DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Cambodian, Thai troops resume fighting for 4th day” plus 9 more

PHNOM PENH, April 25 - Cambodian and Thai troops clashed in a disputed border area for the fourth consecutive day Monday, a Cambodian military spokesman said.

He said at 1:45 pm, two Thai warplanes flew over the Temple of Ta Moan and the Temple of Ta Krabey, which are situated well inside the Cambodian territory near the international Cambodian-Thai border, and ten minutes later Thai military shelled six 155mm artilleries into Kork Morn area located as deep as 22 km into populated Cambodian territory.
At least 11 soldiers were killed and dozens were injured on the two sides during the clashes Friday through Sunday in the vicinity of 
two ancient Hindu temples known as Ta Moan and Ta Krabey to Cambodians and as Ta Muen and Ta Kwai to Thais.
Earlier Monday, Cambodia's defense ministry issued a statement accusing Thailand of launching a series of ground offensives and 
firing more than 1,000 artillery shells onto Cambodian military positions in an apparent effort to occupy the temples.
''Their attempts have failed to occupy both the temples due to the heroic repel by the Cambodian army,'' it said.
The statement said Thailand's ''barbaric'' attacks have pounded civilian settlements situated more than 20 kilometers away from the 
border, displacing more than 17,000 people.
Thailand says its army is only defending against attacks by Cambodia.
The location of the current fighting is over 150 kilometers west of the ancient temple of Preah Vihear, located in another disputed border area where four days of deadly clashes in February left at least 10 dead and dozens injured.
Earlier Monday, Cambodian and Thai officials confirmed that Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa's planned trip to the two countries to forge an agreement on deployment of Indonesian observers at their disputed border has been postponed.
A Thai Foreign Ministry official said Natalegawa's scheduled trip as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is not taking place because Thailand and Cambodia have yet to conclude negotiations on the terms of reference for deployment of foreign observers.
Natalegawa was to have met with Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong in Phnom Penh to get his signature and then fly to Bangkok later Monday to get that of Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya.
Thailand agreed in principle on the Indonesian plan to deploy  observers at a Feb. 22 meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers in Jakarta, but it has since then repeatedly objected to the terms of reference 
proposed by Indonesia as ASEAN chair.
By contrast, Cambodia has accepted all drafts of the ASEAN chair's terms of reference and has urged Indonesia to dispatch the 
observers at the earliest possible opportunity, even allowing their unilateral stationing on Cambodian soil while Thailand refuses them.
Thai Prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday that he may hold bilateral talks with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen to 
discuss the conflict when they both gather in Jakarta in early May for an ASEAN summit. Kyodo

According to the latestofficial figure released by the Governor of UddarMeanchey Province at 12:00 pm today, the numbers of refuges are standing at 22,385 people scattering at various villages and public buildings. The number of displaced people is expected to increase in the coming hours and daysas the unprovoked and premeditated attacks by Thai troops are still storming into the said Cambodian areas.

Those displaced people are being sheltered at various public buildings and villages in temporary camps provided by the UddarMeanchey provincial authority, the National Committee for Disaster Management and Cambodian Red Cross.

(Press and Quick Reaction Unit Office of the Council of Ministers)

PHNOM PENH/BANGKOK, April 24, Kyodo - Cambodian and Thai troops exchanged fires near a disputed border area for the third consecutive day Sunday, resulting in more casualties on both sides, military spokesmen from both sides said.

Lt. Gen. Chhum Socheat, a spokesman for Cambodia's Ministry of National Defense, told Kyodo News that Thai troops launched renewed attacks at around 9:50 a.m.

The fighting subsided shortly around 1 p.m. but resumed around 3:30 p.m., according to Phay Siphan, spokesman of Cambodia's Council of Ministers.

Phay Siphan said that 300 to 500 Thai infantry were trying to occupy Ta Moan temple in Cambodia.

Thai military officials on Sunday confirmed that a fresh clash occurred at the border, saying Cambodia launched an artillery attack in the morning and that Thai troops responded with a counter-attack.

Thai local media reported that at least two Thai soldiers were wounded in Sunday's clash, while Cambodia says no human casualties reported on Sunday.

A total of at least 10 soldiers were killed from the two sides during the clashes Friday and Saturday along the border between Cambodia's Udor Meanchey Province and Thailand's Surin Province, according to Thai and Cambodian sources.

Thai army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd and Defense Ministry spokesman Thanatip Sawangsaeng on Sunday reiterated that Thailand did not launch any attack to Cambodia, and the army was only defending against attacks by Cambodia.
He added around 27,000 Thai people had been evacuated from villages nearby.

Thanatip, meanwhile, rejected Cambodia's accusation that Thai aircraft were intruding into Cambodian airspace, saying the Thai military had only used helicopters to evacuate wounded soldiers from the clash site.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday in his weekly televised address that Thailand has no intention to invade Cambodia, but will fight back in the event of being attacked.

