KI Media: “BREAKING NEWS: Hor Namhong Finally Lost His Lawsuit Against Sam Rainsy In Paris” plus 24 more

The French Supreme Court ("Cour de Cassation") reportedly overruled earlier this week previous judicial decisions related to the defamation lawsuit filed by Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong against opposition leader Sam Rainsy in Paris. Therefore, Hor Namhong has finally and definitively lost his lawsuit against Sam Rainsy who accuses him of being a former Khmer Rouge leader responsible for the death of many people.

PHNOM PENH, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian and Thai battlefield commanders on Friday agreed to a ceasefire again after the earlier ceasefire was broken, according to the statement of Cambodian Ministry of Defense. The statement said that Neak Vong, deputy commander of Cambodian brigade 42 at Ta Moan temple, and Dul Yadeth, field commander of Thai border regiment, held talks at O'smach border checkpoint at Friday noon after the eighth day of armed clashes at early Friday morning.

"Both sides agreed again to three points: ceasefire, no troop mobility and talk every two days by phone or face-to-face," it said. "This is the eighth time that both sides agreed to the ceasefire, but always failed to comply with it."

Cambodian and Thai troops had exchanged gunfire for eight straight days from April 22 to 29 over disputed border areas at the 13th century Ta Moan and Ta Krabei temples, which lie 150 kilometers west of Preah Vihear Temple.

The fighting had killed eight Cambodian soldiers, seven Thai soldiers and one Thai civilian, and caused several dozens injured.

The border between Thailand and Cambodia has never been completely demarcated.

Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was enlisted as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008. But Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 square kilometers (1.8 square miles) of scrub next to the temple. Just a week after the enlistment, Cambodia and Thailand had a border conflict, triggering a military build-up along the border, and periodic clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers have resulted in the deaths of troops on both sides.

Cambodia has asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to clarify its 1962 ruling over the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear as its military clashes with Thailand continued after a truce.

"The submission of this request has been prompted by Thailand's repeated armed aggression to exert its claims to Cambodian territory, on the basis of its own unilateral map that has no legal basis," said a Cambodian Foreign Ministry statement issued yesterday.

The ICJ ruled in 1962 that "the temple of Preah Vihear is situated in territory under sovereignty of Cambodia", but Bangkok argues that the court ruled only that the sandstone ruin belongs to Cambodia while the areas surrounding the Hindu temple belong to Thailand.

The court based its judgement on a French-made 1:200,000-scale map that indicated the boundary line between Siam, as Thailand was then known, and French Indochina.

Thailand argued that the boundary line should follow the watershed of the Phnom Dangrek Mountains in accordance with the 1904 and 1907 Franco-Siamese treaties. The disputed territory is a 4.6-square-kilometre area surrounding Preah Vihear.

Phnom Penh exercised its rights in accordance with Article 60 of the ICJ Statute, which says: "The judgement is final and without appeal. In the event of dispute as to the meaning or scope of the judgement, the Court shall construe it upon the request of any party."

There have been many armed skirmishes in the border area since Cambodia managed to get Preah Vihear listed as a World Heritage Site in 2008, against Thailand's wishes. Bangkok feared Cambodia would turn the disputed areas adjacent to the temple into a buffer zone for management of the property.

Phnom Penh considers the request for ICJ clarification a preventive measure to avoid further armed conflict between the two countries, to stop loss of lives and to preserve the Hindu temple from serious damage.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said his government had anticipated that Cambodia would request an ICJ clarification and that Thailand had organised a legal team to fight in court.

"We don't have a disadvantage in fighting in the world court. We are well prepared in terms of legal aspects and facts," Abhisit said.

The border conflict between the two countries has extended to other areas including near Ta Muan Thom and Ta Kwai temples in Surin province, about 150 kilometres west of Preah Vihear, since last week. The fighting has continued despite military commanders in the area reaching a ceasefire deal on Thursday.

The fresh clash after the truce killed a Thai military ranger and injured five others. Both sides blamed each other for firing first.

Thai Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha said the clash took place because Cambodian soldiers threw grenades at the Thai side and Thai troops fired small arms to retaliate.

However, Prayuth said he remained hopeful of achieving peace with Cambodia, saying the latest clash might be caused simply by undisciplined soldiers who did not obey their commanders' instructions to cease fire.

A Cambodian commander accused Thai soldiers of firing first. "They began firing artillery shells at our troops at Ta Krabei [Ta Kwai] temple at 4.50am," Suos Sothea, deputy commander of the artillery unit, told Xinhua news agency by telephone from the battlefield yesterday.

"Thai troops may not respect their superiors because on Thursday, their military commander met with our commander and reached a ceasefire, but this morning they still shell us.

"However, we did not fight back, as we are complying with the ceasefire," he said.

The government has voiced disappointment over the clashes at the Thai-Cambodian border which broke out only 10 hours after a ceasefire agreement was reached.

The fighting prompted a joint press conference between the army, the government and the Foreign Ministry.

"Thailand is very disappointed about the clashes that show Cambodia's insincerity despite the fact that the field troops of both sides had agreed to a ceasefire," said acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn.

"The government insists on its stance that the ceasefire must be strictly observed before further talks are pursued. The prime minister has made it clear he is happy to hold a dialogue. But if the situation doesn't improve, a dialogue will not be as useful as it is supposed to," he said. Both sides agreed to a truce as of 12pm on Thursday after talks between the 2nd Army's Lt Gen Thawatchai Samutsakhon and Lt Gen Chea Mon, chief of the Cambodian 4th Region Army, at a casino at the Chong Jom-O Samet checkpoint in Surin's Kap Choeng district.

However around 9.30pm the same day, fighting with rifles and hand-grenades erupted and lasted for an hour. A second round of fighting reportedly took place at 2am yesterday and ended at 6am.

