Thai and Cambodian military forces continue to exchange fire in their border area as both countries lay claim to the Preah Vihear Temple and its surrounding area although they have committed to a cease-fire a number of times. Indonesian and Cambodian journalists, including The Jakarta Post’s Mustaqim Adamrah, had a chance to interview Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya during his visit to Jakarta last week. Below are excerpts of the interview.
Question: Thailand and Cambodia have repeatedly pledged to maintain a cease-fire in February and last Thursday. So why did clashes occur again two weeks ago, with the latest last Friday?
Answer: To reaffirm for the record, we never started the clashes. We have no reason to be unfriendly to Cambodia.
First, we are major exporters to Cambodia. Our exports to Cambodia make up 90 percent of bilateral trade [between Thailand and Cambodia]. So, it’s on our interest to keep trading with and exporting to Cambodia.
Second, we are becoming major investors in [Cambodia] in many fields: electricity generation, [manufacturing] industry, tourism, healthcare and construction.
Third, we welcome 150,000 Cambodian workers to Thailand under a bilateral memorandum of understanding.
Fourth, we are becoming a major donor to Cambodian development, education, social, health and infrastructure development.
Fifth, there’s a growth in Thai tourism to Cambodia and at the same time, we are a transit point as international airlines come to Thailand and visitors take regional airlines to Cambodia. So Thailand is an entry point for Cambodian tourism.
Sixth, we started and initiated the ASEAN master plan of connectivity: physical infrastructure, roads, railways, ICT [information and communication technology], electricity and other things, inclusive of the Mekong River development, as well as people-to-people contact.
We and Cambodia are two kingdoms, one destination. Two months ago, we had an agreement with Cambodia for Cambodians to enter Thailand without the need for visas.
The Thai side of the border is heavily populated. Why should we fight when the munitions fall on Thai villages? The Cambodian side is sparsely populated.
It would be silly for us to keep shooting when we know very well that artillery from Cambodia will fall on villages, temples and schools as has been shown on television.
Last time we had to evacuate about 20,000 people. We had to build houses, repair temples and schools, and we had to build more bunkers.
The physical side [construction] is not as important as the morale of the people. Between 30,000 and 40,000 people have been displaced. Instead of spending time looking after their animals, growing rice and tapioca, they have to sleep on temple floors. The damage is not only on the dollar. It’s frightening to hear the gunfire.
What triggered the additional clashes at two separate temples — 150 kilometers away from Preah Vihear — where February’s skirmishes occurred?
From our point of view, the position of the two military units is about 50 meters apart.
Ten days ago, we found out that the Cambodians had moved closer to the Thai side and started to dig bunkers. So we told the Cambodian soldiers to move back and that’s when they started to shoot.
How has Indonesia played out its role as chair of ASEAN? Is it failing to do its job, especially in light of the latest clashes?
We highly appreciate the role of Indonesia — the seriousness, the sense of purpose and the goodwill. So we do whatever we can [to cooperate].
I don’t think [Indonesia is failing] because its responsibility is more or less behind the scenes. No one expected that fighting would break out 150 kilometers away [from the original flash point].
The conflict between the two countries is a waste of time. It’s a waste of resources for the Indonesian government, for Cambodia and for Thailand.
We have to respect and honor the role and involvement of Indonesia. Thailand is not in a position to embarrass the Indonesian government.
It’s sad for ASEAN that the two countries keep on fighting. I’m ashamed. It’s an embarrassment to ASEAN that this conflict has dragged us to the UN.
Read more!
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Thai-Cambodian border clash an ‘embarrassment for ASEAN’
Thai, Cambodian troops clash again at border
BANGKOK -- A Cambodian soldier was killed in fighting with Thailand on Sunday, bringing the total number of dead to 17 as the Southeast Asian nations' festering border conflict dragged on.
The two sides exchanged automatic weapons fire overnight and before dawn Sunday around the Ta Krabey and Ta Moan temples, which are in a disputed zone between the two nations, authorities on both sides said.
One Cambodian soldier was killed by shrapnel from an artillery round, Cambodian Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen Chhum Socheat said.
In the 10 days since fighting began April 22, 16 soldiers and one civilian have died. Some 18 Cambodian and 50 Thai soldiers have also been wounded, military officials said.
Thailand and Cambodia fought six times since 2008 over land disputed for more than half a century, but analysts say domestic politics on both sides is driving the current conflict, which has forced nearly 100,000 villagers on both sides of the border to flee their homes for refugee camps.
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Cambodia's army condemns Thailand for 10 straight days of arms attacks
PHNOM PENH, (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Ministry of Defense on Sunday afternoon issued a statement condemning Thai troops for their ten straight days of armed attacks into Cambodian territory at the 13th century Ta Mon temple and Ta Krabei temple in Oddar Meanchey province.
"The repeated invasions of Thai troops into Cambodia have caused gradual damage to Cambodia, it is an unacceptable act," said the statement. "The Royal Cambodian armed forces (RCAF) strongly condemn this latest series of the attacks on Cambodia."
"We'd like to appeal to Thai troops to keep their repeated promises of ceasefire in order to avoid further costing human lives--either soldiers or civilians."
The statement was issued after the latest round of sporadic clashes between the two countries' troops overnight Saturday- Sunday over the border disputed areas at Ta Mon temple and Ta Krabei temple, marking the ten straight days of the skirmishes.
