KI Media: “The Trouble With Neighbours” plus 24 more

Not all modern day Thais are unaware, or dismissive, of the cultural debt that their nation owes to Cambodia. Not long ago a member of visiting Thai delegation to Cambodia was reported to have admitted that Thailand owes most of its culture (about 70 per cent) to Cambodia.

Culture defines a whole lot more than certain social codes and conventions that give meaning and sustenance to human existence. It is not inconceivable to envisage the earliest subject populations or tribal groups who for want or lack of basic physical safety and security decided to head south ward and away from their home settlements on the rugged fringes of the Middle Kingdom into the benign bosom of the Khmer Empire - aptly coined with the Brahminite appellation of 'Sovanna-Phum', a term by which Cambodians today call their villages (phum) and Thais, their phumi, meaning 'paradise' or bountiful, Golden Land (Suvarnabhumi (Sanskrit) or Suvannabhumi (Pali). It is also the name of Bangkok's international airport.

From artefacts that had in recent years been unearthed throughout the mainland of SE Asia, including present-day Thailand, the Khmers (or Khmer-Mons along with the Chams, who had been the earliest peoples to have established themselves within the vast confines of this temperate climate) are thought to have enjoyed or achieved a highly evolved civilisation, some considerable time prior to the arrival of Indian cultural influence there. It is thought that earliest Indian travellers and traders who first traversed these parts in the first century CE when SE Asia was at the centre of a vast trade network that stretched from the Mediterranean to China, used the term 'Sovannabhumi' to describe this prevailing civilisation, sustained on its mastery of rice-cultivation (flood-retreat agriculture), as well as a range of professional skills that encompassed the ingenuity in sculpturing, pottering and delicate handicraft that might have later been merged and complemented with Indian religious-cosmological influences to culminate or reach their fullest expressions and summits in now famed stone monuments like Angkor Wat, Bayon, Banteay Srei, Preah Vihear etc. What is significant, in contrast to the hitherto widely held perception among scholars that Khmer civilisation had, in the main, been fed or seeded by cultural and religious influences from India, is the now more than plausible premise for postulating – through evidence and clues provided by subsequent archaeological discoveries - that an advanced indigenous civilisation of this pre-Angkorean 'Golden Age' would have already independently emerged and evolved long before Cambodia exposed herself to those external influences; a possibility or detail that has not (in my humble opinion) been warranted due historical weight or recognition by scholars.

When a recent Thai academic advanced the notion that Cambodians are having 'identity crisis' as a result of the turbulence inflicted upon them in their nation's recent tragic past, he may have subconsciously regurgitated many a Thai supremacist's inability or refusal to acknowledge Thailand's actual roots as recorded in history for all to know and embrace as fact, making the Cambodians, unjustly, scapegoats for the Thais' own chronic historical myopia. This inability, as it were, has developed and endured with a people who, having grown accustomed of dictating the course of history to their prejudices and avarice, have made it their overweening prerogative and pride, born of half dream and half self-induced hallucination, to erase from collective memory a less than noble and, a rather more than, undistinguished past, which continues, nevertheless, to prick their conscience and gnaw at their inflated self-esteem like an albatross around the neck; a past that sits ill at ease with a present they have carved up for themselves through sordid deeds and in their warped, clouded minds - a deluded mental state, furthermore, that is being enacted over the Preah Vihear conflict for all the world to see.

In the popular sentiment still being held by the Khmers, the pejorative term 'Stealing or Looting Siamese' has continued to retain historical emotion and resonance in light of both what had been committed down the centuries as well as, undeniably, what is still being perpetuated against the Khmer people and nation today. The Siamese sacking of Angkor in the 14th century that (combined with the Annamese pressure in the East) had contributed to the decline of the Khmer Empire and resulted in what amounted to a major cultural genocide, systematically conducted against the Khmers by the Siamese invaders; an unhappy experience from which, it can be argued, Cambodia has yet to fully recover. The invaders made sure they took as their scalps, and transported back to where they came, whatever they deemed of value and relevance to their young, emerging Kingdom, prominent among which were Khmer court scribes or scholars who were highly prized by the Siamese court for they were held by the latter to be the intellectual driving forces behind the flourishing Angkorean Empire and all its radiating magnificence, in addition to priceless stone works, manuscripts, religious texts, royal Apsara troupe, musicians, craftsmen, cooks and possibly, some royal concubines too!

This accounts for just one instance of looting that had been recorded by historians. The Siamese made a habit of not leaving the Khmers alone in the latter's hours of vulnerability and helplessness by launching a series of invasions from time to time in search of booty needed to finance their war with Burma, the other nation that has its proper roots in the Khmer-Mon linguistic entity, and who, along with the Kingdom of Champa, can be said to rival Angkor in artistic genius and expression. Of more recent time, the Thais having lost the Preah Vihear case to Cambodia in 1962 at the ICJ are known to have emptied the site of many known removable artefacts and carvings that are sacred and integral to the temple itself as well as to the Khmer people who built it through their ancestors. These objects form part of the demand that the ICJ had ordered Thailand to return to the temple's rightful owner i.e. Cambodia. Regrettably, as of now, the Thais have not been willing to comply with this seemingly reasonable injunction; a fact which Cambodia, through her successive governments, has been powerless to influence one way or another in her favour. And now, to rub more salt into the wounds, the temple's standing ruins, had been of late, further subjected to the enthusiastic artwork of trained vandals in uniforms, armed with machine guns, artillery and rocket propelled grenades!

Where the Khmer artisans and masons would have laboured and strained their every sinew in the tropical heat for hours on end each day, and spent years of sweat and sacrifice so as to leave a lasting legacy that would stand as fitting memorial and tribute to man's (not just Khmer people's) highest, noblest spirit through such selflessly dedicated endeavour demanded of him by his higher spiritual consciousness; a religious assignment which he strove lovingly, if, indeed, however, inadequately to express and capture in stone, it took, by way of contrast, a matter of a few bursts of senseless machine-gun firing to deface and desecrate the structure with irreparable bullet-riddled damages.