One Thai soldier was killed and four injured, increasing the total deaths on the Thai side to eight, including one civilian, after continuous clashes erupted on April 22.

Cambodia has reported that at least eight of its troops have been killed.

Gunfire was confirmed near Ta Kwai temple last night.

"Cambodian troops attacked first by firing rifles and throwing grenades at us," army commander Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha said yesterday.

"We just responded to their attack with rifles but if it happens again we will have to retaliate further," he said, adding the talks on Thursday were not some sort of commitment.

Gen Prayuth revealed that Cambodian military commanders had made contact following the fighting and agreed to uncover why the agreed ceasefire had been broken.

"I'm not sure if [Cambodian prime minister] Hun Sen has sincerity, I don't know what he is thinking. We can't change him," said Gen Prayuth.

Army spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd said there could be a communication breakdown among Cambodian troops.

"If we look on the bright side, it might be a communication problem because the commander in charge of the area where the fighting erupts is not Lt Gen Chea Mon," he said.

However, he added that a group of 10 military officers was dispatched early yesterday to discuss how to avoid further clashes.

Col Sansern insisted that further steps to negotiations were out of the question as long as the border fighting continued.

Second Army Region spokesman Prawit Hookaew said yesterday the incident was not an actual breach of the ceasefire agreement because the talks had been informal.

"It can't guarantee there will be no more fighting. They wanted field commanders to make contact immediately when any clash erupted to contain the situation," he said.

Meanwhile, Cambodia has accused Thai troops of initiating the fighting.

The resumption of hostilities so soon after a peace deal demonstrated the "pointlessness of bilateral negotiations", said the Cambodian government, which has continuously campaigned for a third party to be involved.

"Less than 12 hours [after the agreement] the Thai military again attacked, and fighting continued until the next morning," it said.

A Thai government source at the border noted that the Thai military might have talked to the wrong people.

Lt Gen Chea Mon does not have "real" power over the troops in the combat areas, said the source.

The areas where the border skirmishes have taken place for the past week are under the jurisdiction of deputy army commander Gen Chim Janpua, according to the source.

Local villagers in Ban Nong Danna on Surin's Phanom Dong Rak district said yesterday they heard the sound of sporadic gunfire throughout Thursday night. However they said there was no artillery shelling.

Chong Jom checkpoint in Surin's Kap Choeng district remained closed yesterday and trading was limited.

A temporary ceasefire in the fighting over the disputed Preah Vihear temple on the Thai-Cambodian border appears to be over. According to multiple news reports, new skirmishes broke out in the past day on the border, where fighting has over the past week already killed sixteen people. After failed meetings between senior ministers, and minimal intervention by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the two countries apparently now are going to go to The Hague for a ruling from the International Court of Justice.

Will that help? It's doubtful. International authorities already have ruled on the case in the past –the ICJ found four decades ago that the temple was under Cambodian sovereignty — but that has not stopped fighting. What is needed now is some level of rationality, not from the senior civilian leadership in both countries, but from the armed forces themselves, which, at least in Thailand, operate largely independent of the prime minister's office, and have utilized the dispute to entrench the army's central role in political life. Thus far, in fact, the civilian leadership of Thailand, which may well want the dispute to end, seems powerless to do anything about it.

Will the two countries' militaries intervene to stop the senseless fighting? Going to the ICJ is at least a positive step, but unless the civilian governments can gain better control of the armed forces, it is unlikely to produce a true resolution.

The continuing fighting between Cambodian and Thai troops along the porous and ill-defined border causes trouble and inconvenience for ordinary folks on both sides, not counting the deaths and injuries inflicted on soldiers, noted a Thai Rath editorial.

Thai Rath said folks on both sides had been living in peace with each other for a very long time. An example is Nong Chan village, Khok Sung district, Sa Kaeo province where villagers grow rice and raise animals peacefully on a common field with Cambodian farmers even though a definite border demarcation has yet to be settled. Village chiefs on both sides have pledged that once a definite border demarcation is established, any farm land that may extrude through the border line will be cut off from the original plot and taken possession of by the other side willingly without any protest.

It is true that the border disputes occur because both sides rely on different maps and thus claim ownership of disputed areas. When both sides allow politics to dictate their actions, it is inevitable that peaceful settlement is hard to reach. As long as definite demarcation is not implemented, border disputes can always occur, but they should not necessarily lead to skirmishes. Diplomatic means are still the best choice, advocated Thai Rath.

The current skirmishes at Ta Kwai and Ta Thom temples and previously at Preah Vihear temple have not only resulted in several deaths and injuries, the conflicts have also left a bitter legacy for future generations. The more the skirmishes go on, the harder it becomes to reach a border settlement. Thai Rath cited an example of the Sino-Vietnamese border war in February 1979 which resulted in about 26,000 deaths on the Chinese side while the Vietnamese death toll was 37,000 before both sides agreed to sign a formal border demarcation. This should provide a lesson that no matter how many troops die in border conflicts, the problem can only be settled through negotiation.

In the present circumstance, Thailand may find it difficult to hold bilateral talks with Cambodia to settle the conflict because Cambodia does not seem to want to talk without any intervention from a third party due to political reasons and the desire to own and manage 4.6 sq km of disputed area surrounding Preah Vihear temple. It is certainly the case that whenever there is a skirmish, the Cambodian government promptly sends a letter to request that the UN Security Council step in to mediate in the dispute. At the same time the Cambodian government whips up nationalistic fever among its people to rally for the people's support.

With no cooperation from the other side, it is no surprise that the Thai government has failed to bring peace to the border. Thai Rath sympathises with the Foreign Ministry in trying to convince the other side to sit at the negotiating table.

Both sides should know that battles can never settle the conflict. Eventually, both sides have to sit down and negotiate for peace and implement border demarcation. Isn't it wiser to do this sooner rather than let skirmishes go on and on and soldiers on both sides die in large numbers before agreeing to talk?

