KI Media: “Border conflict festers” plus 24 more |
- Border conflict festers
- Thai Hospital Staff Flee Border Fighting on Cambodian Border
- The alternative, please?
- Hun Sen urges ceasefire
- Cambodia: In Desperate Need of Leadership Changes
- Calm Needed In Camboodian Border Row
- Quote from not too "unknown" source
- More troops sent to Thai-Cambodian border as fighting goes on [-Abhisit admitted Thailand cancel ceasefire meeting]
- Thailand and Cambodia: The Endgame?
- ANALYSIS: Domestic issues drive Thai-Cambodian border clashes
- Cambodia-Thailand border conflict "very worrying," EU's Ashton says
- Thailand Cancels Ceasefire Talks with Cambodia
- Opportunity, Possibility for Young Leaders Limited in Cambodia: Youth Leader
- Ohio University Prepares for Varied Khmer Forum
- Thailand postpones peace talks with Cambodia
- Assad under pressure as hundreds of Baathists quit [-Nobody will support a dictator who kills his own people!!!]
- [Thai] PM: Too many conflicting signals from Cambodia [-It looks like Abhisit is turning all Cambodia's proposals into his own. Can he still rein in the army?]
- No truce talks, stop shooting first, says PM Abhisit
- Fighting intensifies on Thai Cambodian border
- Thai Defence Minister ready for truce talks: local reports
- Cambodia PM welcomes talks after Thai border clashes [-Hun Xen's big talk but reconciliatory action]
- The Hun Sen government must step down in order for Cambodia to avoid war and territory losses on its western and eastern borders
- SRP to demonstrate on 30 April 2011 to support Boeung Kak Lake residents
- Thai-Cambodia border clash kills 14
- Victim Support Group Apologizes Over Cambodian Woman's Killing [in South Korea]
| Posted: 27 Apr 2011 05:33 PM PDT  The Nation Abhisit will seek talks with Hun Sen, doubts his intentions; Cambodian PM vows to raise issue at Asean summit, says does not want clashes to spread Efforts to bring peace to the borders of Thailand and Cambodia have got nowhere as leaders of the two countries have yet to offer ways to settle the armed conflict, despite saying they are ready to talk. Both nations claim they did not trigger the border skirmishes and have called on each other to stop shooting. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told the House of Representatives yesterday that he would seek an opportunity to talk with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on the sidelines of the Asean Summit in early May in Jakarta. Hun Sen's move However, Hun Sen said he would raise the border conflict at the Asean meeting, rather than talking bilaterally with his Thai counterpart. "Cambodia will raise the issue at the Asean summit next month, so Abhisit and I can negotiate during the Asean Summit," Hun Sen was quoted as saying by Xinhua News Agency. "Even though there are no Cambodia-Thailand border issues on the agenda for the Asean Summit, I will raise them with Asean leaders," he said. Thailand and Cambodia have been in military conflict over the boundary in two major areas - Preah Vihear in Si Sa Ket, and Ta Muen Thom in Surin. Hun Sen said Cambodia would talk to Thailand over the conflict at Ta Muen and Ta Kwai bilaterally, but needed a third party for the Preah Vihear dispute. The Preah Vihear Temple issue has been raised with the United Nations Security Council and Asean, he said. "We have to respect the role of Asean. All the negotiations about the disputed border areas near Preah Vihear Temple must be with the participation of a third party." Abhisit said he doubted the Cambodian leader's motives, saying: "If you are ready to talk, why do you keep firing guns?" Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya told the House yesterday his government would do all it could to push Cambodia into bilateral talks to settle the dispute. He urged the legislative body to help convince Cambodian leaders to restore peace along the border. Kasit met US Ambassador to Thailand Kristie Kenney to brief her on the conflict with Cambodia. He urged Washington to help persuade leaders in Phnom Penh to sit together with Thailand for peace talks. The minister also met envoys from Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and Canada for the same purpose. Kasit said Thailand was not an aggressor and wanted to live peacefully with Cambodia. Hun Sen said Cambodia does not want conflict with its bigger neighbour Thailand and called for a ceasefire, saying: "Cambodia doesn't want the conflict to spread further. Cambodia is small, poor and has small armed forces, but don't forget that ants can hurt an elephant." Peace effort fails An attempt to open peace talks between senior officials of the two neighbours failed yesterday as Defence Minister Prawit Wongsu-wan changed his mind at the last minute about meeting his Cambo-dian counterpart Tea Banh. He was reported to be disappointed over reports in the Cambodian media about the conflict, according to a military source. He was told that the Cambodians claimed he was seeking peace talks because the Thai military had admitted it was defeated and had lost the battle, the source said. Prawit flew to China yesterday as originally scheduled and will seek a meeting with Tea Banh after the trip later this week, according to his secretary Noppadon Intapanya. Fighting between Thai and Cambodian troops at Ta Muen and Ta Kwai temples continued for the sixth day yesterday with exchange of small arms fire in the border area. The fighting erupted last Friday after Cambodian troops attempted to take a position in the Phnom Dangrek mountain near the Hindu temple. The fighting has left six dead, including a civilian on the Thai side, and injured more than 50 so far.  | ||||
| Thai Hospital Staff Flee Border Fighting on Cambodian Border Posted: 27 Apr 2011 05:25 PM PDT Thai hospital staff run to escape shelling as fighting on the Thai-Cambodia border enters its sixth day. Shaken and emotional, at least 30 medical staff and 20 patients were forced to flee to a nearby bunker. Shelling occurred at least 100 meters from the hospital. One Thai villager was killed in the latest clashes bringing the number of dead to at least 14. Over 50,000 people have been moved to evacuation centers. These Thai army tanks traveled near the border in the Surin province following the recent heavy artillery fire. Talks between Thai and Cambodian defense ministers to end the border dispute were abruptly cancelled. Many experts say the fighting over territory and sovereignty is fueled by political interests. Sovereignty over the ancient stone-walled Hindu temples and the land surrounding them has been in dispute since the 1950s when France withdrew from Cambodia.  | ||||
| Posted: 27 Apr 2011 05:23 PM PDT Comment from an Anonymous Reader:
The question is: what is the alternative? Would you accept the alternative shown below?   | ||||
| Posted: 27 Apr 2011 05:16 PM PDT
Abhisit says fighting must stop before talks 28/04/2011 Bangkok Post Reporters and AGENCIES
Cambodia must stop firing before negotiations can be held to solve the border dispute, says Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. A war of words between the two country's leaders broke out yesterday, dimming hopes for ceasefire talks. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen accused the Abhisit government of being war-happy, in a manner he had not seen under previous Thai governments. ''Cambodia is appealing for a ceasefire,'' Mr Hun Sen said in a speech in the capital Phnom Penh, adding that he was ready to hold talks with his Thai counterpart. He said in his first remarks since border fighting began last Friday that he welcomed talks with Mr Abhisit at a meeting planned for Indonesia early next month. But Mr Abhisit struck back in his response. ''Cambodia said it was ready to talk, so why don't they stop shelling,'' he said. Each side accuses the other of firing first. Shelling continued for a sixth day yesterday. Cambodia opened fire into Surin for 15 minutes late last night, but Thai troops did not return fire. There was no immediate report of casualties. Mr Abhisit said Thailand was doing its best to resolve the situation but it could not end the dispute without Cambodia's cooperation. Mr Abhisit said the easiest way to enter negotiations was for Cambodia to hold fire, noting that a framework for talks was already in place. Mr Abhisit yesterday travelled by an army plane to Surin province to visit soldiers injured in the fighting at the provincial hospital, and to meet displaced civilians at an evacuation centre. Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon plans to meet his Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh after returning on Saturday from a visit to China, on condition that the border skirmishes have ceased, said Gen Noppadon Inthapanya, Gen Prawit's secretary. He said Gen Prawit was not scheduled to meet Gen Tea Banh yesterday because he was supposed to leave for China and had no plan to postpone it. Earlier, army spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Gen Prawit refused to talk to his counterpart in Phnom Penh as suggested by Cambodia because he was frustrated about Cambodian media reports which said Thailand had accepted defeat. Gen Noppadon said Gen Prawit's plan to talk to Cambodia did not suggest a defeat. Gen Prawit still wanted to resolve the dispute at the bilateral level. Gen Prawit declined to discuss the conflict, saying he would rather wait until he is back from China. Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya will meet Indonesia Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa today during an Asean culture meeting in Jakarta. They are likely to discuss the dispute issue as Indonesia is Asean chairman. Meanwhile, field reports yesterday said one villager was killed and two others wounded in a cross-border clash in Surin's Phanom Dong Rak and Kap Choeng districts on Tuesday night. The casualties were allegedly inflicted by Cambodian gunfire during the clash which started in the afternoon and continued until about 10.30pm. The Public Health Ministry said the fighting had so far resulted in 94 Thais being wounded and six killed - five Thai soldiers and one civilian. The ministry said the border violence has forced nine state hospitals in Buri Ram and Surin to suspend all but emergency services. Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department director-general Wibul Sanguanpong said 142 villages in Phanom Dong Rak, Kap Choeng and Prasart districts of Surin have been declared emergency disaster zones caused by outside forces. Altogether, 29,677 people living along the Thai side of the border with Cambodia have been relocated to 22 evacuation centres in four districts of Surin, Mr Wibul said. Cambodian media report eight soldiers killed. They include a colonel, a major, two captains and two sub-lieutenants, Thai intelligence said. Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha has ordered the army to set up a front operation centre along the border in either Surin or Si Sa Ket provinces, a military source said. The front operation centre will act as a coordinating centre between the army and soldiers in the border area. Meanwhile, Privy Council president Gen Prem Tinsulanonda yesterday urged Thais to give moral support to troops at the border. Asked if the miliary has done its best to solve border conflicts, Gen Prem said the military always does it best. ''I pray for them every day. Thai soldiers are strong and we should give them support,'' he said.  | ||||
| Cambodia: In Desperate Need of Leadership Changes Posted: 27 Apr 2011 05:01 PM PDT
Op-ed by Heng Heng Down the Ho Chi Minh Trail and Bangkok Highway. Is history repeating itself? The threat of Cambodia being sold out piece by piece and eventually in its entirety could not be more obvious as more land concessions so-called investment into the country by Vietnam. In the old days, a nation sent its troops to conquer, occupied and annex others. As for Cambodia, it has become rather simple and easy for Vietnam to just throwing cash, lots of cash given the size of its much better-run economy vis-a-vis Cambodia's - a nation survived mostly on international donations. While advanced nations built their economic policies around strong middle classes, Cambodia has built itself for the last few decades over a policy of self-destruction with 3 basic principles in place: 1. Keep majority Khmer in starvation mode so they can only think of their day-to-day bread and butter; 2. Making sure that Khmers continue to live in constant fear through intimidation tactics even if it meant killing shall that be necessary; 3. Keep Khmers in today's highly intoxicating world of materialism, sex, drug, alcohol and care free, out of thinking and out of politics. It has succeed in a Grandios scale so far, life is better than during the Khmer rouge, regardless one looks at it. The Khmer rouge always remind people of their fearful past to discourage change or reform even when they know that the institution of the country itself is highly corrupted, but as long as it doesn't affect one personally, who care? Cambodia never truly has a chance to appreciate real freedom, respect of human rights or how democracy works in advancing people's economic opportunities through good governances and peaceful transition of power. Cambodia has been ruled and reigned by very incapable individuals, at least during my life time. Real educated Khmers and real patriots have never been supported or given much opportunity to serve their nation and it has long been the curse of all. Corrupted ones will prosper, nation's sellers and/or killers will live longer than most and in a rather peculiar way - a comfortable one by far. Some of them have been implicated in the Khmer rouge's past while others have the privilege to now running the country as we speak and they are doing their best to destroy it all. But, majority Khmer people continue to accept that as a new reality in life as they see it is still by far better than the Khmer rouge some 30 odd years ago. It is true in some way, and so whatever argument one makes there is always seem to be a reasonable excuse to not advancing beyond that past trauma. As a result, Khmer will continue to accept some forms of political abuse, giving up freedom and liberties. Speaking of incompetent leader, our government has now lead Cambodia back into another kind of war - a war with Thailand given there was a crack in the which Cambodia has clumsily altered the original map of Cambodia in order to give away land along the Cambodia's eastern frontier to Vietnam. Yes, Thailand saw an opening knowing that Cambodia will not be able to go back to the International Court of Justice, because we would not know what kind of map we can present as our base of argument. Yes, folks we have in fact willingly chosen to altered our maps both with Thailand under Thaksin, Thailand's ex-PM, and then the Supplemental Treaty of 1985. As a result, we are now finding ourselves in a loose-loose position, and many lives have now been affected along the northern border, if things doesn't get under control fast, many Khmer lives will be loss and capable Cambodian soldiers will be killed while Vietnam are more than readied to send in once again their troops to finish off the only remaining Cambodian forces from behind. It is not the first time, Thailand and Vietnam has decided to divide Cambodia for their own benefit, and the country's strong man could certainly help facilitate that process again. Ask your government why they did not want to go back to the International Court of Justice? Why????????? Because they know it will affect the eastern border where Cambodia territorial integrity has been trumped upon by Hun Sen's government for the sole benefit of Vietnam. On economic front, I wonder given the size of international Aid into the Billion, year after year, the government of Cambodia still needs to drive people out of their homes to sell to foreign buyer such as Vietnam and others in order to pay bills. What will happen in the next few decades when there won't be much land left to sell and/or Aid money will no longer be generously available like today? Until Khmer people can accept and honour their real Khmer heros such as Sam Rainsy and others who risks their life for speaking out, acting or doing things in defending of Khmer nation and Khmer interests, I am sorry to say that their lives and their country will be facing plenty of hardships ahead. For a nation and a society to advance together, you need capable leader, well educated like Sam Rainsy - a man who has committed his entire life to defending Cambodia's interests while along the line putting his life at risk. His only crime in life is to serve his country with conviction to ensure Khmer survival in dangerous time against a well planned, well financed against Khmer nation and her people. He saw real threats from all counts from influx of powerful economic immigrant from the East with a population 10 times more than us; economic policies that keep Khmer in the mud, not better but getting poorer and poorer by the mass; large land concessions one after the other; deforestations, destruction of national parks so on and so forth. Isn't it time to have real Khmer, real educated ones running the country, instead of Vietnamese thugs? Unless Khmer people can see the light and begin to take proper action by first getting rid of Hun Sen, put an end to his most destructive policies against the Khmer nation, Cambodia and the Cambodian people will continue to suffer and suffer unimaginably so in generations to come. The long term consequences are extremely severe and difficult to reverse as each opportunity passing by. We need a new renaissance, new