The fighting had killed at least eight Cambodian soldiers, seven Thai soldiers and one Thai civilian, and forced some 100,000 villagers of both sides to flee homes for safe shelters.
However, Lt. Gen. Chhum Socheat, spokesman of Cambodia's Ministry of National Defense said on Sunday that following renewal of acts of aggression on the part of the Thai military on Saturday night through Sunday morning, one Cambodian soldier was killed and another was wounded.
"Again and again, the acts of aggression on the part of the Thai military continue to cause damage for Cambodia despite the agreement reached between Cambodian-Thai military commanders at military Region levels and frontline commanders at Division levels, " Chhum Socheat said.
"This is the tenth times that the Thai military violated the ceasefire agreement and promised, and spin doctored the situation and alleged against Cambodia while we are stationing on our sovereign territory," he added.
The two countries' border has never been completely demarcated. The conflict has occurred just a week after Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was enlisted as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.
The International Court of Justice awarded in 1962 that the 11th century Preah Vihear Temple belonged to Cambodia, but both countries claim ownership of a 4.6-square-kilometre (1.8-square- mile) surrounding area.
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Laos, Viet Nam, Cambodia build road links
VIENTIANE, Apr 30, 2011 (Vientiane Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The triangle of land where the Lao, Vietnamese and Cambodian borders meet is experiencing rapid development as the three countries work to improve transport links.
The Lao part of the development triangle is located in Attapeu province in southern Laos, Director of the Attapeu provincial Public Works and Transport Department Mr Phetmixay Khampakmy said on Wednesday.
"The development triangle is receiving funding assistance from the Japanese government," he pointed out.
In Laos, construction has started on a road in Samakkhixay district of the province which will eventually link to Vietnam and Cambodia through Phouvong district.
The province is spending US$5.6 million to build a bridge across the Xekhaman River, as well as three kilometres of asphalt road on both sides of the bridge, with funding provided by Japan, Mr Phetmixay told Vientiane Times .
The new bridge and road on either side will be finished within 24 months from the start of construction.
The distance from the Xekhaman bridge to the border with Cambodia is about 90km.
"We can't say when the asphalt road reaching Cambodia will be finished, but we have acquired funding from Japan to continue building a further 19km of road," he added.
Laying asphalt on roads is quite expensive, with 1 km costing around US$800,000, he said.
Attapeu province borders Vietnam and Cambodia and has five districts -- Xaysettha, Samakkhixay, Sanamxay, Sanxay, and Phouvong.
Sanxay and Phouvong districts are considered to be amongst the poorest in the country, with a lack of basic infrastructure, especially roads and electricity.
An asphalt road connecting Attapeu to Vietnam was built a few years ago, but there is no road access to Cambodia. Only Champassak province currently has a road link to Cambodia.
As part of development plans to take the province out of poverty by 2020, work on a road link between Attapeu and Cambodia has started.
A planned motorway between Attapeu and Vietnam, passing through Phouvong district, is currently under construction, with surveying and design for some sections also ongoing.
Road access from the provincial capital to the border area of Phouvong district is restricted during the wet season, as vehicles often can't cross rivers because ferry services are frequently halted due to strong currents.
Once complete, the road will help reduce poverty because people will have better access to markets in both Laos and Cambodia where they can sell their agricultural produce and handicrafts.
Read more!
Filipino teachers shine in Cambodia
By Leti Boniol in Phnom Penh/Philippine Daily Inquirer
Phnom Penh (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - Their primary goal when they left the country for Cambodia may have been to earn more money. But in the end, Filipino teachers end up giving their best to that country.
Take the case of Jayson Umaquing, who left the Philippines six years ago for a teaching job that was to give him higher pay in US dollars, part of which he could send back home to his parents and two sisters. He also wanted to embark on an adventure and a life of independence from his family.
His mother would not let him leave at first, fearing for his safety, but he grabbed the opportunity after being accepted for a teaching job in a private school in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh.
It was for him a a completely new world where he met people from different parts of the globe. He was able to visit the famous heritage destination Angkor Wat in Siem Reap and other places of nature. The exchange rate at the time was at least P47 to a dollar and that went a long way in sending his sister and some relatives to school.
He went through the stage of being lonely, doing all the work at home and in school, and facing a language barrier in a country where only a few speak English. But after learning the Khmer language, he was able to mingle with the local population and found that "they are a friendly and enthusiastic" people. He said he has adapted to the Khmer culture, which he described as "very rich and interesting."
In his six years of teaching Math and English to Grades 9 and 10 pupils of the Pannasastra International School, and Business and English subjects to college students of the Pannasastra University and the Western University of Cambodia, he observed that students "easily give up and get stressed."
But Filipino teachers are "patient and hardworking," he observed.
New heaven
Another teacher, Joyce Ira Yarza, 28, first taught in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam in 2005, but transferred to an advertising firm in Phnom Penh in 2007 on the invitation of a friend. She enjoyed the teaching job for two years, but felt she needed change. She went back to teaching and "found a new heaven" in the Cambodia International Academy in Phnom Penh.
Joyce brought her children to Cambodia so she wouldn't miss them. Together with her husband and children, she said she has "found a new home that will satisfy our needs."
She has not had any problem with the locals, as she has adapted to their nature and culture. She teaches algebra, science and English for middle level students. The pay and work conditions are "not as much as I get in Vietnam" but the "best thing" she likes in the city is the "simple way of life."
She works Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and spends her weekends with the family. "I am not stressed here," she added.