Last week saw an all-out effort on the part of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was barred from politics for five years, to personally dictate Pheu Thai party's election policies in a live video feed from abroad on April 23. By doing so he risked the chance of Pheu Thai being dissolved for allowing a barred politician to get involved in the party's activities, noted Matichon.

Pheu Thai is different from other political parties in that there are not so many people in the executive committee (17) and that four had already resigned before Thaksin's live video-link appearance. So if the worst comes to worst, only 13 party executives could be barred from politics by the Constitution Court for five years.

It is not only Thaksin who is not afraid, his brother-in-law and former premier Somchai Wongsawat also are not. Mr Somchai has chaired several meetings of Pheu Thai MPs as well.

The all-out gamble by Thaksin in openly defying the 5-year ban from politics is seen by political pundits as worth the risk by personally taking charge. Thaksin can lead Pheu Thai to a win in the general election, scoring at least half the number of MPs in the House and then his sister Yingluck Shinawatra would become the first female prime minister of Thailand.

If it comes to pass that Pheu Thai is dissolved, only 13 insignificant executives will be barred from politics for five years. A spare party has already been registered with the Election Commission.

Veteran politician Chalerm Yubamrung explained that Pheu Thai must use the "Thaksin" name to sell its platform because the Thai people accept his capability and because his populist policies were successful. To make sure that people vote for the party, Pheu Thai must push Ms Yingluck as their prime ministerial candidate to represent Thaksin as no other politician can be said to be as loyal as Thaksin's own kin.

"If Pheu Thai do not use Thaksin's name as a selling point, who else can compete against Mr Abhisit? I have been thinking for two years now that Yingluck is most suitable as she is successful in running businesses. No need to deny that Yingluck is Thaksin's nominee because Pheu Thai, Thai Rak Thai and People Power Party all belong to Thaksin. Pheu Thai's headquarters is at OAI Tower. O is Oak [Thaksin's son], A is Aim, I is Ink [Thaksin's daughters]. Why should the party be afraid of being known as Thaksin's nominee?" Mr Chalerm said.

Even though during the live video link Thaksin did not openly anoint a real Pheu Thai leader, insiders unanimously say that Ms Yingluck is 99% sure to be the party's prime ministerial candidate.

Insiders also reveal that Thaksin has bet everything in openly dictating the party's general election strategies in a live video link because he deems that by personally declaring the party's policies, he can boost Pheu Thai's electoral victory chances. If Pheu Thai is to be dissolved, it would take time before all investigations and court cases reach their conclusion. By then, Pheu Thai could have formed a single-party or two-party coalition government headed by Ms Yingluck.

To boost the party's chances, Puea Paendin's leader Pol Gen Pracha Phromnok has been recruited. The departure of Mingkwan Saengsuwan, who is disappointed at not being anointed as the prime ministerial candidate, the resignation of Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh and the U-turn of Sanoh Thienthong do not worry Thaksin as the three are considered "outsiders", not Thaksin loyalists.

It seems that for Pheu Thai and its spare party, the party leader and executives are "cursed" positions that seasoned politicians would rather not get involved with. They prefer to be ordinary party members and run for MP seats with the chance to be a minister or prime minister, concluded Matichon.

Thai politics is now gearing for the general election. The Election Commission has finished drawing up 375 single-MP constituencies in 77 provinces in line with the amended constitution. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has said again and again that he will dissolve the House of Representatives on May 6. Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra unveiled Pheu Thai party's election policies in a video link to the party faithful on April 24, reported Thai Rath.

The only hitch is the persistent rumour that the military would stage the coup, often claimed by UDD red shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan. However, Thai Rath discounted this rumour as long as Thai politicians do not create conditions/disturbances that allow the military to step in. If this happens, it will be a disaster in the eyes of the global community.

Since the new election method will be a single constituency (one man, one vote) and the party list MPs will be a countrywide constituency with no minimum percentage required to win a listed MP seat, several small political parties believe that they have a greater chance to win in some specific constituencies and that nationwide they can score one or two listed MPs. Moreover, they believe that they can join the coalition government and earn a cabinet seat or two even though they may lack MPs.

The only exception is the New Politics Party which was initially enthusiastic in joining the fray to contest the upcoming election. However, when news was confirmed that Mr Abhisit would soon dissolve the House and call for an early general election, the yellow shirts movement (People's Alliance for Democracy) leaders decided to boycott the election and urge the Thai people to cast a "No" vote as a protest against corrupt politicians. The yellow shirt leaders' stance caused a split within the PAD because some executives of the New Politics Party would like to contest the election but they could not oppose the majority in the party who follow the PAD leaders' instructions.

What is most prominent in the upcoming election is the two major parties, Pheu Thai and the Democrats constantly issuing populist policies to sell to the grass-roots. All in all, Thai Rath could not distinguish much between the two parties in terms of populist policies, but it seems that Pheu Thai had a slight edge because it was personally delivered by Thaksin himself.

What is common about the two major parties is that they want to court votes by offering short-term goodies instead of talking about policies that lead to the country's structural reforms in terms of power decentralisation, agriculture, water resources management, education, political reconciliation/conflict reduction and social inequality.

The two parties fail to address the issue of how to make the Thai people stand on their own feet without waiting for perpetual hand-outs from the state.

It is good that both major parties promise to help the farmers but this is aimed at courting votes in the short term. It will not turn Thailand into the "Kitchen of the World" because that would mean restructuring the whole agriculture sector, ranging from irrigated lands, what to produce, marketing, agri-industry development and water resources management.

Thai Rath wondered how the populist policies promised by both parties will be financed as it needs a very large budget outlay. The two parties don't dare to say specifically that taxes need to be raised to finance their various populist schemes as this would certainly create a backlash. When asked, they just say there is plenty in the fiscal reserves waiting to be tapped.