leadership, a truly pro-Khmer government. Who else could be better qualified than a well trained economist, well respected former finance minister of the country, Mr. Sam Rainsy? The country can no longer afford to be lead by the blind, uneducated, a 5-stars Vietnamese puppet who knows nothing but to serve Vietnam's interests, NOT KHMERS. THAT HAS BEEN THE FACTS OF ALL THOSE YEARS HUN SEN HAS BEEN IN POWER - IMPLEMENTING VIETNAM EXPANSIONISM POLICY AT THE EXPENSES OF CAMBODIA. ------------ Related article Another step to Uncle Ho's Indochinese Federation: Trade union cooperation: Vietnam, Cambodia promote trade union cooperation 26/04/2011 (VOV) - A delegation from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) led by its Chairman, Dang Ngoc Tung, is visiting Cambodia from April 25-29 at the invitation of the Cambodian Confederation of Trade Unions (CCTU). At the April 26 meeting, the two organisations informed each other of the socio-economic situation and trade union activities in their respective countries and discussed ways to promote future cooperation. CCTU President Som Aun highlighted the VGCL delegation's visit as a major contribution to supporting the CCTU and other trade unions. Since the 1980s, Vietnam has helped Cambodia train its first trade union staff and generations of Cambodian trade union leaders have had more academic and training opportunities in Vietnam. Tung praised the efforts of Cambodian trade unions to care for and protect the interests of labourers while affirming his organisation's support for all Cambodian trade union activities. Both sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a cooperation agreement under which, they agree to maintain biennial exchange visits by trade union delegations. They also agreed to create the best possible conditions for local trade unions, especially in the provinces that share the national borders to share information and support each other at international forums. The VGCL agreed to provide long-term training for Cambodian trade union staff under the framework of the inter-governmental agreement.  | ||||
| Calm Needed In Camboodian Border Row Posted: 27 Apr 2011 04:52 PM PDT Fighting has flared again along the border dividing Cambodia and Thailand, displacing thousands of residents and heightening tensions in an already tense region. 04-27-2011 Voice of America Editorials
Fighting has flared again along the border dividing Cambodia and Thailand, displacing thousands of residents and heightening tensions in an already tense region. The United States is deeply troubled by the ongoing clashes, and is closely monitoring the situation. We are in close communication with both nations, urging them to exercise maximum restraint and take all necessary steps to cease hostilities and avoid further conflict and needless tragedy. The latest fighting occurred around Ta Moan and Ta Krabey, religious sites that are hotly disputed by the two neighbors. A third temple complex in Preah Vihear has been the focus of armed tensions and military buildup since 2008, when the United Nations listed it as a World Heritage site under Cambodian administration. At least a dozen people have been killed and thousands of people uprooted on both sides of the border over several days of dueling artillery and small weapons fire. Larger issues surrounding the dispute date to the era of French colonization, so grievances have had many years to fester. Regional and international efforts to mediate the crisis have produced dialogue, but so far no resolution. As the standoff continues, so does the human tragedy. The U.S. takes no side in the dispute and supports any resolution process that is acceptable to both parties. We applaud the efforts of Indonesia, as chair of the Association of South East Asian Nations, to work with both countries. We urge the governments of Thailand and Cambodia to resolve their disputes peacefully to strengthen the stability of this vital region of the world.  | ||||
| Quote from not too "unknown" source Posted: 27 Apr 2011 04:47 PM PDT  "KI-Media is a small, poor blog and has very few members, but don't you forget that an ant can make an elephant not get any sleep" (sic!) - Source: (Not too) Unknown  | ||||
| Posted: 27 Apr 2011 03:14 PM PDT
Peace talks cancelled and prime ministers of both countries engage in war of words Wednesday 27 April 2011 William Lloyd George guardian.co.uk
Military reinforcements, including heavy artillery and trucks packed with soldiers, poured into the area along the Thai-Cambodia border as fighting between the two countries entered into its sixth day with neither side showing signs of backing down. Shelling and mortar fire between the two sides has led to tens of thousands of refugees evacuating to border camps with at least one civilian and 13 soldiers reported killed in the firefight. The conflict is the most serious fighting between the two nations in decades and stems from a demarcation carried out in the 1950s by an international court which left the 12th-century Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples and surrounding jungle areas in Cambodian territory. Early on Wednesday morning mortar fire could be heard near the temples after fighting broke out at 5.15am and lasted nearly an hour. The fighting destroyed seven homes and injured more than 40 civilians. "We are preparing for fighting in the early evening," Thai military spokesman Colonel Prawit Hookaew said from his busy makeshift headquarters. "This is the worst fighting we have had for a very long time." In Thailand, heavy artillery and trucks packed with well-equipped soldiers could be seen travelling along empty highways towards the frontline. On the Cambodian side, truck-mounted rocket launchers are reportedly being deployed to the border. In order to protect civilians from the mortar fire, more than 50,000 refugees on both sides of the border have been moved to camps away from the fighting. Cambodian military have reported villages being hit by mortar nearly 20km from the border. Previous hope for an end to the fighting was lost when planned peace talks between Cambodia and Thailand were cancelled on Wednesday. At a surprise visit to Koke Klang temporary refugee camp – home to more than 3,000 villagers who have escaped the fighting – Thailand's prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, blamed Cambodia for the postponed meeting. "We are ready to have talks with Cambodia, they said they wanted to, but then they continued to attack Thai troops so we had to cancel the meeting," he told refugees as they sat around on straw mats in the school-cum-camp. "Thailand will not invade Cambodia but if they attack us then we are prepared to fight back in order to save the country." Cambodia said on Tuesday it would refuse bilateral talks until the meeting of Asean countries in Jakarta in May and are seeking international mediation. Making some of his first comments on the conflict, Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen said in a speech to a women's group on Wednesday that Abhisit was to blame. "The current Thai leader likes war, provokes war," he said. "Cambodia is a small, poor country and has fewer forces, but don't you forget that an ant can make an elephant not get any sleep," he said. "Cambodian's weaponry is not just slingshots." Despite the official line of conflict over sovereignty, experts believe domestic politics in both countries are to blame for the conflict. The Thai army is said to be dragging on the conflict by rejecting Indonesian observers, in order to exert its power and retain relevance in Thai politics. In Cambodia, some believe Hun Sen is attempting to wield nationalist sentiment to gain support for his son. It is also believed that he could be attempting to discredit Abhisit and therefore boost support for opposition parties in the forthcoming elections.  | ||||
| Thailand and Cambodia: The Endgame? Posted: 27 Apr 2011 03:05 PM PDT