Most teachers in Cambodia accept tutorial services in the evenings, Joyce said, something she cannot do because she has her hands full with her own family.
Working in a multicultural community makes teaching so much fun, she added. "Every day, you learn many things from your colleagues and students. If there is one thing I consider a challenge, it's how to improve myself and my teaching to give the best for my students," Joyce said.
Another teacher, Jennifer, (not her real name), who requested anonymity, said she went to Cambodia to apply for the job that she is currently holding. For three years, she has been teaching all subjects at the primary level of a Christian school.
Exposure and involvement in a multicultural community are some of the benefits of teaching in Cambodia, Jennifer said. "Each year, I have at least five nationalities in a class. I not only teach but also get to learn and appreciate my kids' culture. I get more interested about foreign news and information, particularly about my students' countries," she explained.
There were 257 Filipino teachers in Cambodia as of Dec. 31, 2010, the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh said.
"Most of them work for private schools and universities at levels ranging from pre-school to post-graduate studies," according to Ambassador Noe A. Wong in his reply to an e-mailed questionnaire from the Inquirer.
Some Filipino teachers also occupy academic supervisory posts like principal or dean, he said. Their salaries vary depending on the school and teaching level, the embassy said.
Memorable
Jayson said he has had memorable experiences, one of which was when he had a Christmas lunch with his students and they gave him a gift and numerous Christmas cards with heartfelt messages. He was so happy to know his students appreciated his work, he said.
But as Cambodia develops, things will not always be the same for migrant professionals in that country. Jayson realizes that for the past few years, companies and organizations in Cambodia have started to localize their work force because of the lower cost of hiring personnel.
"The wages we get here are not as big as those being given in First World countries," he said in an emailed reply to an interview. "Although sometimes, we don't get benefits," he added without elaborating.
Thus, he plans to go back home this year to explore other employment opportunities in other countries, or to finish his Master's degree.
For Joyce, she will never forget being described by her students as the "Best Science Teacher" they ever had.
She and her husband have not made plans to move to another country in the next years. But Joyce said she would come back to the Philippines only when she retires.
She said her school was being accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges so she expected the students would get quality education. "If every school here is accredited by international school-governing bodies and quality education is assured, I believe that intellectually-inclined students will be the product of our hard work," she said.
Joyce believes Cambodia still welcomes more individuals who can contribute to the welfare of their people.
Jennifer added that even though Filipino teachers' main purpose in working in Cambodia is a better financial position, they "give their best" in their work.
I think it's in our culture to be patient and resilient. Moreover, Cambodians treat Filipinos with respect," she said.
She has seen some improvement with the educational system in that country, with the influx of outside help and foreigners who volunteer to help improve education in Cambodia.
She said she and her husband are open to explore work opportunities in other countries but not in the next two to three years.
Read more!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thai, Cambodian troops break cease-fire
From Kocha Olarn, CNNApril 30, 2011 5:34 a.m. EDT
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| Cambodian soldier on guard near Cambodia-Thailand border on April 28 2011 |
The brief rounds of fighting near the Ta Kwai temple involved small arms weapons, said Col. Prawit Hukaew, a regional Thai army spokesman. It started late Friday into early Saturday.
Fighting may be a result of Cambodian soldiers not being aware of the cease-fire set Thursday, the spokesman said.
It should cease once Cambodian soldiers in the conflict area learn about the truce, he said.
Cambodia's government spokesman could not be reached for comment.
Fighting along the turbulent border has raged since April 22 as the two sides accuse each other of trying to seize ancient temples. Thailand calls the temples Ta Kwai and Ta Muen, while Cambodia calls them Ta Krabey and Ta Moan.
Much of the border between the two countries remains in dispute.
At least six Thai soldiers and one civilian have been killed in the clashes, authorities said. Cambodia has said three of its troops have been killed in the fighting.
Read more!
Guest Commentary: Empowering women key to healing Cambodia
By Micah Greenstein, Special to The Commercial Appeal
Rabbi Micah Greenstein shares a meal with students of the Harpswell Foundation's leadership center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Since I returned from Phnom Penh in January, I've been asked, "What's a nice Jewish guy like you doing helping Buddhist and Muslim girls in Cambodia?" My usual response: "Because this is what Jews are called to do."
Each of the world's great religions suggests a fundamental problem with the world and a solution to that problem. For Judaism, the predicament facing the world is brokenness -- the absence of shalom. Judaism's solution? Being God's partner by healing this broken world whenever and wherever possible.
It's called tikun olam, literally "the repair of the world." A lofty goal certainly, but one which requires recognizing the pain of humanity and bringing hope wherever one can. Even as an American Jew in Cambodia.
In January, I had the privilege of spending three days with students at the Harpswell Foundation's leadership center for university women in Cambodia's capital city.
My time there culminated with an Interfaith Symposium on Spirituality attended by members of the Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist communities in Cambodia, with guests from Bangkok to Boston. It was the first time Buddhist, Muslim and Jewish or Christian leaders had ever convened in Cambodia, and it was a sublime and unforgettable experience.
The Harpswell Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded by former Memphian Alan Lightman, the MIT professor and best-selling author. "When I was in Cambodia," Alan told me 12 years ago, "I met with the children of the survivors, and there is a unique determination and spirit to go on despite the odds."
As I heard Alan speak about the resilience, talents and desire of these children of Cambodia to survive, I couldn't help but think of the eerie parallel to the Jewish experience. Cambodia and Israel form the bookends of Asia, but the stories of the Cambodian people and Jewish people in the 20th Century are more than a matter of geography.