If both parties can only do this much, the real problems in Thailand can never be solved, Thai Rath said.

Cambodia has called on the International Court of Justice to review a 1962 judgment over a disputed ancient Hindu temple along the Thai border. The move follows renewed fighting that broke an hours-old ceasefire.

In a submission to the International Court of Justice, Cambodia calls for an interpretation a 50-year-old ruling that gave the 11th century temple to Cambodia.

Cambodian Foreign Affairs Spokesman Koy Kuong announced the move Friday in Phnom Penh.

The spokesman says his government wants the court to interpret the 1962 decision that gave Preah Vihear to Cambodia. He says that ruling was based on a map that is recognized by the international community.

The border around the temple, known as Preah Vihear in Cambodia and Phra Viharn in Thailand, has remained in dispute despite the 1962 decision. The temple is most easily accessed from Thai territory, and Bangkok claims ownership of the land near it.

Cambodia announced its appeal to the international court hours after new fighting along the border broke a ceasefire agreement. Both sides blamed the other for the clash

The ceasefire agreement reached on Thursday aimed to end a week of fighting, which has claimed at least 16 lives and forced tens of thousands of villagers from both countries to flee homes near the border.

The Thai government thinks the latest clashes are linked to Cambodia's move to petition the International Court of Justice. Thani Thongphakdi is a Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman:

"From our perspective I think this puts all the jigsaw pieces in place," said Thani Thongphakdi. "What the Cambodian side has been doing since it had been initiating these conflicts along the border. It was laying the path, laying the ground work for their decision to submit a request to the International Court of Justice."

The countries have fought sporadically along the border since 2008, when Cambodia obtained World Heritage status for the Hindu temple. That angered many Thai nationalists, and both sides increased military patrols along the border.

It is not clear what started the latest fighting. Regional political analysts, however, say that domestic politics on both sides makes it hard to resolve the dispute. In Cambodia, they say, it appears Prime Minister Hun Sen benefits by appearing tough against a larger neighbor, and it is possible he hopes that elections expected in Thailand later this year will allow his friend, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, to return to power.

On the other side, the analysts say, Thailand's powerful military commanders may hope a crisis along the border will provide an excuse to call off elections, and keep a new government from shaking up the senior ranks.

The border issue is set to be raised at a summit of leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to be held in Jakarta next month. Thailand says the summit may lead to talks between Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Cambodia's Hun Sen "if conditions are right".

One day after a ceasefire was reached between Thailand and Cambodia, more than 50,000 displaced civilians on both sides of the disputed border remain in temporary shelters, afraid to go home, aid workers say.

"Families will not return home before tomorrow. They need to be sure they will be safe," Leena Kamarainen, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Cambodian country office, told IRIN.

"The ceasefire is no grounds for return yet," said Patrick Fox, head of regional disaster management of the IFRC in Bangkok. The fighting, which began on 22 April, is the second time this year that the two neighbours have clashed over the Preah Vihear temple, resulting in the displacement of tens of thousands on both sides.

The House committee on foreign affairs yesterday warned the government against escalating the Thai-Cambodian border conflict to the point where it could become a state of war.

The chance of war breaking out was discussed in parliament.

Committee chairman and Pheu Thai MP for Udon Thani Tophong Chaiyasan said he did not understand why the lower House raised the issue of a "war announcement" for discussion.

It called on Bangkok and Phnom Penh to return to the negotiating table to solve the long-running dispute.

The request is part of the committee's eight-point announcement unveiled after it met Foreign Ministry officials and representatives from the army.

All of its points called on all parties, including soldiers and reporters, not to further expand the conflict, which has already resulted in heavy fighting since last Friday.

The committee accepted international calls for a ceasefire between the two countries after the Thai army said it needed to strike back against Cambodian troops who allegedly first opened fire at Thai soldiers at the Ta Kwai temple near the border in Surin province.

Phnom Penh was using every possible means to bring peace talks to a multi-lateral level, especially in the United Nations Security Council, Mr Tophong said.

He warned the move could benefit Cambodia because France, which has a good relationship with Cambodia, will assume the presidency of the Security Council next month."The president can guide the result of the talks, so Thailand too should seek an ally, especially China," Mr Tophong suggested.

He did not think China would want to see an armed conflict in the region.

On 20 April 2011, in Panama City, the Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was submitted a Resolution by the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, in which there is the following sentence:

The full text of the Resolution is available in the attached file.

"Conservation Areas See Bonanza of Concessions" Cambodia Daily, April 29, 2011

Anything for sale in Cambodia, and it has always been quite a trend over the last two decades or so. Cambodia has been selling away its precious lands to Vietnam, a major investor of all times, at such a rapid rate that now even conservation areas are not spared from this quick-money-making process. More rain forest will be cleared as a result for rubber plantation and/or other similar projects. This is all done under the leadership of corrupted mind and soul like Monsieur Rannaridh and Hun Sen. Unfortunately, people continue to turn away blindly at their nation's on-going destruction of natural resources, land, lakes and everything constitute Khmer Nation. For Hun Sen and his associates there are just too many creative ways to pocket millions of dollars, of tea or social money so the Cambodian government preferred to call it. There aren't any transparencies to any transactions or where exactly the money go to? So, the looting of our nation continues unabated.