''The Thai government fully supports the army to protect our sovereignty when we are attacked, and we targeted only military spots in response,'' Abhisit said.

The Thai premier also said Cambodia was attempting to bring the border issue to the international stage by launching military attacks. However, Abhisit reiterated that the conflict should be solved bilaterally.

Also Sunday, Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said that Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa will fly to Phnom Penh on Monday to have Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong sign a terms of reference for the deployment of Indonesian observers to the disputed Thai-Cambodia border area.

Natalegawa will later Monday head to Bangkok to have Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya sign the document, he said.

Later Sunday, the office of the Council of Ministers of Cambodia issued a statement saying Thai forces launched ''several thousand'' artillery shells, some of which landed 21 kilometers deep into Cambodian territory, ''displacing thousands of villagers and some of their houses were burnt to the ground.''

The statement also said Thailand ''has neither political will nor desires to have a permanent ceasefire since Bangkok has sought to prolong the conflict with Cambodia so as to suit the Thai administration's political interests.''

Thailand and Cambodia have overlapping territorial claims in the area, including over 4.6 square kilometers of land around Preah Vihear, a Cambodia's ancient temple registered as a World Heritage site in 2008.

The clashes since Friday have taken place at the temples of Ta Moan and Ta Krabey about 200 km west of Preah Vihear, according to the Cambodian military. The disputed temples are known as Ta Muen and Ta Kwai in Thailand.

They followed deadly clashes in February between Cambodian and Thai troops near the World Heritage site.

Indonesia foreign Minister on Monday informed his Cambodian counterpart about delaying his visit to Cambodia and signing ceremony of sending the Indonesian observers to monitor border issues between Cambodia and Thailand.

"Indonesian Foreign Minister just informed about the postponement of the visit and signing ceremony, Khoy Khuong, spokesman for the foreign ministry of Cambodia said.  Indonesian Foreign minister did not said in details about the reason. He just informed about the postponement.

Khuong said that the problem of postponement of Indonesian Foreign Minister is from Thai side who has not implemented the agreement of deployment of Indonesian observers.

"The term of reference that Cambodia – Thailand approved already. We needs to be followed. Cambodia side already prepared and implemented its duties for Indonesian observers and wait Indonesian observers but Thai side has opposed the deployment, he noted.

As schedule, Indonesian foreign minister will talk with his Cambodian counterpart to border issues at 10 AM today (Monday but it is delayed.

Indonesia as current ASEAN chair got the mandate from UN Security Council to mediate the border issues between Cambodia and Thailand which lasted near three years. Thai troops invaded Cambodia at area near the 11^th century Khmer Preah Vihear temple on July 15, 2008 a week after Cambodia enlisted the temple as world heritage site with UNESCO.  Thai troop used own map to take Cambodia soil while border demarcation's negotiation is in the process. Both side approved three diplomatic notes but Thai national assembly has not agreed. Deadlock of border demarcation has occurred since then.

On Feb 22, Cambodia and Thailand agreed to receive the Indonesian observers to monitor ceasefire but later Thailand has not allowed the observers to deploy at the border.  Since then, the dealt border fighting has occurred several times. The renewed attacks late last week led dozen of soldiers from both dead and injured. Thai troop has used toxin gas during the lighting and cluster bombs, which banned by international treaty. Thai troops have faced with condemnation from international community over using cluster bombs after Thai diplomatic official confessed that it used cluster bombs during fighting on Feb 4-5.

disaster management commitee' s head, Nhim Vanda said: The fighting late last week up to now led 4.285 families about 17,262 Khmer  people refugees at Oddar Mean Chey province of Cambodia next to border with Thailand. . This dawn border fighting also occurred at the Ta Krapey and Tamoane Temple in Oddar Mean Chey Province. Hundreds of villagers in Somach and Banteay Ampil left home for safety.

Faithful to the political line of the Royal Government Cambodia headed by Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo HUN SEN, the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces are standing firm to carry out their duties to defend the Cambodian territory, De Jure and the Facto, and to protect the territorial sovereignty, without any intention to occupy or claim any part of Thai military position or territory.

The Ministry of National Defense deeply regrets over the statement issued by the Thai Foreign Ministry that exaggerated the facts and accused Cambodia of using multi-launcher rockets BM21, while Thai military was launching series of attacks on and into Cambodian territory.

Cambodia rejects this Thai intoxication propaganda campaign that has been used in a systemic way so as to turn into reality its intention to occupy the Cambodian territory and Temples.

And all these facts clearly reflect the territorial ambition, violation of international laws, and the United Nations Charter on the part of Thailand and especially the spirit of the Security Council of the United Nations and ASEAN mediation efforts in trying to establish a permanent ceasefire.