From 1975 to 1979, more than one in four Cambodians -- about 2 million people -- were exterminated by the Khmer Rouge. This genocide occurred only decades after the murder of 6 million Jews by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. In 1945, the Jewish people shouted, "Never Again!" Thirty years later, the world let it happen again.
Cambodian men, women and children were tortured, forced to dig their own mass graves, then beaten to death with iron bars and hoes. Some were buried alive. The instigator of this genocide, Pol Pot, said to those he murdered, "To keep you is no benefit, to destroy you is no loss." Every Cambodian lost relatives and friends. Many lost their entire family. But what sadly distinguishes the Cambodia genocide is that educated people were singled out for extermination.
The mission of Lightman's Harpswell Foundation is to empower a new generation of women leaders in Cambodia and the developing world, specifically through housing, education and leadership training.
In January, I lectured and learned at the leadership center in Phnom Penh, two dormitories which provide a safe place for about three dozen women to live while they attend college. Harpswell believes that those educated women with the magnetism and creative vision to match constitute the most powerful force to bring about positive change in Southeast Asia's poorest country.
In a world filled with darkness, the Harpswell community in Cambodia is pure radiant light. These top female leaders whose parents somehow survived the genocide represent every part of the country and are the best hope for their nation. All have earned scholarships to colleges and universities. Many are the only female students in their fields and are already at the top of their class.
The girls at Harpswell truly believe that if they can become college-educated only years after living in squalor, anything is possible. They are the seed of a global movement to emancipate women and girls for the improvement of humankind.
While I was there, I thought of parallels to Memphis and the occasional words of hopelessness and despair heard from naysayers when it comes to finding solutions to our most pressing problems. Interestingly, these future Cambodian leaders in government and business who came from nothing expressed an interest and willingness to show our youth in Memphis what's possible when you follow a dream and work hard.
As a result, I am hopeful that my next visit to this global role model will result in strengthening the learning link between Cambodia and Memphis to help alleviate poverty, improve education, and elevate the plight of women from violence and fear to hope and optimism.
Tikun olam, the repair and healing of this world, mandates that we join hands with God as Abraham did, and respond to a world in pain. By putting out the fires of violence, ignorance and tyranny, we begin to build the kind of world God wants and needs us for in this lifetime.
Harpswell and Memphis are good places to start.
Micah Greenstein is senior rabbi of Temple Israel. Read more!
New skirmishes on Thai-Cambodian border
By Michelle Fitzpatrick (AFP)
PHNOM PENH — Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged fire on their disputed border for a ninth straight day on Saturday, both sides said, casting doubt on efforts to end the countries' bloodiest conflict in decades.
The latest hostilities at two ancient temples on their shared jungle frontier erupted just hours after Cambodia announced a second truce in as many days, although Bangkok denied knowledge of a new peace deal.
Each side has traded accusations of untrustworthiness in solving a dispute that has killed 16 people and displaced more than 85,000 civilians.
"Even though there is a recent ceasefire... Thailand still breached it," Cambodia's Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters in Phnom Penh on Saturday.
"It shows that we cannot trust our counterpart," he said in comments that echoed those made by Thai officials a day earlier.
The latest flare-up was confirmed by both countries, but while it was followed by a lull in fighting, frontline soldiers remained on alert.
"Clashes could happen at any time," Cambodian field commander Suos Sothea told AFP by telephone.
There were no reports of new deaths, although at least 10 Thai soldiers were injured in clashes on Friday night and Saturday morning, army sources in Thailand said.
Cambodia's defence ministry accused Thailand in a statement of using grenades and firing mortar rounds at Cambodian troops in the latest clashes.
The two neighbours have come under increasing international pressure to stop the violence.
A first attempted truce on Thursday, confirmed by the two countries, proved short-lived and Bangkok has contradicted Phnom Penh's latest claims, saying Friday's talks between commanders on the ground did not amount to a genuine breakthrough.
"We actually have talked at local officers' level which I hope will lead to a real ceasefire," said Thailand's government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn.
Hor Namhong returned Saturday from The Hague where he had submitted a request to the World Court to clarify a 1962 ruling about land around the ancient Preah Vihear temple -- an area that has inflamed tensions between the two neighbours.
"The request for the interpretation by the court is a way to resolve the problem peacefully," he said at Phnom Penh airport.
The court ruled more than four decades ago that the 900-year-old temple belonged to Cambodia, but both countries claim ownership of a 4.6-square-kilometre (1.8-square-mile) surrounding area.
Thailand said it had hired legal advisors and would fight the case.
The stone structure has been the focus of border tensions since it was granted UN World Heritage status in 2008 and 10 people died in hostilities between the neighbours there in February.
The Thai-Cambodian frontier has never been fully demarcated, partly because it is littered with landmines left over from years of war in Cambodia.
The current unrest is centred around two other contested temple complexes 150 kilometres (90 miles) west of Preah Vihear, although there was some fighting at the site itself on Tuesday.
Seven Thai troops and eight Cambodian soldiers have died since the fighting began on April 22, and Bangkok has said a Thai civilian was also killed.
Read more!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Cambodia Seeks Court Ruling on Dispute With Thailand
Cambodia has called on the International Court of Justice to review a 1962 judgment over a disputed ancient Hindu temple along the Thai border. The move follows renewed fighting that broke an hours-old ceasefire.