This rather sad episode reminds one of a passage in the Hebrew Bible about two mothers' conflicting claim over a child; a case which was brought before King Solomon's judgement. The King in his wisdom had summoned the two women to appear before him to witness the expected killing of the child by his executioner so as to remove the cause of the dispute! However, before the blade of the executioner had fallen upon the child, the biological mother, overcome with terror and compassion for her own flesh and blood, begged the King to spare the child's life by agreeing to let the other woman have sole possession over the child. The King, now having divined the truth through a woman's protective gesture and readiness to make the ultimate self-sacrifice born of maternal love, ordered the child to be handed over to the biological mother instead.

When the envoy from UNESCO arrives in town, he/she will do well to heed the moral of this story, asking of the Thais what exactly they wish to hold on to; or what precisely they wish to 'jointly develop' with Cambodia over the temple or the surrounding area given the fact that from record they, as a nation, have only been capable (not of creating, something uniquely their own, resembling in parity or splendour, any of the stone temples scattered across the heart of SE Asia that came into existence long before anyone had heard of Thailand or Siam) of plundering what had not – and does not - belonged to them and, of destroying what they could not plunder?

New York - The UN Security Council on Monday asked South- East Asian nations to work out a solution to the Thai-Cambodian conflict over the site of a centuries-old Hindu temple, in an apparent rebuff of demands for the UN to become directly involved.

The council gave support to 'active efforts' of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which has scheduled a ministerial meeting later this month in Jakarta to seek a settlement, including a permanent ceasefire along the Thai-Cambodian border.

Some Security Council members had considered fresh Thai-Cambodian fighting near the 1,000-year-old Hindu Preah Vihear Temple a matter between the two countries and not an issue of international peace and security requiring its intervention. Both Thai and Cambodian foreign ministers, who appeared before the council in New York, agreed that ASEAN is the third party to mediate the conflict.

'The members of the UN Security Council expressed their grave concern about the recent armed clashes between Cambodia and Thailand,' Brazilian Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, the council president, said in a statement following the meeting.

Viotti said the council called on both sides to exercise 'maximum restraint and avoid any action that may aggravate the situation.'

'The members of the Security Council further urged the parties to establish a permanent ceasefire and to implement it fully and resolve the situation peacefully and through effective dialogue,' Viotti said.

She told reporters that the council meeting was aimed at supporting 'bilateral and regional mediation efforts' rather than involving the council in the conflict resolution.

'The idea is to work in synergy with regional efforts, and right now regional effort is in full force,' Viotti said.

She noted that Thai and Cambodian officials each showed maps to the council to defend their cases and the geographical circumstances that had led to the fighting.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told reporters that the council meeting gave him 'much more optimism' than before he came to New York.

He said both Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong had 'loudly and clearly' voiced support for dialogue and a peaceful resolution during the closed-door meeting.

Natalegawa said there was 'clear support' by council members and the two parties for dialogue, a permanent ceasefire and the ASEAN role in the conflict. He said currently the ceasefire is holding.

'The issue here is to extract a clear commitment from Thailand and Cambodia for a peaceful resolution,' Natalegawa said, indicating that the ASEAN meeting would put pressure on the two countries to accept a resolution. He said Kasit and Hor had 'professed peaceful intent' before the council and that Jakarta should 'flesh it out.'

Kasit told reporters at UN headquarters that his country and Cambodia have 'so much in common' that they should resolve the conflict and move on. Thailand has provided development assistance to Cambodia and will continue to do so, he said.

'We did not shoot first - we responded,' Kasit said.

He denied that Thai troops had used cluster bombs against Cambodia.

But Hor Namhong accused Thailand of 'aggression,' saying that military experts had evidence that cluster munitions were used, in violation of an international convention banning the practise.

Hor, who last week sent a letter demanding Security Council intervention in the fighting, said after the meeting that ASEAN will be the third-party mediator in the conflict.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization designated the Preah Vihear Temple a World Heritage site in 2008. The bone of contention remains the 4.6-square-kilometre plot of land near the site, which is claimed by both Thailand and Cambodia.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia, but said nothing about the land. UNESCO's decision to give international status to the temple in 2008 fueled the dispute between the two countries.

The People's Alliance for Democracy is challenging Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to clarify the group's claim that Thai political groups have a vested interest in oil wells in Cambodia.

PAD spokesman Parnthep Pourpongpan said yesterday the PAD had fresh evidence of Thai political groups' interests in Cambodia, and it wanted the prime minister to explain the issue.

Praphan Koonmee, spokesman for the PAD splinter group, Land Protection Power, said the PAD wanted the prime minister to hold a live TV debate with the group on the issue.

He said the media should be allowed to freely question each speaker so the public could weigh up the information from both parties.

Mr Abhisit has agreed to clarify his position on the yellow shirts' allegation even though he said the claims made by the PAD of certain Thai political groups having vested interests in oil exploration in Cambodia were groundless.

He said the PAD's information on the the dispute with Cambodia was old and focused on problems in the past that his government had solved.

He said the PAD's use of outdated information had confused people about the government's policies.

The government's position on the border disputes was clear, he said.

"We insist that the disputes could be settled by bilateral mechanisms, because the MoU [memorandum of understanding signed with Cambodia in 2000 to help settle border claims] is still in place," Mr Abhisit said.

"If the public is misled to believe that the Thai government could revoke the MoU any time, it would go to support the [Cambodia's] claim that the bilateral mechanisms could not settle the disputes."

The prime minister said the PAD should be more open-minded and compromise on its demands. It is well known that Cambodia will benefit from Thailand's withdrawal of its membership of the World Heritage Committee.

"I understand the PAD's concerns. Let's talk things out," he said.

Pol Lt Gen Somyot Phumphanmuang, an assistant police chief who headed a team investigating the seizure of Bangkok commercial airports by the PAD in 2008, yesterday told reporters he had resigned as the investigation leader.

The announcement came after Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuang, a core PAD leader, yesterday morning filed a lawsuit with the Civil Court, demanding 220 million baht in compensation plus 7.5% annual interest from Pol Lt Gen Somyot for charging him with terrorism.Pol Lt Gen Somyot showed reporters copies of his resignation letter dated Feb 11, which was tendered to the police chief Wichean Potephosree.

He wrote in the letter that he had been under pressure from several groups since being appointed to head the investigation team. His involvement in the case had affected his family and close friends, and so he asked the police chief to find a replacement.

Pol Maj Gen Amnuay Nimmano, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order had assigned his bureau to enforce the law against any PAD supporter found to that violated the Internal Security Act in place in seven districts of Bangkok.

