thumbprints to documents requesting compensation from the Thai government for losses incurred when Thai soldiers opened fire on the market April 3.

"We’ve calculated the value of properties destroyed by Thai soldiers at $1.2 million", president of the Khmer CiviliSation Foundation, Moeung Sonn, reported Tuesday. "However, we’ve submitted a claim for $9.2 million to the Thai government to compensate people’s properties, businesses and mental health," he explained.

Moeung Soun said many victims of property damage have also suffered serious mental health repercussions. "One of the victims has been out of control since her property was burned down by Thai soldiers’ rockets," he said. "She’s now seriously ill and is being treated in Battambang hospital. Other victims are also experiencing mental health problems."

Moeung Sonn said the complaint will be sent to the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and copies are to be sent to King Norodom Sihamoni, the King Father Norodom Sihanouk, Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Thai embassy.

He added, however, that compensation will ultimately be determined by the Cambodian government’s willingness to confront Thai authorities.

"Our government has evidence of Thai rocket debris and has a duty to serve Cambodians and resolve the problem for them," he said.

Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the Post Tuesday that the ministry had not yet received the complaint and would meet to determine measures after its receipt.

Meanwhile, commune officials are working to independently calculate property damages and address losses.

"Our officials have registered people’s property damages, but totals have not yet been calculated", Kao Long, governor of Choam Ksan district, said Tuesday.

Source “www.phnompenhpost.com”

Fatal clashes erupted in the early hours of April 3 between Thai and Cambodian troops near Preah Vihear Temple on the two countries’ border, leaving two Thai and two Cambodian soldiers dead and several injured. It was not the first time gunfire was exchanged between the two Southeast Asian nations.

The first deadly clash took place in October 2008 at the height of the territorial dispute over the temple, resulting in a number of deaths and causalities.
The armed clashes between Thailand and Cambodia were seen as one of the most serious incidents in the region since the establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, 43 years ago. It is a very dangerous flashpoint that could have a tremendous impact on regional security.
What are the underlying causes driving the Thai-Cambodian confrontation? In 1962, Thailand and Cambodia took their claims of ownership over the 900-year-old temple to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The court ruled the case in Cambodia’s favor. Thailand was instructed to remove its troops and military arsenals from the area. Almost 50 years on, although the bitter memory on the Thai side has lingered, there had been no attempt by Thailand to challenge the court’s ruling.
In 2007, Cambodia officially launched its campaign to have the temple listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Samak government, seen by its opponents as former premier Thaksin Shinawatra’s proxy, endorsed the Cambodian request to UNESCO.

Noppadon Pattama, the foreign minister and a former personal lawyer for Thaksin, signed a joint communiqué with Cambodia, expressing the Thai commitment to support the UNESCO listing of the temple.

But from that moment on, the fire of Thai nationalism was fanned.
Anti-Thaksin forces, led by the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), grasped this opportunity to stir up a sense of nationalism against the Samak government in order to serve its own political legitimacy. The PAD linked the Thai support for Cambodia to the issue of lost territories, as a basis for its nationalistic protest against the Thaksin-backed government.
The concept of lost territories is powerful. Thailand, despite being the only country in the region to have escaped colonialism, has portrayed itself as a vulnerable state which had to surrender part of its territories to European powers in exchange for its overall independence.