by Joshua Kurlantzick Council on Foreign Relations As the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia over the Preah Vihear temple spirals out of control, with fighting now spreading to new locations, outside observers have desperately been trying to cool tempers. Not only Indonesia but also other ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, have been putting pressure on the two sides to back off from the brink. China apparently has applied pressure as well. ASEAN as an organization fears that the continuing dispute will only make it look more feckless than it is often perceived to be – and so Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva apparently will discuss the conflict with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in May in Jakarta. Do not expect any miracles. Key constituencies in both nations are benefiting too much from the border dispute to allow it to die out completely now. As I mentioned yesterday, the Thai army clearly sees the dispute as a way to rally nationalist sentiment and also, most importantly, to entrench the armed forces at the center of national security and political life. In the run-up to what is expected to be a hotly contested national election, keeping in the center of politics will be crucial for the military, and so they are unlikely to abandon the dispute. Cambodia's key constituencies have just as much reason to prolong the dispute, even though citizens may suffer. (But then, having citizens suffer has never been a major problem for policymakers in Cambodia.) The dispute allows Hun Sen's oldest son, Hun Manet, to play a larger role in military policymaking, potentially positioning him one day to take over running the country from his father. And the dispute, by fanning nationalist flames in Cambodia as well, distracts from other pressing problems, such as the pending eviction of thousands of poor Cambodians from central Phnom Penh to make way for a development given to a close associate of the prime minister. With Cambodia's domestic troubles unlikely to disappear, the Preah Vihear dispute probably will not either.  | ||||
| ANALYSIS: Domestic issues drive Thai-Cambodian border clashes Posted: 27 Apr 2011 02:57 PM PDT Apr 27, 2011 By Mick Elmore and Robert Carmichael DPA Bangkok/Phnom Penh - In the absence of credible information on why Thai and Cambodian forces started fighting along a disputed stretch of the border last week, the rumour mills are working overtime, but the message seems aimed at domestic audiences. Since Friday, at least 14 people have been killed and more than 50 injured in on-and-off clashes near several disputed temples. One question is the timing. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva plans to dissolve parliament in early May and call an election, fuelling speculation that some political faction might try to gain from the conflict. Another is that the military wants to control the poll's outcome and the fighting is their way to be in charge. And those are just the least outlandish takes on the situation from Bangkok. Lawmaker and political observer Kraisak Chohoven said he believes motives other than election considerations had to be behind the conflict. But as so often in recent years, Thai domestic politics muddy any examination of the border strife. The close relationship between former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, for example, has been a thorn in the side of the current government in Bangkok. Thaksin was toppled in a 2006 coup and lives in exile to avoid a Thai jail sentence for corruption. Last year, he served as an advisor to Hun Sen's government, which ignored Thai extradition requests. Thaksin's supporters say Abhisit's government has no legitimacy because it was not elected, and hope to return to power. The People's Alliance for Democracy, a nationalist movement, has vowed to topple Abhisit for his poor handling of the border crisis. In December, seven nationalists were arrested for illegally crossing into Cambodia. The tussle about their release further soured bilateral relations. The Thai Foreign Ministry insists the current situation benefits no one in Thailand and accuses Cambodia of having kicked off the most recent spat. The main conflict surrounding Preah Vihear, an 11th-century Hindu temple, goes back decades. A spat in 1958 prompted the suspension of diplomatic ties, but can be traced back to 1904 when France demarcated the border and put Preah Vihear inside its colonial territory. Back then Thailand had more pressing concerns, such as not being colonized itself. But many Thais never accepted a 1962 ruling by the International Court of Justice that said the temple compound belonged to Cambodia. Bangkok says UNESCO escalated the conflict in 2008 by designating Preah Vihear a world heritage site, over its objections. In Cambodia, the opinion prevails that Thai domestic politics, currently 'very strained' with rumours of a coup seldom far from the surface, drive the conflict. 'Thailand's national elections are coming soon and the government would want to get the border issue in order before the election, because doing so would mean a likelier chance that the current government would win,' said Chhaya Hang, executive director of the Khmer Institute of Democracy, a non-governmental organization. He said Cambodia, a much weaker player than Thailand, is looking to boost its image in the region and trying to show it can stand up to its more powerful neighbour. On the domestic front, the ruling Cambodian People's Party regularly trumpets that it brought peace to the country after years of war. With local elections due next year and a general election scheduled for 2013, Chhaya Hang said the border conflict has provided the government with the chance to show the electorate that it can defend the country. But too strong a focus on the borders could backfire. Cambodia is currently demarcating its eastern border with Vietnam, and some farmers claimed to have lost their land in the process. The risk for the ruling party is that accentuating the border issue could rebound when it is time to vote in 2013. Indonesia, as the current chair of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), has failed to mediate between the neighbours. Chhaya Hang said it was difficult to say whether that lack of leverage would damage the body, but suggests ASEAN should at least be able to employ a 'red card' should a member stand in the way of a solution. 'And if cancelling membership isn't (in the charter), then something for the agenda of the next ASEAN meeting could be: How much should we ASEAN members put up with this?' With tensions high and rhetoric being ratcheted up over the past days, Chhaya Hang believes the situation remains dangerous. 'One can only hope it won't be more serious than at present because that will have a huge impact on people on both sides, and we don't want that,' he said.  | ||||
| Cambodia-Thailand border conflict "very worrying," EU's Ashton says Posted: 27 Apr 2011 02:51 PM PDT Apr 27, 2011 DPA Brussels - Border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand are 'very worrying,' a spokesman for European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said on Wednesday. 'The continued fighting on the border between Thailand and Cambodia, with attendant loss of life, displacement of civilians and damage to property, is very worrying,' Michael Mann said in a statement. He said Ashton was calling 'on both sides to agree quickly a permanent ceasefire as called for by the (United Nations) Security Council in February, and to resolve their differences peacefully.' Since Friday, at least 14 people have been killed and more than 50 injured in on-and-off clashes near several disputed temples along Cambodia's northwest border with Thailand.  | ||||
| Thailand Cancels Ceasefire Talks with Cambodia Posted: 27 Apr 2011 02:48 PM PDT Daniel Schearf, VOA Bangkok Wednesday, 27 April 2011
Thailand has canceled plans for ceasefire talks with Cambodia, scuttling hopes for an early end to the worst fighting along their disputed border in decades. Each side blames the other for the breakdown and clashes that have killed 14 people since Friday, including at least one civilian. The abrupt pull-out deflates hopes for a truce to end a deadly border fight. Thai Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan was to meet in Phnom Penh with his Cambodian counterpart, Tea Banh to discuss ending a week of clashes between their militaries. But, as shelling between the two sides continued in the early morning, Thai authorities canceled the negotiations. Thai media reports quote an army spokesman saying they called off the talks after Cambodian media claimed victory over a defeated Thailand. However, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Prawit had conflicting meetings in China and blamed Cambodia for not creating the right atmosphere for talks. He says Cambodia wants to talk but does not stop attacking, so it is difficult to negotiate. He says Thailand's defense minister had to go to China for scheduled meetings and is there now. He says Thailand wants to hold talks, but Cambodia must first stop its attacks. Abhisit's comments were made to reporters while traveling Wednesday in the border province, Surin, to visit the wounded. Thai authorities say the first Thai civilian was killed overnight in this latest round of clashes. Wednesday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen called again for peace talks. Cambodia says Thai troops are responsible for the ongoing hostilities, which have sent tens of thousands of villagers on both sides fleeing the border. Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong says the border is still tense because Thai troops keep attacking Cambodia. He says Thailand should honor an agreement to allow Indonesian observers to be sent to the border. "They refuse to accept the presence of Indonesian observers along the border. They always reject and then they start to fight us and they accuse us to fight them first," said Kuong. Indonesia brokered an agreement to send its observers to help restore peace, but the process has stalled because of objections from the Thai military. Cambodia wants international assistance to end the conflict while Thailand says it must be resolved bilaterally. The fighting began Friday when Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged fire near disputed temples along the border. Clashes also erupted Tuesday, near a 900-year-old Khmer Hindu temple called Preah Vihear in Cambodia and Phra Viharn in Thailand. The two countries fought there for four days in February, killing several people on both sides. It is not clear what started the skirmishes, but each side blames the other. The border between Cambodia and Thailand is poorly defined and both claim territory around the temples. Politicians on both sides have been accused of using the dispute to raise nationalist sentiment.  | ||||