The bureau will summon those violating the ISA, including PAD leaders, to hear charges. Those who fail to report will face arrest warrants.

Phnom Penh should use its stock exchange opening later this year as an opportunity to formally adopt the U.S. dollar.

Cambodia doesn't get a lot of attention on the world stage, but it deserves a closer look because of the way its economy has quietly exceeded expectations in recent years. Growth has been running at near double-digit rates over the last decade, and the country is attracting significant foreign investment, particularly in the textile and tourism industries. A big part of this success is due to its use of the U.S. dollar as its primary currency.

The government didn't orchestrate this monetary reform; in fact it resisted most of the way. But Cambodians voted with their wallets, shunning the Cambodian riel and demanding dollars.

This is no doubt due to the country's tragic history, which made its people especially aware of the mischief governments can play with currencies and property rights. The same Khmer Rouge that killed one-quarter of the population in the late 1970s also abolished money and title to land. Though the riel came back into circulation in 1979, people preferred to use the Thai baht initially and then, once international aid poured into the country in the early 1990s, the dollar.

The use of the dollar has soared since then, accounting for 90% of the currency in circulation today and 97% of banking deposits. Most banks don't even lend in riel.

This has brought the country a level of monetary stability it couldn't have achieved on its own. The Asian Development Bank notes that while inflation averaged 56% from 1990-98, it declined to 3.5% for most of last decade—a period the dollar took over.

That in turn created the foundation for greater investor confidence. The financial sector deepened, and foreign direct investment rose to $3.5 billion in 2007 from $38 million in 1990.

Now Cambodia faces an important decision as it prepares to start up a stock market in July. Last month, regulators convened a public workshop to decide whether to denominate stock prices in riel, dollars or both.

Not only would riel listings add costs and confusion in a largely dollarized economy, it would create an additional risk for international investors, driving them away. Instead, Cambodia could use the exchange opening as an opportunity to embark on formal dollarization.

In a neighborhood where governments debase their fiat money—Vietnam devalued the dong by 8.5% last week—Phnom Penh would stand out all the more by making a commitment to stick with the dollar. A stable unit of account for investment as well as trade after all was one key to Hong Kong's transformation from shanty towns to financial center in a single generation. Cambodia also shares Hong Kong's low, flat income tax and few barriers to trade and investment.

The country faces significant problems that Hong Kong never had though, including an autocratic ruler who has undermined civil liberties and the rule of law. But mitigating these shortcomings is part of the reason Cambodians use the dollar in the first place, and the fact that their savings cannot be held captive will gradually strengthen their ability to demand change from their government. Cambodia is providing a fascinating case study in the power of dollarization to promote development in even the most devastated and poverty-stricken of countries.

UNITED NATIONS — The UN Security Council called Monday for a "permanent ceasefire" between Thailand and Cambodia after a border dispute erupted into deadly clashes last week around a Hindu temple.

Council president Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti of Brazil made the call after a closed door session with the foreign ministers of Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia, which has attempted to mediate the conflict.

"Members of the Security Council urge the parties to establish a permanent ceasefire and to implement it fully," she said.

She said council members expressed "great concern" over the clashes and "called on the two sides to display maximum restraint and avoid any action that may aggravate the situation."

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong had gone into the meeting seeking a "permanent ceasefire" while Thailand, represented by Foreign Minister Kasi Piromya, had insisted that the two neighbors settle the dispute among themselves.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegwa, who has tried to mediate the dispute, also took part in the Security Council session.

The two Southeast Asian neighbors blame each other for the crisis, which has left at least 10 dead, including seven Cambodians, in clashes with heavy weapons last week.

They are fighting over a border area that surrounds the Preah Vihear temple, an 11th century cliff-top ruin that belongs to Cambodia but whose designation as a World Heritage site has touched off the ire of Thai nationalists.

Accusing Thailand of launching an "invading war" against it, Cambodia "will also ask the United Nations to help secure a permanent ceasefire" between the two nations, Cambodian foreign ministry spokesman Koy Kuong told AFP in Phnom Penh ahead of the meeting.

On Sunday, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said his foreign minister would insist that the crisis be settled on a bilateral basis without outside intervention.

"We're confident that we can explain that (Cambodia's claims) are wrong," he said in his weekly television address.

"Cambodia is calling for (intervention by) a third country, the UN and peacekeeping forces. Thailand will call for a return to bilateral talks on demarcation," he said.

Abhisit has laid the blame for the crisis on UNESCO's decision to declare the temple ruins, the most celebrated example of ancient Khmer architecture outside of Cambodia's Angkor Wat, a World Heritage site even though the land around it is disputed.

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

"The war was not caused by the listing of the temple, but by Thailand's invasion of Cambodian territory," said Koy Kuong, the Cambodian spokesman. "They want not only the territory, but also the temple."

On Tuesday, Ban spoke by telephone with the leaders of both countries to renew his offer to help them negotiate a settlement.

The Security Council for its part had said it was prepared to meet on the crisis but wanted to give more time for a mediation attempt by Indonesia, the current president of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

14 February 2011 – Voicing grave concern about the recent armed clashes between Cambodia and Thailand, the Security Council today urged the South-East Asian neighbours to establish a permanent ceasefire following closed-door talks on the situation.

"The members of the Security Council called on the two sides to display maximum restraint and avoid any action that may aggravate the situation," Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti of Brazil, which holds the monthly presidency of the 15-member body for February, said in a statement read out to the press after the meeting.

"The members of the Security Council further urged the parties to establish a permanent ceasefire and to implement it fully and resolve the situation peacefully and through effective dialogue," the statement added.

Tensions first escalated between the two countries in July 2008 following the build-up of military forces near the Preah Vihear temple, which dates back to the 11th century and is located on the Cambodian side of the border. The Hindu temple was inscribed on the World Heritage List of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) that same month.

Clashes between the two neighbours resumed earlier this month, prompting calls for calm and restraint by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as well as UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.

During its session today, the Council was briefed by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe and Marty Natalegawa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia and Chair of the regional grouping known as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

It also heard from Hor Namhong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia, and Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.