In 1907, Siam, the former name of Thailand, signed a treaty with France. Accordingly, Siam gave up its possession of Cambodia’s Batambang, Sri Sophon and Siem Reap provinces to France. The contentious Preah Vihear Temple is located within this area.
With the Thai treaty with France and with the ruling of the ICJ, the PAD persistently claimed that Preah Vihear, known in Thai as Phra Viharn, still belongs to Thailand. And that Prime Minister Samak and Foreign Minister Noppadon betrayed the motherland in their support given to the Cambodians to claim their ownership of the temple. The PAD claimed that Thaksin was behind the government’s decision because he had business interests in Cambodia. The Thai support was described as “selling the national property” at the interest of private politicians.
In fact, this was not the first time the PAD accused Thaksin for selling national assets to foreigners. In 2006, Thaksin was condemned for selling his Shin Corp to Singapore’s Temasek Holdings without paying tax. The PAD view was that because Shin Corp dealt with telecommunications, it was deemed as a sensitive industry to national security, therefore Thaksin accumulated his own wealth at the expense of jeopardizing national interest.
The “selling the nation” taboo, or khai chart in Thai, has been used to whip up nationalistic fervor against Thaksin. It was employed to unseat the Samak government too. Nappadon was forced to resign from the foreign minister position. But the nationalistic feeling has never subsided.
The PAD also encouraged an armed conflict with Cambodia in order to bring back the so-called Thai territory. In his speech in July 2008, Sondhi Limthongkul, a leader of the PAD, even suggested that war was the only suitable solution to the temple crisis. In this process, the PAD painted the image of the Cambodians as national enemies. History was also distorted to conveniently serve Cambodia’s new role as the country’s adversary.
Now that the current foreign minister, Kasit Piromya, a member of the Democrat Party and a well-known sympathizer of the PAD, takes his turn to manage the temple issue, the fire of nationalism, lit by the PAD, has been rekindled.

Kasit’s opponents circulated his interview given to televised media in October 2008 (Kasit was then a shadow deputy prime minister) expressing his negative view of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Kasit, during the interview, referred to Hun Sen as a tramp and a vagrant. He thought Hun Sen was dotty, deranged and mentally imbalanced. Kasit also said that Hun Sen did not want good relations with Thailand because he was a slave of Thaksin. His remarks infuriated Hun Sen. In the same month, the first armed clash took place along the Thai-Cambodian border.
Recently during a no-confidence motion in the Thai parliament, Kasit was grilled by the opposition for not practicing good diplomacy vis-à-vis Cambodia and as a result bringing about escalating tension along the border. In his response, he once again referred to Hun Sen as a gangster. This sent another wrong message to Cambodia.

The Khmers now believe that Thailand, under the Abhisit government, continues to treat Cambodia as its enemy.
The conflict over the Preah Vihear temple, indeed, has very little to do with the real territorial issue, and more to do with an absurd nationalistic craze enflamed by Thai political factions.

The deaths and casualties in the recent clashes were simply the victims of a powerful nationalism run amok. The unrest at the border should by now remind the Thai leaders and the opposition that nationalism is a dangerous poison. It can turn extremely lethal once they lose control of it.

Dr Pavin Chachavalpongpun is a visiting research fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

Source: (www.irrawaddy.org)

     PHNOM PENH, April 8 (Xinhua) — Thailand has insisted on naming the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple as "Pra Viharn" in accordance with its Thai pronunciation, national media said on Wednesday.

    The divergence therefore became a major impediment for Cambodia to solve its border disputes with Thailand during a two-day meeting of the Joint Border Committee of Cambodia and Thailand (JBC) here on Monday and Tuesday, Chinese-language newspaper the Jian Hua Daily quoted Var Kim Hong, chairman of the Cambodian sideof JBC, as saying.

    Cambodia proposed to list the name as "Preah Vihear temple (Pra Viharn temple)" in relevant documents and draft agreements, but Thailand still couldn’t accept it, he added.

    Meanwhile, Vasin Teeravechyan, chairman of the Thai side of JBC, told reporters on Tuesday that Thailand didn’t turn down the name of Preah Vihear, but demanded that Pra Viharn be used together with Preah Vihear as the name of the temple at international conferences.

    Thailand believed that the difference about how to name the temple should be solved within JBC, and this matter actually had nothing to do with UNESCO (the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization), he added.

    In the meantime, as a positive result of the JBC meeting, Cambodia and Thailand agreed to plant border posts in July within the disputed areas near the Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    Technicians from both sides will jointly survey the land near the temple with the priority of planting border posts there and therefore helping contain armed clashes, according to Var Kim Hongand Vasin Teeravechyan.

    Two rounds of exchanges of heavy gunfire took place last Friday after Thai troops intruded on the Cambodian land near the temple, according to a statement issued by the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

    These were the worst military confrontations since both troops started to station near the temple in July 2008.

    In addition, two armed clashes at the same area last year once sparked brief concerns of war.

    The two neighboring countries have never fully demarcated their over 800-km-long border, mainly due to different interpretations of historical maps, as well as the landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia.