Soldier killed, 5 hurt in border clash

[Central Scrutinizer]

Take out Hun Sen with some missiles and air to ground F16 attacks. He's the problem. And go after his chickenshit son too.

[radioman]

Isn't that the Libyan plan?

[Flashermac]

 

Intensity of fighting on border eases

 

 

The military believes the situation on the Thai-Cambodian border is improving despite fighting continuing on the border near Surin for a ninth day.

 

Second Army Region spokesman Prawit Hookaew said that although the clashes have not yet ended, encouragement can be taken from the fact that the exchanges of gunfire have lessened in intensity and heavy weapons have not been deployed in the past few days.

 

He said only small arms and mortars have been used since military delegations from both sides held talks on Thursday.

 

In the latest skirmishes, two Thai soldiers were injured yesterday afternoon near Ta Kwai temple in the border area of Surin.

 

[color:red]Fighting on Friday night and yesterday left 11 Thai soldiers wounded, bringing the total injury toll for Thai soldiers to 97, while seven soldiers and one civilian have been killed.[/color]

 

[color:red]According to the Second Army, two Cambodian BM21 multiple rocket launchers were destroyed and a number of their soldiers were killed during the clashes.[/color]

 

Col Prawit said that Thailand contacted Cambodia after the latest skirmishes broke out and was told that some troops were not following orders.

 

"They promise to look into this to avoid further incidents," said Col Prawit.

 

[color:red]It is reported that troops under Special Force 911 and a number of those who are not under the control of Lt Gen Chea Mon refused to hold fire.[/color]

 

[color:red]Special Force 911 is a highly trained armed unit under the command of army deputy commander Hun Manet, son of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.[/color]

 

Col Prawit said he had heard a report of Cambodia recruiting more troops and urging those who are relatives of former Khmer Rouge guerrillas to join the army.

 

Thai military spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd said yesterday the overall situation is considered to be "improving" despite the continued fighting.

 

"At first there were rocket-propelled grenades and artillery shelling for hours. Now it is just sporadic fighting with small arms," he said.

 

He maintained the stance that a complete ceasefire must be sustained before further talks can proceed.

 

[color:red]A border source said that Lt Gen Hun Manet has offered a house and a five-rai plot of land to those who join the Cambodian effort.[/color]

 

The recruitment drive was announced in the Cambodian areas of Samrong, Anlong Veng, Oddar Meanchey and O-Smach, which were once controlled by Khmer Rouge guerrillas.

 

The source said that more than 100 Cambodian troops with close links to former Khmer Rouge guerrillas have fled those areas.

 

Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to the foreign minister, said the government has formed a three-man team to counter Cambodia's petition to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the border dispute around Preah Vihear temple.

 

Cambodia said it was seeking the ICJ's interpretation "in order to peacefully and definitely settle the boundary problem between the two countries".

 

Mr Chavanond said it would be some time before the ICJ decides whether or not to accept Cambodia's petition.

 

[color:red]The 5th national blood centre in Nakhon Ratchasima is in short supply of blood and is pleading for donations.[/color]

 

Staff member Sirilak Piakkhunthod said the centre faces a severe shortage because the national blood centre in Bangkok has sent its supply to Surin.

 

Surin Hospital has needed 60-80 bags of blood per day since the border clashes erupted.

 

Ms Sirilak said the centre usually receives 60 bags of blood daily from Bangkok but is currently receiving only 10 bags a day.

 

The 5th national blood centre supplies blood to hospitals in Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Buri Ram and Surin provinces.

 

In Buri Ram, a large number of border villagers who were evacuated after the fighting erupted returned home during the day to tend to their farms.

 

During the day, about 4,000 evacuees were left at the centre, most of them women, children and the elderly.

 

More than 9,000 residents from Ban Kruat and Prakhon Chai districts sought shelter at nine temporary centres when the clashes broke out on April 22.

 

District authorities said yesterday the shelters would remain open until the last evacuee returned home.