The Council expressed support for ASEAN's active efforts regarding the situation between Cambodia and Thailand, and encouraged the parties to continue to cooperate with the organization in this regard. The issue is expected to be discussed at the meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers on 22 February.

The U.N. Security Council is expressing "grave concern" at recent border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia and is calling on the two sides to settle the dispute peacefully.

The council expressed support for the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations' attempts to resolve the conflict. ASEAN's foreign ministers will discuss the clashes at a Feb. 22 meeting.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, who briefed the council as the current chair of ASEAN, said he was "far more optimistic about where we are" after Monday's closed-door council meeting, which the Thai and Cambodian foreign ministers addressed.

The nations blame each other for starting fighting Friday which sparked days of artillery duels, killing at least eight people.

UNITED NATIONS, February 14 -- Cambodia's request that the UN Security Council meet and send peacekeepers or at least observers to its border conflict with Thailand was at most half successful on Monday. A meeting was held, but the resulting Council press statement did not sent observers.

Rather, the UN Security Council deferred almost entirely to the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is convening a meeting of the region's foreign ministers in Jakarta on February 22.

Inner City Press asked ASEAN chair Marty Natalegawa if his ability to mediate the conflict was hurt by the lack within ASEAN of procedures to expel or apply sanctions to a member. While ASEAN does not have those powers, Natalegawa replied ASEAN "member states... must behave in a certain manner." Video here.

Since Cambodia's presentation to the Council said "Thailand used sophisticated weapons including cluster bombs," Inner City Press asked Natalegawa what would happen within ASEAN to these charges. Ask the two foreign ministers, Natalegawa replied.

When Inner City Press asked Thai minister Kasit Piromya about Cambodia's charge, Kasit said "we deny all of that... we did not shoot first." Video here.

Kasit said that Thailand gives money to Cambodia, and referred to as Mr. "Prescoe" UN Under Secretary General Lynn Pascoe, who skipped the stakeout that UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said would be held.

Natalegawa previously at UN, Cambodia requests not shown

The last speaker was Cambodia's deputy prime minister Hor Namhong. Inner City Press asked if he and Cambodia were disappointed that the UN Security Council did not grant the request for peacekeepers.

"We regret the Security Council did not send observers on the ground," he said, before adding that Cambodia now counts on Natalegawa to keep the peace. Video here.

Inner City Press asked what actions Cambodia would ask ASEAN to take with respect with Thailand. The response was deferred until the February 22 ASEAN minister's meeting in Jakarta. Watch this site.

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council Monday urged Cambodia and Thailand to display maximum restraint, avoid any action that may aggravate the situation, and to establish a permanent cease-fire, the council president said.

Brazilian Ambassador to the UN Maria Ribeiro Viotti made the remarks to reporters after the council held close-door consultations on the recent armed clashes between the two south- eastern Asian countries.

The members of the Security Council expressed their great concern about the recent armed clashes, and called on the two sides to display maximum restraint and avoid any action that may aggravate the situation, said Viotti.

"The members of the Security Council further urged the parties to establish a permanent cease-fire and to implement it fully and resolve the situation peacefully and through effective dialogue," she said.

Viotti said the Security Council expressed support for the active efforts of the Association of South East Asian Nations ( ASEAN) in this matter and encouraged the parties to continue to cooperate with the organization in this regard.

The border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand from Feb. 4 to Feb.7 had killed at least eight people and injured 67 others. Tens of thousands of villagers nearby the disputed areas had fled their homes.

The government has ordered at least one internet service provider to block opposition news blog KI-Media, a company staffer confirmed today, amid reports from users of multiple ISPs that the site was inaccessible.

The news comes less than one month after users of the Ezecom and Metfone ISPs reported that the site had been temporarily blocked. A customer service representative for Ezecom told The Post at the time that his manager had instructed him to block access to KI-Media on the government's orders, though state officials and the firm's CEO denied that there had been any such request.

Today, however, users of the WiCam ISP attempting to access KI-Media received a message stating that the site had been "blocked as ordered by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications of Cambodia".

A WiCam employee who asked to remain anonymous said today that his company had been ordered to block the site several weeks ago in an email from staff at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications who said KI-Media "impacts the government".

"My company does business in Cambodia, so we have to obey them," he said.

Metfone and Ezecom users also reported today that they could not access the site.

Ezecom CEO Paul Blanche-Horgan said he had received "no directive from the government to do anything".

"We've had about two or three people ask us about it, but sometimes [the technical problem] can be on their end," he said.

Representatives from Metfone could not be reached for comment.

Mao Chakrya, director general of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, said there had been "no order" given by his ministry to block KI-Media. Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said in an email that the government was committed to protecting political speech, even in view of the role social media websites have played in recent uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.

"The government [will not] block any website even if the whole Middle East collapses by this so-called 'people power'," he said.

KI-Media made the news in December when Seng Kunnaka, a security guard employed by the United Nations World Food Programme, received a six-month jail term for incitement just days after he was arrested for printing out an article from the website and sharing it with co-workers.

The blog is maintained by a mix of local residents and overseas Cambodians operating under pseudonyms who reproduce articles from local and international news outlets in addition to posting original essays and political cartoons.

The administrators are strongly pro-Sam Rainsy Party, labeling the eponymous opposition leader a "hero" and officials including Prime Minister Hun Sen "traitors" in a banner on the KI-Media homepage.

Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, said in a statement today that the site's blockage "is clear evidence that the government is working to ensure that online democratic space is policed and controlled in much the same way as traditional forums for communicating ideas and criticisms".

"Online activism is increasing in Cambodia and this is proof that the government fears the creation of a digital democracy which permits the sharing of grievances, criticisms and opinions which run counter to those of the government," he said.

Cambodia Data Communications CEO Sok Channda, whose company runs MekongNet, said she did not know of any government order to block the blog, though she added that her firm would willingly comply with any such request.

"If the government asks, we need to block it," she said.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY THOMAS MILLER AND SEBASTIAN STRANGIO

Thai Army chief Prayuth Chan-o-cha said yesterday he believed armed conflict with neighbouring Cambodia would cease following the United Nations Security Council meeting.

The situation along the border area adjacent to the Hindu temple at Preah Vihear was calm. Villagers had already returned home, he said, and the Army had deployed troops in many locations to prevent more clashes.

"The number of troops stationed at border areas is enough to protect the country," he said.