Whatever the issues are, whether it is land concessions, forced evictions, human rights violation, social or economic there is always a card that Hun Sen can play to distract all the attention from it all and that is to firing shot across the border with Thailand. It should not come as a surprise to anyone to learn that the last instigation of conflict, firing first, was initiated by the Cambodian side given there were enough domestic issues on the table for Hun Sen to deal with. Thailand did respond in kind and Mr. Hun Sen has to back off not without leaving many lives in shatter at the present. Having said that, Mr. Hun Sen did get his objective accomplished an that is to get people and the international community re-focusing back on the issue of Preah Vihear with Thailand. It is a diversion tactic/strategy which has a powerful affect in getting the populous behind the issue while in the process allowing Hun Sen and his ministers to continue selling out Cambodia. While refugees are being once again displaced, the deals and the destruction of Cambodia continues. Isn't it time for a meaningful change of leadership in Cambodia? It's long over due and as long as Hun Sen and his associates are in charge, your country will continue to operate on this destructive economic policy "Cambodia for Sale". Who is the major buyer, you bet, Vietnam. Vietnam will probably buy us out before the end of this decade, the nice part about it all, they have already taken plenty of lands without paying much, not to mention our lakes and sea areas. Go around Tonle Sap and see how many Khmer villages remain in the hand of Khmers. What about Tonle Bati, Takeo? A lot of free stuff since 1979, folks. Khmer people need to be aware that this damaging process can not continue un-checked because it has a devastating affect for eternity, their livelihood, their children for eternity. It needs to be reversed and it needs to be reversed quickly. Next time people go to the pole, they should vote for change.

I was wondering also what will be left after the selling of our National Parks? Hun Sen and his men are very creative in their scheme of things, and I won't be surprise they have already figured out what to do it next, so long they get your kind supports. Let's hope that your land or villages will not be next on his hit list as remote areas are most affected so far. Should anyone care? I hope you do because this so-called development process, land evictions, concessions, are not about to end any time soon. On the contrary, it has picked up speed and it could be heading your way in due course. So, do look out for that freight train, people.

BANGKOK, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Thai government was disappointed with the latest round of clash although both sides have earlier reached an agreement to a ceasefire, government spokesman said on Friday.

Panitan Wattanayagorn, Thai government spokesman, said the Thai government also felt sorry for the lost of lives of soldiers and civilian, Matichon online reported.

From eight days of clash, Thailand has lost seven soldiers and one civilian with more than 70 people injured.

Thailand strongly urged Cambodia to resume negotiation, Panitan said at a press briefing at the Foreign Ministry.

The fighting, which is in the eight straight day since April 22, has forced more than 48,000 Thais villagers in Thailand's Surin and Buri Ram provinces to evacuate.

Both sides blamed each others for shooting first.

A Thai legal team has been set up to fight the border case in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in response to Cambodia's petition that the court interpret its judgement of 1962 on Preah Vihear temple to clarify the territorial boundary between Thailand and Cambodia, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Friday.

The Cambodian Foreign Ministry announced today that it has sought the ICJ's interpretation of its judgement on Preah Vihear temple, accusing Thailand of repeated aggression in attempts to claim Cambodian territory.

Mr Abhisit said Cambodia's move is not beyond expectations and a legal team has been set up to fight the case.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdi said Thailand is waiting for the ICJ to officially notify it of the Cambodian petition.

He said the application made by Cambodia to the ICJ is not unexpected, judging by Cambodia's acts of agression against Thailand during the past week.

Cambodia wanted to use the border clashes as a reason to bring the territorial issue to the ICJ, Mr Thani said.

This indicated that Cambodia does not attach much importance to talks under the Asean framework, Mr Thani said.

The spokesman said he expected the ICJ to officially notify Thailand of the Cambodian petition in one or two days.

After receiving the official notification from the ICJ, Thailand will thoroughly study Cambodia's request.

Mr Thani said that under normal procedure he would expected the ICJ to take about three weeks to decide whether to accept the petition for further proceedings.

If the case were accepted for consideration, the court may take one or two years to go through the related documents, Mr Thani said.

Presenter: Sen Lam

Speaker: Jean-Pascal Moret, spokesman, International Committee of the Red Cross, Bangkok

MORET: The latest estimated figures we have, together with the Thai Red Cross, it's 42-thousand people on the Thai side, and 36-thousand on Cambodia's side, which is almost 80-thousand civilians directly affected by the conflict, displaced in camps.

LAM: And do you think people might start returning their homes soon?

MORET: You know, the population there, there are abit cautious because it's not the first time that clashes have broken out in this region, so I guess they will wait a few days before going back, and I am almost sure that the authorities would not let them go, before the ceasefire is really enforced.

LAM: And what is the Red Cross doing for the people who are displaced and who are living in evacuation centres at the moment?

MORET: Ja, actually, there are on the Thai side, 28 camps, eight more are being prepared, we don't know now, if they're still going on with the eight more camps. We can see that on the Thai side at least, the camps are very well prepared. They have contingency plans to deal with each kind of situation. The local authorities and the national societies are present on both sides. Also on the Cambodian side, they provided very quickly, the emergency assistance needed, such as shelter, food and non food items, water, medical services and so on. The Thai Red Cross society, for example, they had mobile kitchens providing fresh meals to those people. They are in schools, they are in pagodas, so they are, in structures, they have shelter. The main problem we should say, is the psychological problem, because they have to leave their house, they fear their homes might be looted, they are scared about what might happen to their cattle, or to their field. So, it's more a psychological problem. Much of the situation is more less under control, I would say.

LAM: And what about the situation on the Cambodian side of the border. Do you have any news about how those displaced people are doing?

MORET: Yes, of course. We have a team also on the other side. By the way, the ICRC is probably the only international organisation present in both countries, on both sides of the border. So we can have a global picture of the situation. So on the other side, it's more or less the same. I mean, they have also these evacuation centres where people are housed in schools and pagodas and these facilities. And the Cambodian Red Cross society is also helping the authorities to provide what the people may need during this difficult time. Whatever happens, we will be present in both countries. We are just assessing the situation. Both national societies are really handling the situation very properly. They have the resources to do that, so the ICRC is just complimenting the help the people may need, like mosquito nets, plastic sheetings or jerrycans for water.