 

 

 

Link

[Flashermac]

 

Thailand is fighting not just a war

 

 

 

The Thai-Cambodian border skirmishes will be protracted, predicts Rajabhat University academic Boonrueng Katchama in Surin, the scene of the latest clashes.

 

Mr Boonrueng tells KING-OUA LAOHONG that the border conflict is unlikely to end any time soon because it is not a mere two-country affair.

 

[color:orange]Do you think any talks between 2nd Army commander Lt Gen Thawatchai Samutsakorn and Cambodia's Lt Gen Chea Mon, chief of the Cambodian 4th Region Army are likely to result in a ceasefire agreement?[/color]

 

A truce in the next couple of months will be hard to achieve. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen wants any talks to resolve the border conflict to be mediated by a third country.

 

He wants to include territorial disputes over the Ta Kwai and Ta Muen Thom temples in the wider process to settle the conflict.

 

This is to gain an upper hand in the process. But the whole issue illustrates the blunders committed by both Thailand and Cambodia as well as present and past committees in charge of border demarcation.

 

The first attempt at demarcation was made in 1867 and the most recent in 1907 during the reign of King Rama 5.

 

The border once had 73 demarcation posts, but only 40 or so of them can be found now.

 

Each time the border was demarcated, one side or the other would hand over land, but this was not the same as losing the country's territory.

 

Since 1907, no further demarcation work has been done.

 

After the Cambodian civil war, Khmer Rouge soldiers retreated to the Thai border and uprooted the demarcation posts. We didn't pay attention or fight to restore the posts, many of which were lost. Past governments were reluctant to raise the issue because it could put the country at a disadvantage and hurt their electoral support.

 

[color:orange]Thailand has insisted it is ready to talk and asked Cambodia to stop the fighting. Hun Sen, however, doesn't want to bend. How can the two sides come together?[/color]

 

Hun Sen is taking his usual approach and speaking in way that works in his interest. We want any talks to be bilateral, but they want tripartite talks.

 

If we can't talk to each other, there should be a mediator. It's not just about security, but also national pride. The two countries don't want anyone encroaching on their territory.

 

Both countries want peace and we must find a middle ground.

 

In my view, if Cambodia wants a third country to step in, we should let them, because we have nothing to fear.

 

With a third party involved, we should include the border area near Preah Vihear temple in the talks.

 

[color:orange]What do you make of the clashes at the Ta Kwai and Ta Muen Thom temples?[/color]

 

Many Cambodian people of Vietnamese descent live on the border in Trat.

 

Cambodian troops use guerrilla warfare, ambushing our troops. They fire handguns, then hit us with heavy artillery attacks.

 

That's more the Vietnamese style of fighting. I believe the soldiers who are really in command are those troops who are descended from the Vietnamese.

 

The ethnic Cambodian soldiers take a lesser role.

 

[color:orange]Is there a possibility of all-out war if talks are not an option?[/color]

 

The question before us is, are we fighting only with Cambodia?

 

[color:red]We're not. We're also up against Vietnam, China, Japan, Australia and South Korea which have vested interests in Cambodia.[/color]

 

True, these countries are also our friends. But when their interests are at stake, it's not a black and white issue. They will want to protect their interests as well.

 

[color:orange]Do you see a way out of this problem? Those most affected are the villagers near the border.[/color]

 

Thailand and Cambodia must make some concessions by proposing that the Phanom Dong Rak mountain range dividing the border be turned into a world heritage site, plus the 4.6 square kilometre area as well as the Ta Kwai and Ta Muen Thom temples.

 

The areas must be co-managed equitably by the two countries if peace is to return. Otherwise, territorial disputes will carry on endlessly.

 

 

 

 

Link

[shygye]

What about all the Thai biz interests in Cambo?

[Coss]

With all the bribery and corruption, they'll continue along just fine....

[Flashermac]

 

Well, the generals have shaken hands and declared a truce. So far it's working fine, except for the one Thai soldier killed and three wounded in a Cambodian ambush this morning.

 

 

[shygye]

SNAFU