| Opportunity, Possibility for Young Leaders Limited in Cambodia: Youth Leader Posted: 27 Apr 2011 02:27 PM PDT
Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer Phnom Penh Tuesday, 26 April 2011
It is not the case that young people in Cambodia do not want to participate in social activities, but the problem is that the possibility and opportunity for their participation is still not widespread, according to a young leadership champion. "Youth's access to information seems limited," said Chhem Pe, a 2009 champion of Youth Leadership Challenge, a local reality TV show. " Both scholarship and community activity-related information by non-governmental organizations, governmental organizations and the government itself appears inaccessible to most young people," he said on Hello VOA on Monday. Chhem Pe, however, also said the lack of information about the country's development has resulted from the ignorance of youths themselves too. "Some youths enjoy themselves too much" said Pe. " They are enjoying extreme materialism and love affaire at young age, so they are distracted from the country's development issues, the community situation and their own future goals also," said the 21-year-old student of sociology at Royal University of Phnom Penh. "They seem to be ignorant of important information for their self development although they have internet and facebook," he said. Hou Sidany, acting coordinator of Youth Council of Cambodia, which organizes the Youth Leadership Challenge show, said young people need more opportunities to participate in social activities in order to become real leaders of their country. "We need to implant them to value and get involved in community activities such as fund raising to help orphans, collecting books for community library or figuring out community problems and needs," she said on Hello VOA on Monday. So, more of such Youth Leadership programs should be paid attention to so as to engage more young people in community services so that they can develop both themselves and their community, she said. "In order for a country to be both economically and politically strong and powerful, youths' human resources are needed, so they need to be invested on," said a caller, Mr. Sen, from Siem Reap province.  | ||||
| Ohio University Prepares for Varied Khmer Forum Posted: 27 Apr 2011 02:19 PM PDT Im Sothearith, VOA Khmer Washington, DC Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Ohio University holds its 3rd annual Khmer Studies Forum later this week, offering a rare opportunity for scholars of Khmer issues to share their work. For two days starting from April 29, researchers, experts and enthusiasts will gather in Athens, Ohio, to share their thoughts and findings. Christine Su, organizer of the forum, said the event combines academic and intellectual pursuit with community and cultural interests. "The Khmer Studies Forum is very import because it allows the opportunity to study Cambodia specifically, to talk about Cambodian history, Cambodian culture, Cambodian contemporary issues, and also allows for our faculties and the community, who may not know very much about Cambodia, to learn from the students and from the presenters," she said. Su said the forum will cover a wide range of topics, including linguistics, ancient Khmer scripts, genocide survivors, film, media in Cambodia, border crossings, forced deportation, forced relocation, development and politics. Aside from academic papers, the forum will showcase the Cambodian martial art Lbokatao, along with food and classical dance. Don Jameson, who was a US diplomat in Cambodia between 1970 and 1974, will present his paper on "Cambodia's Bumpy Road to Development." He said this month's forum shows how much research is now coming out of Cambodia. "I went there in the early 1970s," he said. "There were about three or four books on Cambodia, and that's about all. Very little ever to understand the place and what's happening there. Now, papers and books are coming out all the time." Narin Jameson, the author of "Cooking the Cambodian Way," will demonstrate Khmer food at the forum. She told VOA Khmer by phone that food is a part of the national identity. "Food is part of culture," she said. "Therefore we should demonstrate Khmer food. The demonstration of Khmer food is very useful for promoting awareness about Khmers, because food is important for human life."  | ||||
| Thailand postpones peace talks with Cambodia Posted: 27 Apr 2011 02:14 PM PDT BANGKOK, April 27 RIA Novosti (Russia) Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Wednesday that planned peace talks between Thai and Cambodian defense ministers had been rescheduled. The talks to end a conflict over a long-standing border dispute were abruptly cancelled when Thai Defense Minister Gen. Prawit Wongsuwon left for China on Wednesday morning. "We are not pulling out of cease-fire talks with Cambodia," Vejjajiva said. "We will set a new date as soon as Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwon comes back from China." Before flying to Beijing, Gen. Prawit said his meeting in China was scheduled several months ago and could not be cancelled. But Thai media cited a military spokesman as saying that the decision was made in response to Cambodian claims that Thailand was admitting defeat by attending the talks. A century-old conflict between the two states over the ownership of several 11th century temples was reignited in 2010. The two neighbors fought a four-day war near one of the temples in February, and a ceasefire has been in place since March. The current clashes started last Friday when the sides exchanged artillery, rocket and rifle fire near the Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples, killing 14 people. Both sides blame each other for starting the conflict. Fighting also broke out on Tuesday at the Preah Vihear temple 150 km (93 miles) to the east of the temples. The border between Thailand and Cambodia has never been demarcated in detail. Thailand says it wants a bilateral solution to the conflict, while Cambodia seeks international mediation and independent monitors in the disputed area. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen accused Thailand on Wednesday of warmongering, but said that he welcomed talks with the Thai prime minister at a scheduled meeting in Indonesia early next month.  | ||||