The ICRC has a very specific role in case of international conflict. We are supporting the national societies, to visit also the prisoners of war, in case there are...

LAM: And as far as you know, has anyone been held prisoner by either side?

MORET: Non, non, we have absolutely no such thing. Nothing could give us the idea that there are prisoners of war on both sides, there are no prisoners. Also, the ICRC has met with all local and national authorities in the capital and on the spot, with the military people on both sides, reminding them of their obligations under the Geneva Convention. And also to remind them, what the ICRC can offer, for example, to act as a neutral intermediary, to help solving any humanitarian issues, if they need the ICRC A neutral intermediary.

Heavy weapons fire pounded the Thai-Cambodian border for an eighth day on Friday as Bangkok denied claims from Phnom Penh of a truce to end the countries' bloodiest conflict in decades.

The Cambodian defence ministry announced a peace deal on Friday, after clashes on the disputed jungle frontier shattered a previous short-lived ceasefire.

"I have to say that Cambodia is unreliable and untrustworthy. I don't know what their statement said but I suggest that we shouldn't trust it. We have to wait and see what the situation is like day by day," he said.

"Thailand is ready for ceasefire talks, if Cambodia is sincere about it," he added.

Each side has accused the other of breaking Thursday's ceasefire that aimed to end a week of clashes around two ancient temple complexes, which have now left 16 people dead and caused about 85,000 people to flee from their homes.

According to the Cambodian statement, commanders from both sides agreed Friday to "a cessation of the firing" as well as to halt troop movements.

They also "promised to meet in person or be in contact over the phone" every two days to prevent further skirmishes.

One Thai soldier died and six were wounded in sporadic skirmishes overnight, said Colonel Prawit Hookaew, also a spokesman for the northeastern Thai army.

Each side has blamed the other for sparking the fighting, which has stopped and started periodically over the past week.

Thai and Cambodian commanders had resolved at Thursday's talks to reopen border gates and "create a climate to allow civilians to return home", according to the Cambodian defence ministry.

On Friday, Cambodia said it had asked the World Court to clarify a 1962 ruling about territory around the ancient Preah Vihear temple -- an area that has inflamed tensions between the two neighbours.

The current clashes are centred around two temple complexes 150 kilometres (90 miles) west of Preah Vihear, although there was some fighting at the site itself on Tuesday.

Seven Thai troops and eight Cambodian soldiers have died since the clashes began on April 22, and Bangkok has said a Thai civilian has also been killed.

Heavy weapons fire has strayed towards villages around the frontier, causing nearly 50,000 people in Thailand and around 35,000 in Cambodia to flee their homes.

Phnom Penh claims that Thailand used spy planes and poison gas during the conflict -- allegations denied by Bangkok.

The countries have come under increasing international pressure to stop the violence.

The Thai-Cambodian border has never been fully demarcated, partly because it is littered with landmines left over from years of war in Cambodia.

Preah Vihear has been the focus of border tensions since it was granted UN World Heritage status in 2008 and 10 people died in clashes between the neighbours there in February.

The World Court ruled in 1962 that the 900-year-old temple belonged to Cambodia, but both countries claim ownership of a 4.6-square-kilometre (1.8-square-mile) surrounding area.

Cambodia said a clarification by the court was of "the utmost necessity... in order to peacefully and definitely settle the boundary problem between the two countries in the area".

Thailand said it had hired legal advisors and would fight the case.

One soldier was killed and four others wounded in fresh clashes along border in Surin on Thursday night, Army Region 2 commander Lt Gen Thawatchai Samutsakorn said on Friday morning.

Army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the fighting started with an exchange of machinegun fire about 9pm and continued until about 5am Friday.

Surin governor Serm Chainarong said on Friday morning that the two sides exchanged fire using small arms at Ta Meun Tom and Ta Kwai temples about 11pm on Thursday and stopped about 5am on Friday.

More than 41,000 local people in risk districts of Phanom Dong Rak, Kap Choeng and Sangka have been relocated to 34 evacuation centres in Surin province, he added.

The overnight clash shattered the truce agreement announced yesterday by the army chief.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban indicated there might be a chance to salvage the truce.

"It's not considered a breach of ceasefire because they have used personal firearms. But if the clash expands with heavy weapons, that means the agreement is no longer valid," he told reporters.

Both sides had reacted cautiously to Thursday's peace deal, struck after talks among local commanders.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Thursday that the agreement was a "good sign", but added that "we have to wait and see whether real peace has been achieved".

Thai and Cambodian commanders had agreed at the talks to reopen a border gate and "create a climate to allow civilians to return home", according to the Cambodian defence ministry.

Seven Thai troops and eight Cambodian soldiers have died since the clashes began last Friday. Bangkok has said a Thai civilian has also been killed.

Heavy weapons fire has also strayed towards villages around the frontier, causing over 41,000 people in Thailand and 30,000 in Cambodia to flee their homes.

The two countries have each accused the other of sparking the violence.

"Who Killed Chea Vichea?" is sharply critical of a police investigation that followed the 2004 murder of the activist and the subsequent jailing of two men widely considered innocent.

Authorities have banned a public screening of the film, calling it illegal.

However, SRP lawmaker Mu Sochua said Friday the screening was an important opportunity for workers to understand the death of Chea Vichea.

Party president Sam Rainsy will also speak to workers via video conference, she said.

"We must find justice for the late Chea Vichea," she said. "And we must remember his bravery in struggling and demanding the rights of workers.

Chea Vichea was the charismatic leader of the powerful Free Trade Union of Workers before he was gunned down outside a newspaper kiosk in Phnom Penh in 2004. His brother, Chea Mony, assumed his mantel.

"This film screening is a message to workers that we must struggle," Chea Mony said Friday. "We must sacrifice, and then we will get our legal rights."