Thailand and Cambodia are at loggerheads over the boundary issue and skirmishes on February 4-7 in the Preah Vihear vicinity killed at least 10 people, including Thai and Cambodian civilians.

Thai and Cambodian foreign ministers have gone to New York to discuss the conflict at the UN Security Council, which wants to end the fighting. Both sides have blamed each other for starting the border flare-up.

Phnom Penh has asked the UN to ensure a 'permanent cease-fire' at Preah Vihear, which was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2008.

Thailand has insisted on bilateral talks to end the conflict, and doubts whether the UN will agree with Phnom Penh's proposal.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) also wants a role in mediating the conflict between two of its members.

Indonesia, the current chair of the regional group, will convene a meeting in Jakarta on Feb 22 to explore ways to settle the dispute.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa was also at the UNSC meeting in New York with his Thai and Cambodian counterparts. He expected the UNSC to throw the issue back to the regional forum, Asean.

However observers say Asean is unlikely to have any concrete ideas on settling the conflict and bringing permanent peace between the two countries.

Diplomatic sources said Asean would hold an informal meeting late this month, avoiding formality or direct mediation. Bangkok would feel uncomfortable with any mediation of the conflict, the diplomats said.

A deadly clash between Thai and Cambodian troops along the border near the Preah Vihear temple has renewed long-running tension between the two Southeast Asian neighbors. The fresh conflict poses a serious threat to bilateral relations and could be exploited, especially in Thailand, in domestic leadership struggles. The dispute has also revealed the limitations of important organizations like the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The recent confrontation claimed the lives of three Thai and five Cambodian soldiers, and according to local NGOs forced more than 25,000 people to flee their homes amid fears of further violence. Unconfirmed reports said that there were "more than 70 killed in Cambodia," including Maj. Gen. Hun Manet, the son of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. The temple itself was seriously damaged by artillery during the exchange of fire on the border, the latest in a long series of sporadic skirmishes over the past three years.

The confrontation between the two armies along the border dates back to the summer of 2008, when the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated the 11th-century Hindu temple a World Heritage site following a request from the Cambodian government.

At the heart of the problem is the territorial dispute over the surrounding region itself. A joint commission in 1904 set the border between the two countries atop the Dangrek mountain range, where the temple is located. A subsequent map, drawn up in 1907, put Preah Vihear in Cambodia.

When Cambodia achieved independence from France in 1954, Thai forces occupied the temple. In response, Cambodia took its case to the International Court of Justice, which in 1962 gave the temple and roughly 1.8 square miles of nearby land back to Cambodia. Thailand claims an agreed-upon demarcation process has not yet been completed.

In 2008, Noppadon Pattama, a former Thai foreign minister and legal adviser to former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, supported Cambodia's bid to seek World Heritage status for the Preah Vihear temple, and an agreement between the two countries was signed in June 2008. But on July 8 of that year, the same day that UNESCO began its annual meeting in Canada, the Thai Constitutional Court ruled that Noppadon and the entire cabinet had violated the Thai constitution by failing to seek parliamentary approval for the deal.

Meanwhile, in Cambodia, Hun Sen exploited the temple issue in a bid to build support before the parliamentary elections held in July 2008, basing a major part of his electoral campaign on nationalistic feelings to divert voters from domestic issues. The elections produced a strong majority for his party, the Cambodian People's Party, which won 90 of the 123 seats in the National Assembly.

From July to October 2008, both countries increased troop numbers along the border until a serious clash occurred in mid-October.

Following that clash, the leader of Thailand's Democrat party and former leader of the opposition, Abhisit Vejjajiva, was appointed and sworn in as prime minister, together with a new cabinet, on Dec. 17, 2008. The two sides subsequently tried to resolve the dispute through meetings and diplomatic channels, but fighting between the troops erupted in April 2009 and again in January and April 2010. During the latest round of violence, Thai officials were in Cambodia seeking a resolution to the dispute.

The Thai People's Alliance for Democracy, or Yellow Shirts as they are commonly known, are fierce supporters of Thailand's claim to the temple and have been using the issue to press a nationalist agenda. Pavin Chachavalpongpun, fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, told World Politics Review that the royalist Yellow Shirts could also use the issue to work with the military to weaken the Abhisit government.

According to media reports, the problems will not affect trade between the two countries. Thailand's central bank says its $265 billion economy, Southeast Asia's second biggest, will not suffer because exports to Cambodia are worth less than 1 percent of GDP. Nevertheless, the value of trade between the two countries increased to $2.56 billion in 2010, from $1.67 billion in 2009, and Cambodian exports to Thailand actually rose 176 percent during the same period.

In the broader regional context, this dispute exposes the limits of ASEAN, of which both countries are members. While ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan urged the two states to find a peaceful solution, Hun Sen called for an urgent U.N. Security Council meeting. At the moment, the ASEAN chair, held by Indonesia, has been invited to attend a Feb. 14 meeting with Cambodia and Thailand at U.N. headquarters in New York.

Regardless of the meeting's outcome, ASEAN's lack of a sanctions system for members who violate the principles of its charter remains a problem. As stipulated in Article 22, "Member states shall endeavor to resolve peacefully all disputes in a timely manner through dialogue, consultation and negotiation, and ASEAN shall maintain and establish dispute settlement mechanisms in all fields of ASEAN cooperation." But the organization has historically given higher priority to its policy of non-intervention in member states' affairs.

While ASEAN's most important goal remains trade and economic integration, with a view to creating an ASEAN Economic Community by 2015, it will also find it increasingly necessary in the coming years to enhance political and social integration among member states.

Abhisit has already made clear that he would prefer to address the dispute as a bilateral one, while Hun Sen, calling for an urgent U.N. Security Council meeting, wants to internationalize it. But in the absence of a stronger conflict-resolution mechanism, including measures to sanction charter violations, ASEAN enjoys little credibility as a mediator, and will remain on the sidelines of this dispute, as well as future ones.

Thailand says it will tell the UN Security Council that its border dispute with Cambodia can be solved without international intervention.

The Thai and Cambodian foreign ministers will each present their version of events at a special meeting in New York.

At least eight people were killed and thousands evacuated in four days of heavy fighting earlier this month.

Cambodia is pushing for the UN to take a more direct role.