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| Thai military armoured vehicle |
The border around the temple, known as Preah Vihear in Cambodia and Phra Viharn in Thailand, has remained in dispute despite the 1962 decision. The temple is most easily accessed from Thai territory, and Bangkok claims ownership of the land near it.
Cambodia announced its appeal to the international court hours after new fighting along the border broke a ceasefire agreement. Both sides blamed the other for the clash
The ceasefire agreement reached on Thursday aimed to end a week of fighting, which has claimed at least 16 lives and forced tens of thousands of villagers from both countries to flee homes near the border.
The Thai government thinks the latest clashes are linked to Cambodia’s move to petition the International Court of Justice. Thani Thongphakdi is a Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman:
"From our perspective I think this puts all the jigsaw pieces in place," said Thani Thongphakdi. "What the Cambodian side has been doing since it had been initiating these conflicts along the border. It was laying the path, laying the ground work for their decision to submit a request to the International Court of Justice."
The countries have fought sporadically along the border since 2008, when Cambodia obtained World Heritage status for the Hindu temple. That angered many Thai nationalists, and both sides increased military patrols along the border.
It is not clear what started the latest fighting. Regional political analysts, however, say that domestic politics on both sides makes it hard to resolve the dispute. In Cambodia, they say, it appears Prime Minister Hun Sen benefits by appearing tough against a larger neighbor, and it is possible he hopes that elections expected in Thailand later this year will allow his friend, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, to return to power.
On the other side, the analysts say, Thailand’s powerful military commanders may hope a crisis along the border will provide an excuse to call off elections, and keep a new government from shaking up the senior ranks.
The border issue is set to be raised at a summit of leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to be held in Jakarta next month. Thailand says the summit may lead to talks between Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Cambodia’s Hun Sen "if conditions are right".
Read more!
Thai, Cambodia cease fire breaks; toll rises to 16
By Sopheng Chheang, associate press, Thanyarat Doksoine
PRASAT, Thailand (AP) — Thai and Cambodian troops broke a brief cease-fire and clashed for an eighth day Friday, shattering hopes of a quick end to a long-running border conflict that has forced nearly 100,000 villagers to flee. The death toll rose to 16.
Fighting erupted in the morning and again briefly Friday night, both countries' troops said as displaced residents on each side waited to see if the worst skirmishes in years between the Southeast Asian neighbors might finally end.
"I wish both sides could talk, so that there is no more fighting," said Boonteung Somsed, a 58-year-old Thai construction worker who fled to the village of Prasat, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) from the border.
"Every time a soldier picks up a weapon," he said, "a village has to run away from home."
Thailand and Cambodia have clashed six times since 2008 over the border, where several crumbling Hindu temples built nearly 1,000 years ago during the Khmer Empire sit atop cliffs and in jungles mined in wars past. The land has been disputed for more than half a century, but analysts say domestic politics on both sides is driving the conflict as much as any real disagreement between the countries.
Field commanders agreed to the brief truce Thursday in a meeting at the disputed border. But Cambodian Col. Suos Sothea said the Thai army again fired artillery shells into Cambodia early Friday and small arms fire crackled anew around the Ta Krabey temple, which is in a disputed area.
"We cannot trust the Thais," he said. "Yesterday they said they'd stop fighting and now they are attacking us again."
Thai army spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd said there had been light clashes late Thursday as well as early Friday. He blamed Cambodia for breaking the deal, saying its "local units might not agree to the talks as easily as their commanders did."
Sansern told reporters in Bangkok that the Thai army sent a 10-member delegation of middle-ranking officers across the border into Cambodia to meet with their counterparts again Friday on how to avoid further clashes. "The first step is to sustain the truce, then we can take further steps for talks," he said.
The director of Phanom Dongrak hospital, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the border, confirmed one Thai soldier was killed late Thursday, bringing the total dead to 15 soldiers and one civilian.
Thai authorities say the fighting has uprooted 51,000 people from their homes. Cambodia's Red cross says more than 45,000 people there have also fled over the past week.
"I want both countries to stop fighting, so that I can go home," said 37-year-old, Saman Yingnaram, a farmer in Prasat. "My cassava field will be sabotaged by (insects) by the time I return."
On Thursday, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said his Thai counterpart had agreed to allow Indonesian observers, but there was no word on when they would arrive. Cambodia had already agreed to the deployment.
Indonesia, which currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, offered to provide the observers after the last round of fighting in February.
Few believe the conflict will lead to full-scale war and neither side appears to be trying to capture territory.
Some believe Thailand's military fears the possible outcome of elections expected in June or July and is trying to rally Thais behind it. Thai media have suggested Cambodia's Hun Sen, who has been in power since 1985, was fomenting border tensions to distract his public.
Both militaries have said they were merely defending against foreign aggression.
Read more!
Thai-Cambodia ceasefire breaks down
Border skirmishes continue for an eighth day as both sides accuse the other of breaking a short-lived truce.
A brief ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia has broken down, shattering hopes for a quick end to the border conflict as the two sides exchanged fire for an eighth day.
Field commanders agreed to the truce in a meeting at the disputed border on Thursday. But Cambodian Colonel Suos Sothea said the Thai army fired artillery shells into Cambodia again on Friday and small arms fire crackled anew around the Ta Krabey temple, which lies in a disputed zone along the frontier.
"We cannot trust the Thais," he said. "Yesterday they said they'd stop fighting and now they are attacking us again."
The death toll since the clashes has risen to 16.