Sam Rainsy Party headquarters are not a public place, but Khieu Sopheak, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, said the party "should not make trouble" while Cambodia is engaged in a border conflict with Thailand.

As army commanders held talks today on the Thai-Cambodian border after six days of clashes that have left 16 dead in the worst fighting in nearly three years, Cambodian officials simultaneously opened a new diplomatic front in the battle for an 11th century Khmer temple.

Hundreds of troops from both nations have been camped out around the temple for years. After repeated deadly skirmishes and with United Nations and regional mediators repeatedly stifled in their attempts to negotiate a permanent cease-fire, Cambodia's bid to take the case back to The Hague after 50 years injects a new note of uncertainty into the border crisis.

Deadly gunfights early Friday broke a tentative truce agreed on late Thursday, with each side blaming the other for firing first. Thai military spokesman Col. Samsern Kaewkamnerd said the overnight exchanges of artillery and small arms fire killed one Thai soldier and injured four others, but he downplayed it as "sporadic clashes."

Thani Thongpakdee, a spokesman for Thailand's Foreign Ministry, said Cambodia had instigated the latest fighting in order to "lay the ground for their decision to submit their request [to the ICJ]." He told a press conference Friday that Thailand had already anticipated this strategy and was preparing its legal defense.

Perched on a tall cliff, Preah Vihear is a contemporary of Angkor Wat, the renowned Cambodian temple that appears on the Cambodian national flag and has become a major tourist attraction.

Fighting also erupted this week around two other ancient temples, though analysts say the border dispute seems driven as much by domestic politics as strategic interests.

In recent days, politicians in both countries have toned down nationalist rhetoric, allowing local military commanders to pursue a cease-fire. The US and other allies have urged an end to the fighting and a resumption of negotiations. Thailand's Army chief is in Beijing and is expected to brief his Chinese counterparts on the situation during the prearranged visit, say Thai officials.

Thai officials said the two countries' foreign ministers would meet next week on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit held in Indonesia's capital Jakarta.

Indonesia, as the current ASEAN chair, has tried to facilitate talks between the warring parties and to send military observers to the border. But Thailand has dragged its feet on allowing Indonesian observers into the disputed area, to the frustration of Cambodia, which has appealed to the UN to intervene in the conflict.

Thai government officials argue that bilateral talks are the best way to end the fighting. "We hope that Cambodia will return to the negotiating table," said government spokesman Panitan Wattanyagorn.

Opposition politicians have accused Thailand's powerful military of stirring trouble on the border as a pretext to crack down on dissent at home. Military chiefs have denied rumors of a coup to derail elections due by July.

Mr. Panitan insisted that civilian officials were in charge of border affairs. "The government has set guidelines for the military to follow," he said.

BANGKOK, THAILAND (BNO NEWS) -- Less than one day after Thailand and Cambodia agreed to ceasefire, border clashes erupted overnight, killing one Thai soldier, as four others were injured on the eighth day of clashes, officials said Friday.

Thailand's 2nd Army spokesman Col. Prawit Hookaew told the Bangkok Post that sporadic skirmishes broke out hours after the ceasefire was announced, but the situation had begun to ease down, although it remained tense.

According to reports, at around 8:55 p.m. local time, hour-long fighting broke out just east of the Ta Kwai temple, on the border in Surin. Early Friday morning, at around 2 a.m., clashes continued for around three and a half hours, which resulted in the death of the Thai soldier.

Deputy Prime Minister in charge of security affairs Suthep Thaugsuban explained that personal firearms were used during the clashes near two temples close to the countries' borders. Because of this, the ceasefire had not been considered breached. However, if heavy weapons are utilized in any occassion, Thaugsuban added, the agreement would no longer be valid.

Furthermore, Col. Prawit said Cambodian military leaders had apologized for the situation, saying the clashes broke out due to a misunderstanding, as Thai and Cambodian soldiers on high alert stood around 50 to 200 meters from each other, and suspicious noises could have triggered shooting.

On Thursday, Thai 2nd Army commander Lt. Gen. Tawatchai Samutsakhon and Lt. Gen. Chea Mon, the 4th Army Region chief of Cambodia, agreed verbally to a ceasefire.

Since last Friday, both countries have clashed in their border regions, as both Cambodia and Thailand claim the 4.6 square kilometer area near the ancient Preah Vihear temple on their shared border, which has never been formally established. Cambodia requested Indonesian observers to mediate in the conflict but Thailand denied.

The recent fighting has resulted in the death of 16 people - 7 Thai soldiers and 8 Cambodian troops. In addition, around 45,000 people have been forced to evacuate their villages in Thailand, while another 30,000 fled in Cambodia.

Last Monday, clashes erupted near the Ta Muen Thom temple in Thailand's eastern Surin province, and on Tuesday, fighting spread near the Preah Vihear temple, which is around 160 kilometers (100 miles) east of the Ta Krabey temple.

Tensions first escalated between the two countries in July 2008 following the build-up of military forces near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple. The United Nations Security Council urged both sides to establish a permanent ceasefire after at least 10 people were killed.

Clashes resumed in February as both nations claim the lands surrounding the ancient Hindu Temple, which has been damaged due to the conflict. The Preah Vihear temple dates back to the 11th century and is located on the Cambodian side of the border.

In 2008, it was inscribed on the World Heritage List in recognition of its outstanding universal value. It is considered an outstanding example of Khmer architecture and consists of a complex of sanctuaries linked by pavements and staircases on an 800-meter-long axis.

Thailand and Cambodia are scheduled to meet in next month's ASEAN summit, which is scheduled to take place in Indonesia. In addition, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya also has an appointment to meet with ASEAN chairman Marty Natalegawa on Thursday.

Cambodia said yesterday it has asked the World Court to clarify a 1962 ruling about an ancient temple on its disputed border with Thailand as clashes between the neighbours entered an eighth day.