In recent days the guns have fallen quiet, but the situation at the border between the two countries remains extremely tense.

Two heavily armed militaries are ranged against each other across a 4.6-sq km (1130 acres) stretch of disputed land.

Now, for the first time, Thailand's and Cambodia's most senior diplomats are, in effect, being invited to explain themselves to the wider world.

Each accuses the other of being the aggressor. Each has made unverifiable claims about casualties and munitions used.

Cambodia has described itself as being at war with Thailand and has suggested the UN send peacekeepers to the disputed area.

Thailand says there is no need for any third party involvement; existing bilateral channels should be sufficient.

The Indonesian foreign minister, Marty Natalegawa, will also be attending the meeting to represent the regional grouping, Asean.

Asean has been pushing hard to help resolve the dispute.

Speaking after visiting Cambodia and Thailand last week, Mr Natalegawa told the BBC the days of Asean being silent in the face of such problems are no more.

We must, he said, confront these issues head on.

However that is presumably only possible if the two sides are willing to accept offers of help.

Thailand and Cambodia's are to make their case before the United Nations in New York over deadly border fighting that erupted a week ago. Cambodia wants U.N. peacekeepers sent to prevent further clashes. But Thailand rejects any U.N. involvement.

Thailand's Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Cambodia's Foreign Minister Hor Namhong will address the United Nations Security Council on Monday

Cambodia requested the emergency meeting after the worst fighting with Thailand in years broke out near a disputed border area.

At least eight people were killed when soldiers exchanged artillery and machine-gun fire. Thousands of villagers fled for safety. Both sides say the other fired first.

By Monday, many had returned home but both sides are on full alert for any further clashes.

Cambodia calls the clashes a Thai invasion akin to war and wants the U.N. to send peacekeeping troops to the area.

Phay Siphan, a spokesman for Cambodia's Council of Ministers, says the U.N. presence would help build trust between the two nations.

"What we wish to tell the world that we wish to stop all aggressions," Phay Siphan said. "We wish to stop all firing against the temple of Preah Vihear. And, we wish to build like a trust between two nations."

Thailand rejects the proposal for U.N. troops.

Thai government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn says the issue must be resolved bilaterally.

"We hope that the international community will persuade Cambodia to return to the negotiating table with us where we already have the memorandum of understanding and we also have the exiting mechanism - the joint border committee that was to have met before the incident took place at the end of the month," Panitan said.

Cambodia pulled out of the border talks after the fighting broke out.

The clashes erupted near disputed territory surrounding a 900-year-old Hindu Khmer temple known as Preah Vihear in Cambodia and Phra Viharn in Thailand.

The International Court of Justice in 1962 ruled the temple is in Cambodia, but a main entrance is on the Thai side and both dispute areas around the temple.

The border dispute flared up in 2008, after the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, granted World Heritage status to the temple.

Thai nationalists, many of whom say the temple belongs to Thailand, protested, and both governments reinforced troops along the border, who occasionally exchanged gunfire.

In this latest incident, Cambodia says the temple sustained heavy damage from Thai shelling, though foreign media reports indicate it was minor.

A U.N. team wants to visit the temple to assess the damage but Thailand has objected and is lobbying to have the World Heritage status removed.

The border tensions come as internal pressure is building on the Thai government.

Thousands of anti-government Red Shirts are holding monthly demonstrations against what they say is unfair treatment of their leaders.

Nationalist Yellow Shirts are also rallying against the government for not being tougher on Cambodia.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has approved a land concession to United Khmer Group, a private mining company. The prime minister's approval came ahead of a meeting on Friday, February 11 at the Council for the Development of Cambodia that was meant to discuss the proposed mining project. United Khmer Group had exploration rights to search for titanium in 20,400 hectares of densely forested land in the Southern Cardamom Mountains.

The decision to approve the mine threatens to devastate one of the last remaining elephant corridors on the continent, put more than 70 endangered and vulnerable species at risk, and degrade one of the world's largest remaining carbon sink reserves. Months after local villagers initially discovered construction workers bulldozing access roads in June 2010, the Cambodian government's decision will allow the mining company to exploit the land.

Suwanna Gauntlett, Wildlife Alliance CEO, led the fight against the mine, representing the views of local communities and other environmental groups. Local villagers recognized the mine as a threat to the growing ecotourism industry, agricultural initiatives, forests, and a habitat for one of Cambodia's largest wild elephant populations.

"This is Cambodia's natural heritage, its national heritage, and it could all be eliminated by 20,400 hectares of strip mining," Gauntlett says.

The United Khmer Group projects revenues of more than $1.3 billion a year, numbers that far outpace the market rate for titanium. To date, a comprehensive study to determine the size and concentration levels of the titanium ore deposit has not been conducted.

"Without scientific research to prove the economic viability of the proposed mine," Gauntlett says, "bulldozing the rainforest is simply destructive and does not even make good business sense."

Wildlife Alliance calls on United Khmer Group to work closely with communities, the Forestry Administration and environmental groups to minimize the mine's impact on local residents, waterways, and wildlife. Further, we request UKG submit a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment and strictly abide by the regulations laid out in Cambodia's laws on forestry and mining.

"We recognize that development is essential to Cambodia's future, but that development must be conducted in a coordinated matter that respects conservation initiatives," says Suwanna Gauntlett. "We ask that all industrial developers work closely with conservation partners in the Southern Cardamom Mountains to minimize environmental damages associated with economic development. Together we can find solutions to maximize the earning potential of local people while diminishing the harm to wildlife and habitats, local rivers, and downstream fisheries."

Wildlife Alliance is a non-profit organization based in Cambodia and Washington, D.C., working directly with communities and governments to improve forest management and institute good governance to comprehensively address the devastation of ecosystems and combat the illegal wildlife trade. We actively empower local communities by promoting diversified agriculture, community-based ecotourism, and reforestation. Visit Wildlife Alliance on the Web at: http://www.wildlifealliance.org/.

Two F16 fighters of the Thai air force taking part in the Cobra Gold 2011 exercise crashed on Monday morning in Chaiyaphum, but both pilots ejected safely, air force spokesman Monthon Satchukorn said.

Air Marshal Monthon said the two F16s disappeared from radar at 10.20am. They were part of a flight of four F16s which took off from Wing 1 of Nakhon Ratchasima to take part in the annual Cobra Gold exercise.