| Posted: 27 Apr 2011 02:12 PM PDT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQtszd8rkOA April 28, 2011 AFP Foreign pressure mounted on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday and hundreds of members resigned from his party, as troops kept their grip on the flashpoint town of Daraa. Syria's opposition warned Assad that he would be toppled unless he ushered in democratic reforms, although the UN Security Council failed to agree on a condemnation of the violence. And in a fresh blow to the regime, 233 members of Syria's ruling Baath party announced their resignation in protest at the deadly crackdown on protesters, according to lists seen by AFP. "The security services have demolished the values with which grew up. We denounce and condemn everything that has taken place and announce with regret our resignation from the party," they said in a signed statement. Baath party signatories from the Banias region, which covers Daraa, condemned "the house raids and the indiscriminate use of live fire against people, homes, mosques and churches." On the international scene, influential US Senator John McCain said Assad has "lost his legitimacy" and called for UN sanctions to force him to halt attacks on his people. "I obviously think he has lost his legitimacy. He has ordered his army to fire on his own people, and yes I think he should leave," the senator told AFP in Paris. The Security Council, however, failed to agree on a statement condemning the killing of Syrian protesters, diplomats in New York said. After talks ended in deadlock, Western nations called for an immediate open meeting. Russia and China blocked the statement proposed by Britain, France, Germany and Portugal that would have condemned the violence and backed calls for an independent investigation. Germany's defence minister earlier demanded that the Council send a "strong signal" to show international alarm over the unrest in Syria. The European Union, meanwhile, is mulling sanctions and the UN human rights body has called for a special session in the wake of the Syrian regime's bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. Five EU countries are also summoning Syria's ambassadors over the violent crushing of dissent, France said, adding it was joined by Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain. According to human rights activists, the military assault on Daraa, 100 kilometres (62 miles) south of Damascus, has left more than 30 people dead since Monday, with at least 453 civilians killed across Syria since protests first erupted in mid-March. A military source, meanwhile, said soldiers on Wednesday confronted "terrorist armed groups" who had cut off roads and opened fire on passers-by in a Daraa drive-by shooting. "One member of the armed forces was martyred and five others were wounded," said the source, quoted by the official media, adding that several of the gunmen were also killed. He denied satellite television reports of a rift in army ranks. As the assault on Daraa, an agricultural town near the Jordanian border, entered its third day, the newly formed National Initiative for Change (NIC) warned Assad to institute real democratic reforms or risk "violence, chaos and civil war." "Either the ruling regime leads itself in a peaceful transition towards democracy ... or it will go through a process of popular protests that will evolve into a massive and grassroots revolution," an NIC statement said. "If the Syrian president does not wish to be recorded in history as a leader of this transition period, there is no alternative left for Syrians except to move forward along the same path as did the Tunisians, Egyptians and Libyans before them," added the NIC, an umbrella group of more than 150 opposition activists in Syria and abroad. Syrian protesters took to the streets in even greater numbers after Assad scrapped nearly five decades of draconian emergency rule and abolished the repressive state security court a week ago. Testing his promised reforms, they staged protests across Syria on Friday, demanding the end to the Baath's grip on political power, the release of political prisoners and the right to protest freely. However, the security forces cleared demonstrations with tear gas and live rounds, with scores reported killed and hundreds arrested. On Monday, between 3,000 and 5,000 troops backed by tanks and snipers swept into Daraa, the epicentre of the protests killing at least 25 people, according to rights activists. At least another six people died on Tuesday. The army said troops entered Daraa "in response to calls for help" from citizens to rid them of "extremist terrorist groups" behind a spate of killings and sabotage. Security forces also deployed in the northern Damascus suburb of Douma on Monday.  | ||||
| Posted: 27 Apr 2011 12:34 PM PDT April 28, 2011 By NERISA NERYKHIEW THE NATION The government has stepped up the call for Cambodia to stop firing into Thailand and is urging Asean leaders to convince Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to commence bilateral negotiations. The call was made at a House session yesterday that was held to discuss the conflicting signals coming from Cambodia, which is calling for a ceasefire and negotiations but shelling Thai territory over the past six days at the same time. "The government is doing everything in its power to restore peace as soon as possible at the Thai-Cambodian border," Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said. The neighbouring country initiated an armed attack on Thailand, which had not been anticipated or justified, Abhisit said, adding that the Army was duty-bound to repel the attack and had followed internationally accepted rules of engagement. He insisted that the skirmish was limited to military targets. The government has always been ready to settle the dispute via bilateral negotiations, he said, adding that suspiciously Cambodia had offered a ceasefire on Tuesday but it did not stop shelling. He said he intended to meet his Cambodian counterpart in Jakarta on the sidelines of the Asean Summit next month. Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, meanwhile, said that Thailand had no reason to provoke a battle because Thais have huge investment stakes in Cambodia. He said it was unfortunate that clashes had broken out because Cambodian soldiers were encroaching on Thai territory at the two ancient temple ruins of Ta Muen and Ta Kwai he said. Kasit suggested that Parliament and the Asean legislature send a letter calling on Hun Sen to settle the border dispute via negotiations. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Thailand had acted with restraint and ensured a measured response to the border skirmish. "Thailand, its government and citizens want peace and are striving for friendly relations with neighbouring countries. We are not a war-mongering nation," he said, calling for bilateral negotiations to settle the dispute. Suthep said Thailand had never provoked or initiated the border attacks, which began in Surin on Friday, but was obligated to defend its territory. He said he suspected that the dispute over Preah Vihear Temple might have triggered the military attacks, adding that the border skirmishes would not escalate into a full-scale war even though the Cambodian side appears unwilling to stop firing into Thai territory. "Though Thailand aims for peace, it has to safeguard its territory," he explained. Meanwhile, a number of government MPs took the floor yesterday to voice concerns about the border clashes. Bhum Jai Thai MP Sanong Thapaksornnarong from Buri Ram questioned the early election at a time when the country was on the brink of a war. He called on his fellow lawmakers to unite in defending the country, attacking certain opposition MPs who, he said, had adopted the Pheu Cambodia Party instead of their Pheu Thai Party. He also alleged that foreign troops were helping Cambodia attack Thailand. Puea Pandin MP Somkiat Soralamba said he suspected Cambodia was retaliating against the protests led by the People's Alliance for Democracy, during which the protest leaders had made insulting remarks against Hun Sen for months. He also voiced concern that the fighting would escalate due to the presence of F-16 fighter aircraft at the border areas. In a government rebuttal, Suthep said the F-16 jets were conducting a training flight and were not linked to the skirmishes.  | ||||
| No truce talks, stop shooting first, says PM Abhisit Posted: 27 Apr 2011 07:42 AM PDT BANGKOK, April 27 (MCOT online news) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Wednesday stood firm on his position that Cambodia must stop shooting at Thai troops first if it wants to return to dialogue and end the border conflict. The premier made the remarks to the lower house of Parliament as he clarified the border clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops which continued for six days, with scores of casualties on both sides. Mr Abhisit reasserted to the Thai lawmakers that the clashes occurred because Cambodian soldiers opened fire at Thai troops and the army is obligated to retaliate to protect the country's sovereignty in accordance with international practice. The premier said Thailand has no problem with the talks with its neighbour, but negotiations must be based on the sincerity of both parties. Since the clashes erupted last Friday, there have been no talks between the two sides, until yesterday, but Cambodia has contacted us and said it wanted talk to take place between the defence ministers of both countries, Mr Abhisit said. This is a good sign, but the fighting still continue, so we told them to stop the shooting first and repeated our stance to Phnom Penh that Thailand will never invade the neighbour but will not allow any invasion by other, according to Thai premier. Mr Abhisit added it's not easy to negotiate during this difficult time but his government is ready to take responsibility for its decision on the matter. While visiting the affected border province of Surin earlier in the day, Mr Abhisit said local residents will be allowed to return to their homes only when their safety is ensured and that all military personnel have the good spirit to work for the country. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday called for a truce between the troops of both countries, but Thai Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan put off the meeting with his Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh, saying he has a planned official visit to China during this period. Thai army spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd was quoted by Agence France Presse news agency that the meeting was called off following the report of Cambodian media saying that "Thailand had admitted defeat in the standoff". Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya on Wednesday invited US Ambassador to Thailand Kristie Anne Kenney for a briefing on the border clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops. Foreign ministry official Arjaree Sriratanaban disclosed after the discussion that Mr Kasit has reasserted Thailand's stance on the border clashes to the American diplomat saying that the kingdom had not begun the fight as there was no sufficient ground to do so. Ms Arjaree said the foreign minister also urged the United States to convince Cambodia to return to dialogue and that Thailand agreed with Washington's latest statement calling for restraint from both countries and for talks to end the conflict. The US envoy expressed her understanding of the incident and said she will inform the US Department of State accordingly, Ms Arjaree said, adding the Washington has also asked Thai diplomats there to clarify the latest border clashes. Ms Arjaree said the Thai foreign minister invited Indonesian ambassador to Bangkok to hear the facts on the border situation Wednesday evening, as well as New Zealand, Australian and Canadian diplomats.  | ||||
| Fighting intensifies on Thai Cambodian border Posted: 27 Apr 2011 07:36 AM PDT April 27, 2011 ABC Radio Australia The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia is getting worse. Fourteen people have died in six days of fighting and there's no end in sight to the conflict. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has called for a truce but has no plans to meet with his Thai counterpart until May. Both sides accuse the other of aggression in the long running dispute. Reporter: Karon Snowdon Speaker: Panitan Wattanayagorn, Thai government spokesman; Phay Siphan, Cambodian government spokesman SNOWDON: In the latest violence, one civilian and a total of 13 troops from both sides have been killed with 60 soldiers wounded. Thirty thousand villages have been evacuated, according to reports. Defence ministers were to meet on Wednesday but even that is disputed. Cambodia says the Thai Defence Minister asked for the meeting, Thailand's government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn says the meeting is desirable but not possible on the day. WATTANAYAGORN: We accepted the invitation in principle but our Defence Minister is scheduled to go to the People's Republic of China many weeks ago and he can't change his schedule and he's on his way now. We hope that in the near future we can reschedule this meeting with the Defence Minister of Cambodia. SNOWDON: How urgent is that meeting do you think? WATTANAYAGORN: The meeting is urgent of course. We would like to meet our Cambodian counterpart as soon as possible. SNOWDON: The two South East Asian neighbours have been in conflict over the precise position of their border for years. It usually implicates the ancient Prear Vihear temple complex which sits on the border and which the International Court of Justice recognised as within Cambodia in 1962. The latest artillery battles centred around two other temples to the west. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has called for an immediate truce and says he hopes to meet with his Thai counterpart at an ASEAN summit in Jakarta on May the 7th and 8th. Government spokesman Phay Siphan says Cambodia has been invaded. SIPHAN: We don't have any mechanism to talk because this is an invasion by Thai people I mean by Thai soldiers. If Thai soldiers want a ceasefire they shouldn't invade Cambodia. Because we are inside Cambodia, we have a right to self defence and to protect of our territory. SNOWDON: This has been going on for about six days now. What started this latest outbreak of hostilities? SIPHAN: Well I mean the frontline is still tense, we are just protecting ourselves. SNOWDON: Prime Minister Hun Sen is hoping to meet with the Thai Prime Minister at the ASEAN meeting in Jakarta in May, is that confirmed? Has the Thai side agreed to a meeting, then? SIPHAN: I have no idea. But we wish to have peace and a ceasefire permanently down there. And we believe the issue of boundary should be left to a joint border committee to solve that problem, not use military language to solve that problem. WATTANAYAGORN: We wouldn't have any trouble if Cambodia stops firing at us first . We only defend ourselves, we didn't initiate the firing in the first place. We have more than 50 civilians injured and we have more than four or five officers killed in the process. This is why it is important for Cambodia to come back to the bilateral process as we suggest. SNOWDON: A plan to have Indonesian monitors on the border fell through when the Thai military objected. Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn says several high level committees are already in place for talks. WATTANAYAGORN: We call upon Cambodia to come back to the negotiating table bilaterally using our mechanisms. We also want the Indonesian ASEAN Chair to facilitate this meeting as agreed upon previously. And of course our policy is very clear we do not have any aggression policy toward Cambodia at all. We are only defending ourselves and only protecting our sovereignty and our territory, and of course protecting our civilian lives. SNOWDON: Thailand says the proposed leaders meeting requested by Hun Sen at the ASEAN summit in May, will take place if conditions allow.  | ||||
| Thai Defence Minister ready for truce talks: local reports Posted: 27 Apr 2011 07:31 AM PDT BANGKOK, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon would be open to having talks on ceasefire with his Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh after he returns from a visit to China, Bangkok Post online quoted his secretary as saying on Wednesday. Gen. Noppadol Inthapanya said Gen. Prawit left for China on Wednesday morning for a visit at the invitation of the Chinese defence minister issued during his visit to Thailand several months ago. The China trip had long been planned and could not be postponed, he said. "In fact, Gen. Prawit did not have an appointment to meet Gen Tea Banh on Wednesday, May 27, when he was scheduled to leave for China. However, Gen. Prawit said that on his return from China on Saturday he would seek a meeting with Gen Tea Banh provided that the situation has returned to normal," Gen. Noppadol said. Gen. Prawit earlier planned to hold talks with his Cambodian counterpart on Wednesday but it was later postponed. The army spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd, however, said that the reason behind the postponement was due to some Cambodia media reports saying Thailand admitted defeat as the country agreed on truce talks. Moreover, the defence minister would wait for a few days to see Phnom Penh's sincerity before he would re-schedule the meeting. Gen Noppadol said that by holding talks with Gen. Tea Banh did not mean Thailand admitted defeat but the defence minister was firm about solving the problem through bilateral mechanisms. Ceasefire talks was raised Tuesday evening after the border fighting between the two countries had continued for five straight days since April 22, leaving at least a dozen of soldiers and civilians on both sides dead. Some 27,000 Thais living along the border near clash zone were evacuated to makeshift camps while about 23,000 Cambodian were forced to flee their houses.  | ||||