Thai army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said there had been light clashes late on Thursday as well as early on Friday.
He blamed Cambodia for breaking the deal, saying its "local units might not agree to the talks as easily as their commanders did."
The director of Phanom Dongrak hospital, about 20 km from the border, confirmed one Thai soldier was killed late on Thursday, bringing the total dead to 16.
Al Jazeera's Wayne Hay, reporting from Ta Mieng, Thailand, near the border with Cambodia, said that "Thais are beefing up their presence, but Cambodians are doing the same as well.
"More and more people in Thailand, are starting to believe that there are political motives behind these clashes.
"Cambodia has used these clashes as a political tool for internal politics."
Meeting cancelled
Prawit Wongsuwon, Thailand's defence minister, had been expected to meet Tea Banh, his Cambodian counterpart, in Phnom Penh on Wednesday - but reportedly pulled out of the trip because of alleged comments made on Cambodian television.
Phay Siphan, a Cambodian government spokesman responded by saying Thailand "isn't honest about wanting to reach a permanent ceasefire".
The bloodiest fighting along the disputed jungle border in decades has spread to the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, the focus of strained relations between the neighbours since it was granted UN World Heritage status in 2008.
The area, 150km east of two other disputed temple complexes that were the scene of fierce fighting over the weekend, had been relatively calm for two months.
Thailand says it wants a bilateral solution to the dispute, while Cambodia seeks international mediation and independent monitors in the region - as agreed by Association of South East Asian Nations foreign ministers in Jakarta in February.
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. Read more!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Dentist Miranda preparing for Cambodian trip
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| Miranda Steeples |
Miranda Steeples, who practices at Meads Village Dental Practice and Southern Dental, in Stone Cross, will be travelling to Cambodia on May 11 for two weeks.
It will be the 33-year-old’s first trip to work at a dental clinic in Phnom Penh but she will be travelling with a friend who has been out to help the clinic before.
The clinic is supported by Cambodia World Family and is run on a daily basis by local girls trained as dental therapists.
Volunteer dentists, dental therapists and nurses from around the world travel out to work there throughout the year treating local orphans and street children.
Miranda said, “Children in this country have access to dental treatment and we can take that for granted.
“It is easy to forget that children in Camodia don’t have access to such treatment.
“The children we will be treating are also orphans too so life is really tough for them.”
Miranda has contacted Oral B and Colegate which have donated toothbrushes and toothpaste for her to take out for the children but she is appealing for local people to bring in other items.
Miranda said, “These children have very little so we are hoping people will drop off good quality, second-hand children’s clothing for youngsters up to the age of 14, small toys, colouring books and crayons.”
There are donation boxes in both the Meads and Stone Cross surgeries. Cash donations are also needed so that Miranda can supplies and materials when out in Cambodia.
The dental surgeries are located at 11 Meads Street, Eastbourne, and on Mimram Road in Stone Cross.
Read more!
Heavy losses give Cambodia good reason to cry
Cambodian defence spokesman Chhum Socheat did not shed crocodile tears to win sympathy from the world when he talked to reporters during a recent press conference on the Thai-Cambodia border clashes.
It could be true that heavy losses suffered by Cambodia during the border clashes with Thailand brought him to tears, and not the heart-wrenching drama in the Thai soap opera Dok Som Si Thong, as army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd suggested. Col Sansern earlier said that Lt Gen Chhum Socheat might have been a bit too impressed by Reya, a popular and artificial female character in the Channel 3 soap opera, which can be seen in Cambodia.
A highly placed military source said that when Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon telephoned Gen Tea Banh to discuss the prospects of a ceasefire after the clashes had entered a second day, his Cambodian counterpart turned down the peace overtures.
Gen Tea Banh told Gen Prawit that Cambodian soldiers were met with too much of a ''heavy-handed'' response from Thai troops and that a ceasefire was still not possible, the source said.
''A lot of Cambodian soldiers have died. They suffered heavy losses.
''But they started the fight and Thai soldiers had to retaliate,'' 2nd Army chief Thawatchai Samutsakhon said.
''If they shell us, Thai troops will retaliate by launching even heavier shelling,'' Lt Gen Thawatchai said.
Border military sources have said that if the Cambodian side fires one artillery shell, Thai troops will retaliate with around five shells. ''We launch about 200-300 artillery shells each day [during the fighting],'' a source said.
During the past two months, since the Feb 4-7 clashes with Cambodia in Phu Makhua, near Preah Vihear, Thai troops have amassed plenty of artillery shells, multiple rocket launchers (MRLs), and radars in the area.
Gen Prawit, while on a visit to China this week, will hold talks to buy additional 130mm MRL systems and radars from China at a cost of 1.2 billion baht.
After heavy retaliatory shelling on April 26, a day of few skirmishes, Thai troops spotted Cambodians collecting a number of bodies of their dead colleagues.
Cambodia reported that eight of its soldiers were killed on Tuesday.
Cambodian army deputy commander Hun Manet, son of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, has reportedly moved back from his headquarters at O Smach opposite the Chong Jom border checkpoint in Surin's Kap Choeng district to 20 kilometres inland from the scene of the clashes.
Since the latest spate of fighting erupted, Cambodia suffered its worst losses during a battle near the Kap Choeng border on April 24 and 25, the source said. A deputy commander of Cambodia's Brigade 42, who was the son of a former Khmer Rouge military leader, was among those killed in the clashes, said a Thai intelligence report.
Cambodia and Cambodian soldiers have been dragged into a conflict not of their own choosing. Hun Sen wields complete control over them and he has already made the choice on their behalf, a Thai soldier said.
Thailand and Cambodia yesterday agreed to a ceasefire after one week of border clashes.
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Expert warns of threat from deadly bird flu
A flu expert has warned that the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus strain could re-emerge in the country if stringent measures to prevent the spread of the disease are not taken.
The warning was issued yesterday at a health conference entitled ''The Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases: Situation, Lessons and Management'' held by Mahidol University.
Tawee Chotpitayasunond of the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health told participants at the conference that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had reported 36 bird flu cases in humans over the past four months in four countries _ Cambodia, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Egypt.
Of the total, 16 had died and five of them were Cambodian nationals.
According to the WHO report, two of the five who died in February were a 21-year-old woman and her 11-month-old son. They had been sent for medical treatment at a hospital in Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey province, opposite Thailand's Aranyaprathet district of Sa Kaeo province. An investigation found the mother had contracted the virus from an H5N1-infected chicken she had killed and eaten.
When the deaths came to light, Thai health and livestock authorities immediately stepped up measures to prevent the spread of the disease in humans and poultry and to control the trade of eggs and poultry along the Thai-Cambodian border.
The reported number of bird flu cases in humans in the four-month period is higher than the 40 cases worldwide last year. Therefore, the prevalence of bird flu was likely to remain at least as severe as in the previous outbreak when it was at 60-70%, Dr Tawee said.
''If [Thailand] doesn't take stringent measures to prevent the flu spreading, particularly in areas where previous outbreaks have taken place, the virus may return to harm [Thai] people after years of having disappeared,'' he said.
He added the situation could turn into something similar to what was happening in Cambodia and Indonesia where the number of people who have died from bird flu has been rising continuously since the start of this year.
There have been no bird flu cases in humans in Thailand since July 2006 after previous outbreaks between 2004 and 2006. During that time, 27 infections were reported and 17 people died.
In a related matter, WHO Southeast Asia regional director Samlee Plianbangchang also warned there was another strain of the H1N1 influenza virus active in the region.
Dr Samlee said the deadly flu virus might re-emerge in Thailand and other developing countries at any time if these countries lacked effective surveillance.
Yong Puworawan, head of Chulalongkorn University's Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology, said there were now signs that the H1N1 virus had become resistant to the anti-viral drug oseltamivir.
Following monitoring of the three waves of H1N1 flu outbreaks during 2009 and 2010, the drug resistance rate had shown signs of increasing.
Dr Yong said that in the first wave there were no drug-resistant cases, whereas the drug resistance rate of the H1N1 flu virus during the second and third waves was at 0.2% and 0.8% of the 1,200 cases of the H1N1 virus, respectively, he said.
The virologist, however, remained confident that the medicine was still effective in treating influenza because H1N1 had become a seasonal flu and about 40-50% of the Thai population had already been vaccinated.
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Unions Threaten May Day March Despite Ban
Prime Minister Hun Sen issued a circular on Thursday banning workers from assembling on International Labor Day, May 1, but a coalition of unions says it will go ahead with plans.
The missive comes after the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union announced plans to gather some 3,000 laborers in Phnom Penh to mark the day.
Ath Thon, president of the coalition, said he plans to gather the workers in a march nevertheless.
“This circular shows a tightening on the rights to assembly and march, but up to now, our working group will follow the plan without changing,” he said. “Our assembly will not affect security and public order. The authorities have the ability to protect security and public order. I think the government should not worry about this.”
The march is scheduled to start in front of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, near Wat Phnom, and pass by the Royal Palace and National Assembly, where workers will bring a petition for better working rights and conditions.
In the circular, Hun Sen calls for the Ministry of Interior, the national police, military police, city and provincial authorities and other government institutions to “take action” in order to maintain public order.
Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Independent Teacher’s Association, which is under the coalition, called the order a threat to constitutional freedoms.
His union will not hold an assembly due to budget concerns, he added.
“This is a worry and a threat by the government to the freedom of assembly and expression of the Cambodian people,” he said.
The proposed March comes as workers face increasing pressure from food and fuel prices, while salaries remain low.
“We see the rising price of goods in the markets, particularly gasoline, making difficulty in people’s lives,” he said. “So we’re requesting the government provide a resolution for the salary of workers, teachers, government staff, police and soldiers, on balance with the market prices for them.”
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Call for Government to ‘Step Down’ Over Border
Exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy issued on open letter Wednesday demanding that the administration of Prime Minister Hun Sen step down over his handling of the border conflict with Thailand.
If the government cannot peacefully resolve the border issue, he wrote, “this government must step down to allow Cambodia to avoid wars and losing land to the west and to the east.”
His letter came amid continued fighting on Wednesday and ahead of a reported ceasefire between Thai and Cambodian generals on the border Thursday.
Government spokesman Phay Siphan called the letter a “desire for attention” that ignored positive surveys that say many believe the country is moving in the right direction.
“Even though he does not have the support of the public, who are the Cambodian people, he still confronts [the prime minister],” Phay Siphan said.
The government is pursuing strategies to solve the border conflict with Thailand, he said, and the government is working with Vietnam to shore up border areas peacefully.
Sam Rainsy claims the government is ignoring the Paris peace agreement, which ensures Cambodia’s territorial sovereignty.