The planes crashed into the forest near Tat Ton waterfall between Lae Hu Kwang and Wang Phon villages in tambon Tha Hin Ngom in Muang district of Chaiyaphum province.

The spokesman said air force commander in chief Ithaporn Suphawong had ordered the Air Safety Division to set up an inquiry into the crash.

AM Monthon said that the two fighters were first of of the 16 F16s bought from the United States in 2002 to have crashed.

It was known what caused the crash. However, he did not believe the two airplanes collided in mid-air. The pilots would not have been able to eject to safety.

The two pilots - Group Captain Krisda Sukchan and Flight Lieutenant Chatchanon Promdet - had contacted Wing 1 in Nakhon Ratchasima and confirmed they are safe, AM Monthon said.

Search and rescue helicopters and land vehicles had been sent into the area near Tat Ton waterfall to find the pilots, who would be able to explain what happened.

BANGKOK, Feb 14 (MCOT online news) -- Thailand is confident that it will present a strong case to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday and the world body is believed to be set to let Thailand and Cambodia resolve their border dispute bilaterally, according to acting Thai government spokesperson Panitan Wattanayakorn.

Thailand and Cambodia have been invited to the closed-door hearing of the 15-member Security Council to give its account of the deadly border clashes near the ancient Preah Vihear Temple between Feb 4-7.

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya will represent Thailand while the Cambodian delegation will be led by Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa would also attend in his capacity as the current chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in which Thailand and Cambodia are members.

Mr Kasit was expected to affirm Thailand's commitment to peacefully resolving the country's differences with Cambodia, Mr Panitan said.

The Thai foreign ministry compiled evidence, including still photographs and video footage from the media to substantiate Thailand's accounts that Cambodia started the fighting and that Thai soldiers exercised their right to defend themselves, aiming at military targets, he said.

Among key evidence to be presented to the UNSC include interviews given to foreign media by a couple of Cambodian soldiers who admitted that they launched the attack first, photos showing Cambodia deployed its soldiers at Preah Vihear temple, which violated an agreement with the World Heritage Committee, according to the Thai government spokesperson.

Thailand will also show evidence to prove that Cambodia created the conditions leading to the armed clashes with Thailand, such as the building of a disputed pagoda and put in place its national flag as well as other forms of provocation to ensure that the fighting would eventually erupt. In addition, Cambodian troops fired at civilian targets in Thailand, which resulted in deaths and it would take at least several months to rehabilitate the housing in communities damaged by the recent attacks, he said.

"All that Cambodia had done was aimed at bringing up the issue to international level which was not good for solving the problem. Thailand however hopes that the international community would be able to encourage Cambodia to hold bilateral talks, while Thailand will make it clear that any recurrence of fighting bodes ill for both." Mr Panitan said.

The Thai government spokesperson also said the problem was not serious to the extent that the UN would dispatch a peacekeeping force to oversee the situation and the situation was unfavourable for UNESCO to send staff to inspect Preah Vihear Temple.

Meanwhile, Thai foreign ministry spokesperson Thani Thongphakdi spoke from New York to reporters here that no schedule has been set for a bilateral discussion between Thai foreign minister and his Cambodian counterpart but both will briefly meet before attending the Security Council hearing.

The hearing will begin at 10am New York time (10pm Thai time). The Cambodian and Thai foreign ministers as well as the present ASEAN chair are expected to be given 15-30 minutes to present their statements to the closed-door meeting of the 15 Security Council members, Mr Thani said.

The International Court of Justice in 1962 ruled that the 11th century Preah Vihear temple belongs to Phnom Penh. UNESCO named it a World Heritage site in 2008 after Cambodia had applied for the status. The country submitted a management plan for the temple to UNESCO's World Heritage Commission in 2010, which deferred a decision until this year.

It may be dangerous for UNESCO officials to visit the temple at the moment Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said, advising that the UN must wait until their safety is guaranteed to visit the area.

The Cambodian and Thai foreign ministers addressed the United Nations Security Council at a closed-door session in New York today, a week after border clashes that left at least 10 dead and dozens injured.

The fighting, which lasted from February 4-7, also forced the evacuation of thousands of villagers from areas surrounding Preah Vihear temple.

Cambodia has said it will press for an international solution to the simmering border dispute, which erupted in July 2008 after UNESCO inscribed Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site, arguing that bilateral talks have failed to make any headway.

Before his departure, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said he would brief the council on Thailand's "invasion" of Cambodian territory and call for the UN to "guarantee" an end to the fighting.

Ahead of the meeting, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva decried Phnom Penh's attempt to internationalise the issue, adding he was confident Thailand could make a strong case to the UNSC that Phnom Penh had triggered the stand-off.

"We have all the information and facts … which we are preparing to put to the UNSC," the Bangkok Post quoted Abhisit as saying.

"We're confident that we can block Cambodia's attempt to upgrade the matter to an international level.

"If others want to get involved, they can only come in as supporters of bilateral talks."

Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, described Abhisit's comments as "meaningless.

"Abhisit's attempt to block international involvement on the matter is too late: two major international bodies – the UNSC and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – are working on this matter," Koy Kuong said.

"What Abhisit is saying is meaningless … we have stopped taking our ears to listen to what they are saying."

No details from the UNSC meeting were available today.

Koy Kuong also rejected a claim by Abhisit, reported in the Bangkok Post today, that Cambodia had backed out of a meeting of the two countries' Joint Border Committee set for later this month.

In the report, Abhisit was paraphrased as saying that Cambodia hoped to derail the talks in order to shut off the possibility of a bilateral solution to the conflict.

"Cambodia did not kick out the request," Koy Kuong said.

"The fighting erupted at the border, which is why Cambodia decided not to hold the meeting."

The recent skirmishes – the deadliest since UNESCO's listing of Preah Vihear temple – have also prompted Abhisit to request that the agency drop Preah Vihear temple from its World Heritage list, describing the listing as the source of the long-running dispute.

He said the move would help ease the pressure on the body's World Heritage Committee, which is set to consider a Cambodian management plan for the temple at its annual meeting in June, the Bangkok Post reported Friday.

"I believe if UNESCO manages to defuse tensions, the two sides would agree to hold talks without pressure. The two countries want their people on the border to live peacefully," the paper quoted Abhisit as saying.