| Cambodia PM welcomes talks after Thai border clashes [-Hun Xen's big talk but reconciliatory action] Posted: 27 Apr 2011 07:25 AM PDT By Prak Chan Thul PHNOM PENH, April 27 (Reuters) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen offered on Wednesday to meet one-on-one with his Thai counterpart after six days of sporadic fighting that has killed at least 14 people, raising hopes of a ceasefire in Southeast Asia's bloodiest border dispute in years. Both sides remained on high alert near two disputed 12th-century Hindu temples following a night of shelling that killed a Thai villager and exchanges of heavy artillery that began before dawn and lasted several hours. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, in his first public comments on the conflict, called Thailand's premier a "thief" whose government committed "terrorism", but said he was willing to discuss clashes at the two temples in one-on-one talks. "Cambodia wants to solve the issue peacefully with talks," Hun Sen, a fiery orator and former soldier, said in a speech, adding he would raise the issue with Abhisit and other Southeast Asian leaders during a summit in Indonesia on May 7-8. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he would welcome talks if Cambodia "ends the use of violence". "If they want talks, the easiest thing to do would be to stop the attacks and return to talks within the framework that already exists," Abhisit told parliament. The fighting has killed eight Cambodian and five Thai soldiers, and one Thai civilian. More than 60,000 people have taken refuge in emergency evacuation centres. A meeting between Thai and Cambodian defence ministers expected on Wednesday was abruptly cancelled after Cambodian media reports suggested Thailand had admitted defeat, said Thai Army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd. NATIONALISM, POLITICS Sovereignty over the ancient, stone-walled Hindu temples -- Preah Vihear, Ta Moan and Ta Krabey -- and the jungle of the Dangrek Mountains surrounding them has been in dispute since the withdrawal of the French from Cambodia in the 1950s. But many experts say the fighting is fuelled more by political interests than territorial claims, as each government seeks to discredit the other by appealing to nationalists at home, especially ahead of a Thai election due by July. A change in government could be in Cambodia's interests. Analysts said the Thai military could also be flexing its muscles to preserve its sizeable stake in Thailand's political apparatus and to satisfy conservative elites at odds with the country's powerful opposition forces. Thailand says it wants a bilateral solution, while Cambodia has sought international mediation and the deployment of independent monitors in the disputed area as agreed by Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers in Jakarta in February. Those differences are posing a major test for ASEAN, a 10-member bloc with ambitions to become a regional community by 2015 and a viable counterweight to China's growing clout. It is also a potential embarrassment for Indonesia, whose foreign minister, Marty Natalegawa, had brokered the U.N.-backed ceasefire pact in February that would have placed unarmed Indonesian military observers along the disputed border. The Thai army objected and the deal never went through. Thailand's foreign minister is due to meet with Natalegawa on Thursday in Jakarta. (Additional reporting by Ambika Ahuja in Bangkok and Sukree Sukplang in Surin. Writing by Jason Szep; Editing by Alex Richardson)  | ||||
| Posted: 27 Apr 2011 07:19 AM PDT   27 April 2011  THE HUN SEN GOVERNMENT MUST STEP DOWN IN ORDER FOR CAMBODIA TO AVOID WAR AND TERRITORY LOSSES ON ITS WESTERN AND EASTERN BORDERS Cambodia is facing the danger of war because of the aggression from Thailand associated with the incapability of the Hun Sen government to peacefully resolve a border conflict. For Cambodia, the only appropriate and effective means of containing a foreign aggression is to call for the implementation of the 1991 Paris Agreements on Cambodia. These Agreements guarantee Cambodia's territorial integrity and oblige their signatories, i.e. practically the whole international community, to help defend Cambodia when there is an aggression from a neighboring country as is the case now. But why does the Hun Sen government refuse to call for the implementation of the Paris Agreements as required by the situation and suggested by the Sam Rainsy Party? The cause for this serious shortcoming/mistake is related to the fact that the Hun Sen government only defends our western border by confronting Thailand but it is not willing to defend our eastern border because it doesn't want or doesn't dare to confront Vietnam. On the contrary, the Hun Sen government has continuously allowed Vietnam to move the borderline inside Cambodia causing our country to lose an increasing portion of its territory. Because an effective implementation of the Paris Agreements would oblige both Thailand and Vietnam to put an end to their aggression on Cambodia, the Hun Sen government doesn't dare to invoke the Paris Agreements given the opposition from Vietnam. Even though Vietnam has recently annexed large chunks of Cambodian territories, the Hun Sen government doesn't dare to make any protest but always continues to try to please Vietnam. The fact that the Hun Sen government is subservient to Vietnam is the major obstacle for the implementation of the Paris Agreements, which is the reason why Cambodia has been losing territories on both its western and eastern borders while facing the danger of a war with Thailand at the same time. Nowadays, war is out of date as a means to resolve a border conflict. To legitimately defend its territory Cambodia should only use peaceful means by going through legal, political and diplomatic channels. Recently, Cambodia has achieved a big victory when Vietnamese authorities withdrew from Cambodian territory in the vicinity of border posts # 184, 185 and 186 in Svay Rieng province's Chantrea district. This unprecedented event of a Vietnamese withdrawal from Cambodia took place a few days after I had pulled out the illegally planted border post # 185 in October 2009. Subsequently, the Vietnamese authorities came to pull out themselves the nearby and also illegally planted border posts # 184 and 186 and took them back to Vietnam. Their reaction was apparently due to their embarrassment after I had exposed their attempt to unfairly move the borderline to the detriment of Cambodia. This Cambodian victory in the defense of our territorial integrity was achieved without a drop of blood being shed and without a penny of our national budget being spent. The Khmer people must push the Hun Sen government to resort to similar non-violent and non-costly means to defend Cambodia's territory both on our western and eastern borders. Such means can be broadly and effectively deployed only with the implementation of the Paris Agreements. But if the Hun Sen government cannot follow that reasonable path, it must step down so that Cambodia may avoid war and territory losses with both Thailand and Vietnam. Besides, we must not allow the Hun Sen government to use the conflict with Thailand in the west as a political ploy to divert the attention and the anger of the Khmer people from the aggression by Vietnam in the east. Similarly, we are aware that the Hun Sen government is also trying to use the conflict with Thailand to divert the attention and the anger of the Khmer people from its systemic corruption when it associates itself with dubious foreign companies to grab lands from the Khmer people and to plunder our national riches. Sam Rainsy Elected Member of Parliament  | ||||
| SRP to demonstrate on 30 April 2011 to support Boeung Kak Lake residents Posted: 27 Apr 2011 07:11 AM PDT   | ||||
| Thai-Cambodia border clash kills 14 Posted: 27 Apr 2011 06:31 AM PDT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yl12pWHQM8&feature=player_embedded  | ||||
| Victim Support Group Apologizes Over Cambodian Woman's Killing [in South Korea] Posted: 27 Apr 2011 01:07 AM PDT
The Chosunilbo (South Korea) The head of the Korea Crime Victims' Association on Tuesday apologized to the Cambodian Ambassador to Seoul Chan Ky Sim on Tuesday morning for the brutal killing of a Cambodian woman by her Korean husband. Lee Yong-woo visited the Cambodian Embassy to deliver W20 million (US$1=W1,086) in compensation available for victims of violent crime. The money will be given to the family of the woman, whose Korean husband drugged her and set her on fire to collect the life insurance money. "Do you know how popular Korean singers, fashion and cosmetic goods are in Cambodia?" the ambassador was quoted as saying. "When this tragic incident happened, people in Cambodia were very shocked. We need support for these migrant women as there are over 6,000 Cambodian women who came to Korea to marry Korean men." The KCVA, which supports the victims of criminal cases, also visited to the Vietnamese Embassy in July last year to deliver W30 million to help the family of a Vietnamese woman who was killed by her mentally ill Korean husband in Busan. Migrant women are often marginalized and vulnerable to crimes. In order to obtain Korean citizenship, they need to reside in Korea for at least two years. Support can be provided to foreigners if their countries have agreements with Korea on mutual support of crime victims, but that is not the case for Cambodia or Vietnam, which are the home of many mail-order brides who marry Korean men.  |
| You are subscribed to email updates from KI Media To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