The request ''for the interpretation of the court's judgment … concerning the temple of Preah Vihear'' was prompted by ''Thailand's repeated armed aggression to exert its claims to Cambodian territory'', the Foreign Ministry said.

A clarification by the court was of ''the utmost necessity … in order to peacefully and definitely settle the boundary problem between the two countries in the area'', it said.

Advertisement: Story continues below Hopes for an end to the bloodiest fighting between the neighbours in decades appeared to have been dashed after fresh clashes broke out hours after a ceasefire deal was struck on Thursday.

One Thai soldier was killed in fresh fighting on the border that shattered the truce, Thailand's army said yesterday. Sporadic fighting erupted just hours after a deal was announced and continued early yesterday, the north-eastern army region spokesman, Colonel Prawit Hookaew, said.

The clashes are centred on two temple complexes about 150 kilometres west of Preah Vihear.

Both countries have blamed each other for sparking the violence.

The International Court of Justice in the Hague ruled more than four decades ago that the 11th-century Preah Vihear belonged to Cambodia, but both countries claim ownership of a 4.6-square-kilometre surrounding area.

The temple - the most celebrated example of Khmer architecture outside Cambodia's Angkor - has been the focus of strained relations between the neighbours since it was granted UN World Heritage status in 2008.

PRASAT, Thailand (AP) - Thai and Cambodian troops broke a brief cease-fire and clashed for an eighth day Friday, shattering hopes of a quick end to a long-running border conflict. The death toll rose to 16.

The fighting eased shortly after dawn and guns were silent the rest of the day as nearly 100,000 displaced residents on both sides waited to see if the worst skirmishes in years between the two Southeast Asian neighbors might finally end.

"I wish both sides could talk, so that there is no more fighting," said Boonteung Somsed, a 58-year-old Thai construction worker who fled to the village of Prasat, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) from the border.

"Every time a soldier picks up a weapon," he said, "a village has to run away from home."

Thailand and Cambodia have clashed six times since 2008 over the border, where several crumbling Hindu temples built nearly 1,000 years ago during the Khmer Empire sit atop cliffs and in jungles mined in wars past. The land has been disputed for more than half a century, but analysts say domestic politics on both sides is driving the conflict as much as any real disagreement between the countries.

Field commanders agreed to the brief truce Thursday in a meeting at the disputed border. But Cambodian Col. Suos Sothea said the Thai army fired artillery shells into Cambodia again early Friday and small arms fire crackled anew around the Ta Krabey temple, which is in a disputed area.

"We cannot trust the Thais," he said. "Yesterday they said they'd stop fighting and now they are attacking us again."

Thai army spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd said there had been light clashes late Thursday as well as early Friday. He blamed Cambodia for breaking the deal, saying its "local units might not agree to the talks as easily as their commanders did."

Sansern told reporters in Bangkok that the Thai army sent a 10-member delegation of middle-ranking officers across the border into Cambodia to meet with their counterparts again Friday on how to avoid further clashes. "The first step is to sustain the truce, then we can take further steps for talks," Sansern said.

The director of Phanom Dongrak hospital, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the border, confirmed one Thai soldier was killed late Thursday, bringing the total dead to 15 soldiers and one civilian.

Thai authorities say the fighting has uprooted 51,000 people from their homes. Cambodia's Red cross says more than 45,000 people there have also fled over the past week.

"I want both countries to stop fighting, so that I can go home," said 37-year-old, Saman Yingnaram, a farmer in Prasat. "My cassava field will be sabotaged by (insects) by the time I return."

On Thursday, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said his Thai counterpart had agreed to allow Indonesian observers, but there was no word on when they would arrive. Cambodia had already agreed to the deployment.

Indonesia, which currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, offered to provide the observers after the last round of fighting in February.

Few believe the conflict will lead to full-scale war and neither side appears to be trying to capture territory.

Some believe Thailand's military fears the possible outcome of elections expected in June or July and is trying to rally Thais behind it. Thai media have suggested Cambodia's Hun Sen, who has been in power since 1985, was fomenting border tensions to distract his public.

Both militaries have said they were merely defending against foreign aggression.

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PHNOM PENH, April 29 (Bernama) -- Cambodia on Thursday submitted a request to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the interpretation of the Court's judgment of 1962 on the case of Preah Vihear temple, according to the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on Friday.

"The submission of this request has been prompted by Thailand's repeated armed aggression to exert its claims to Cambodian territory, on the basis of its own unilateral map that has no legal basis," Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.

It added that Cambodia also submitted a request to the ICJ to take conservatory measures, in light of the repeated acts of aggression against Cambodian territory by Thailand's armed forces.

"Cambodia considers conservatory measures as unavoidable for engendering a permanent ceasefire between the two countries, thus stopping the loss of lives and preserving the temple of Preah Vihear from serious damages, until the interpretation of the ICJ' s 1962 judgment is finalized," said the statement.

The border between Thailand and Cambodia has never been completely demarcated.

The International Court of Justice awarded Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia in 1962.

The temple was enlisted as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008. But Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 square kilometers (1.8 square miles) of scrub next to the temple.

Just a week after the enlistment, Cambodia and Thailand had a border conflict, triggering a military build-up along the border, and periodic clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers have resulted in deaths of troops on both sides.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said on Thursday that the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia would be discussed at the upcoming ASEAN Summit slated on May 7-8 in Jakarta.

"The conflict would be discussed at the ASEAN Summit on bilateral or trilateral basis," Natalegawa said after meeting with his Thai counterpart Kasit Piromya at his office.

As the rotating chair of ASEAN this year, Indonesia has proposed dialogue to end the the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. Both countries have agreed to settle the border dispute through diplomatic means involving ASEAN role.

Indonesia will deploy its observers on the disputed border to supervise the implementation of ceasefire agreement between the two countries.