In a statement today, the Council of Ministers' Press and Quick Reaction Unit "strongly" rejected the suggestion that the UNESCO listing was at the heart of the conflict, suggesting the "'real tension' has been caused by Thailand's long-standing territorial invasion" of Cambodia.

PHNOM PENH — Cambodia said it will ask the UN Security Council to help secure a "permanent ceasefire" with Thailand as both countries prepare to brief the world body on Monday about a deadly border dispute.

The Security Council is set to hold a closed-door meeting in New York with the foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand to discuss four days of fighting near an 11th-century temple that left at least 10 people dead earlier this month, according to a new toll.

Both sides blame each other for starting the violence around Preah Vihear temple that displaced thousands of families and that Cambodia's outspoken government has labelled a "war" but Thailand has played down as clashes.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong "will raise the issue of the invading war by Thailand against Cambodia," his spokesman Koy Kuong told AFP ahead of the meeting.

The country's top diplomat "will also ask the United Nations to help secure a permanent ceasefire" between the two nations, he added.

The ancient temple has been a source of contention between Thailand and Cambodia since it was granted UN World Heritage status in July 2008.

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

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has called for a UN buffer force to be put in place in the disputed area, while Thailand has repeatedly said the row should settled between the two countries.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday his government would tell the UN there was no need for outside mediation.

He has also blamed the UN World Heritage Committee for causing the dispute by listing the temple as a World Heritage site.

He said the clashes occurred because Cambodia wanted the area around Preah Vihear to be cleared of Thai troops so it could submit its plan for managing the temple to UNESCO.

"I think today the World Heritage committee is fully aware of the problem they have created so they should play role in tackling the problem," Abhisit said last week in remarks dismissed by Cambodia.

"The war was not caused by the listing of the temple, but by Thailand's invasion of Cambodian territory," said Koy Kuong. "They want not only the territory, but also the temple."

Thailand has reported three fatalities, including one civilian.

I have just spoken to a friend who is going to join a rally which will be in Paris, near the Cambodian Embassy at 4:00PM local time. The organiser have granted permission from French Gendamery to gather the rally near the Embassy. Although it may not a very big demonstration but the rally is a demand to Hun Sen to step down from his power. This will be a historical spark for Cambodian history to follow the domino effect of People Power in the middle East.

Hun Xen announced a lowering in the number of high-ranking officials who have the right to use cars equipped with sirens to lead their procession in order to reduce the number of traffic jams.

Hun Xen warned and issued his order to his underlings who, in the past, used cars equipped with sirens to lead their procession. He told them to stop doing this immediately because from now on, those who have the privilege to such use are only limited to the country's top 5 leaders: the king [Sihamoni], the hero-king [Sihanouk], [the president of the National Assembly (NatAss), the president of the Senate and himself.]

Hun Xen stressed that cars equipped with sirens that were used or driven along public roads annoy people and cause traffic accident that could take the lives of many road travelers.

Hun Xen added: "The use of the siren that sounds 'Ngeng, Ngeng', it annoys the students, annoys on holidays. Why turn it on? And don't drive too fast. I believe that, short of that, we just set the limit. We keep only for 4 royals and 3 commoners. If they don't listen, I will issue a sub-decree banning its use. We keep [its use] for the king [Sihamoni and Sihanouk], the president of the NatAss, the president of the Senate and the prime minister."

Hun Xen made this announcement during the groundbreaking ceremony for the bridge crossing the Lower Mekong River in Neak Leoung on 12 Feb 2011. The bridge will link National Road No. 1 from Kandal province to Prey Veng and Svay Rieng. The bridge is a donation aid from the government of Japan.

Hun Xen's announcement was welcomed by the majority of the public.

Pheap Soriya, a man who lives in Phnom Penh, said that, if Hun Xen's order sticks then he will lend his full support to it. He said that accidents were always caused by these cars equipped with sirens that traveled very fast and some of them are even fatal.

Pheap Soriya said: "Just because they are one-star or two-star generals, why do they use sirens also? If only 5 people like the PM claimed, then I will support it. The use of sirens cause traffic jams, people are stuck on the road and it almost always caused accidents."

Another doctor, who asked to remain anonymous, also welcomed Hun Xen's order. He indicated that, in the past, accidents and nuisance stemmed from the anarchic use of sirens and there were many accidents caused to the traffic. It also annoys hospital patients who are resting in hospitals: "It affects patients in hospitals, those who are very ill, etc…"

Kem Sokha said: "It just works at the beginning only. Look at the deforestation problem, the anarchic police barrage, he [Hun Xen] only talked for the sake of talking, lower level officials still don't put them to use and he [Hun Xen] never charge his minions. Therefore, I have no much trust in what he is talking. If this work can be accomplished, then it will be good because it [siren] annoys our people a lot. Even a MP who drives his car to go play chess or to go gamble, he also uses siren as well."

Nevertheless, Hun Xen stressed that, regarding his order to reduce the number of cars equipped with siren, if people still do not respect his order, he will push the ministry of Interior to set up a new sub-decree to end the use of sirens and to punish officials who refuse to comply with his order.

Chaiyaphum - Pilots of two F16 jet fighters which collided in mid-air during the Cobra Gold war exercise in Chaiyaphum province Monday morning ejected safely.

The Two F16 jet fighters taking part in the Cobra Gold war exercise collided mid-air and crashed on a mountain in Chaiyaphum Monday morning.

TV reports said pilots of the planes ejected themselves out of the planes in time.

The authorities have been trying to locate and recue the two pilots from the forest.

Local villagers said they saw a plane crashed on the Lankha Mountain in Muang district.

The villagers said the planes were seen going down in the area of Wang Phone village in Tambon Thahin-ngo, next to Kaengkro district.

The planes were taking part in the Cobra Gold exercise in Nakhon Ratchasima but they collided over Wang Phone village.

Air Force spokesman AM Monthol Satchanukorn told The Nation that two F16 fighters disappeared from the radar screen at 10:20 am. The two were among four F16 jets from the Wing Command 1 in Nakhon Ratchasima, which joined the Cobra Gold exercise.

Monthol said Air Force Commander-in-Chief ACM Itthaporn Supawong had dispatched a helicopter and some vehicles to search for the two pilots.