Sam Rainsy said his uprooting of markers along the Vietnamese border in 2009 was a victory. He is facing 12 years in prison sentences of a variety of charges stemming from his accusations that Cambodia has ceded land to Vietnam.
Both Vietnam and Thailand claim they have not encroached on Cambodian land.
Read more!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
More troops sent to Thai-Cambodian border as fighting goes on
Peace talks cancelled and prime ministers of both countries engage in war of words
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. Read more!
Cambodia PM welcomes talks after Thai border clashes
"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 centers.
A meeting between Thai and Cambodian defense ministers expected Wednesday was abruptly canceled 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 fueled 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 Thursday in Jakarta.
(Additional reporting by Ambika Ahuja in Bangkok and Sukree Sukplang in Surin. Writing by Jason Szep; Editing by Alex Richardson)
Read more!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Thailand & Cambodia in Fourth Day of Cross-Border Fighting
The Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs is trying to call a halt to gunfire and shelling near the border with Cambodia. On Monday villagers ran for cover to their prepared bunker, it's the fourth day of artillery exchange across the border between Thailand and Cambodia.
Two disputed 12th century Hindu temples are at the core of the conflict.
The two sides battled for more than three hours from late Sunday morning and pounded each other with mortars and artillery, sending hundreds of villagers fleeing or into hiding in makeshift bomb shelters.
Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs visited an evacuation shelter about 19 miles from the scene of recent fighting.
Kasit Piromya, Thai Foreign Affairs Minister]:
“I appeal to Prime Minister Hun Sen and the government of Cambodia to care about the interests of both countries and civilians of both sides and also to maintain stability and development of ASEAN community.”
Thailand has resisted international observers so far.
[Kasit Piromya, Thai Foreign Affairs Minister]:
“It's not something we are opposed to. This is a sensitive issue… The urgent priority at the moment is that we need the Cambodia's army commander who is on another side to resume communication with our army's eastern commander.”
Thailand says the ancient temple ruins are in its Surin Province but Cambodia insists they fall in its territory.
Thai officials say at least 30-thousand civilians from border villages were evacuated while Cambodian officials say about 17-thousand villagers fled the area.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged the two sides talk to arrange a ceasefire.
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Flexibility key to ending fighting
As Thailand and Cambodia continue to engage in what has become the deadliest border fighting in years, Assoc Prof Surachart Bamrungsuk, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University who has been studying issues relating to the problem-plagued border, assesses the impact on Thailand if the clashes are prolonged.
He shares his opinions with Bangkok Post reporter AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK.
How will the latest clashes affect the border situation?
The situation in Surin shows the possibility of a prolonged problem. I do not mean that the clashes will continue with no end. I do not think the international community will let that happen. But what is obvious is that the Thai-Cambodian border issue will become a long-term problem that will need serious attention.
Is it possible the clashes in Surin could expand to other areas?
The 798-kilometre-long border between Thailand and Cambodia includes many problematic spots. The area at the Preah Vihear temple is only one of 15 problematic locations along the land border. There have been problems at the clash sites in Surin province too. So, an expansion [of the fighting] is possible because there are more contentious areas than have been seen. What has so far drawn little attention is the problem of the marine border which is actually a big issue.
How long do you think the border fighting will continue?
Asean will not let the armed clashes continue for long as the regional bloc plans unification in a few years. Asean will find a way out. If it cannot, the United Nations will give a signal. The international community will certainly step in and that will not benefit Thailand.
Thailand has tried to call for a bilateral approach to solve the problem but the Thai-Cambodian conflict has passed its bilateral stage. The previous clashes at the Preah Vihear temple and Phu Makhua areas ended up with the United Nations Security Council assigning Asean to mediate.
Is Thailand's bilateral stance a result of its pride from the fact that it has never been "colonised"?
The assumption may make some sense but we have to take note that in the past Thai or Siamese diplomats were flexible in handling problems with neighbouring countries and in the international arena. The present Thai government is not flexible when it comes to its international policies. If we remain inflexible, the problem will grow.
Will Thailand be at a disadvantage if the problem is handled multilaterally?
Inflexibility [in international relations] would put Thailand at a disadvantage. If you think that you can deal with the issue in court, you must recall the battle at the International Court of Justice from 1959 to 1962. A return to the court would mean a return to using the same old documents - the 1893 treaty [which King Rama V signed to cede Mekong territories to France], the 1904 convention [which allowed then Siam and French colonial authorities ruling Cambodia to form a joint commission to demarcate their mutual border] and the 1907 map [the so-called Annex I map].
There will be nothing more than those old documents. Will they bring us any legal advantage?
More importantly, a war is not a solution. If a war leads to a greater disadvantage for the country, will the government or the military leaders be there to take responsibility?
Thailand also had border problems with Malaysia and Laos. What enables the country to coexist with them? Why can't Thailand and Cambodia reach a similar agreement?
Thailand shares its land borders with Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia for a combined distance of 5,656 kilometres. It has problems on all sides of the borders.
A border dispute with Malaysia was calmed with a joint development agreement, even though the dispute concerned a marine border, which is more complicated than a land-based one. This is an interesting and successful model that should be applied now.
Does the past case of ownership over the Preah Vihear temple remain a major obstacle?
I think it does but the case is over. If the Preah Vihear temple is allowed to be developed as a World Heritage site, new cultural tourism routes will be built from Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom in Cambodia to the Preah Vihear temple through to other stone temples in the Northeast of Thailand.
There are about 100 ancient stone temples in Nakhon Ratchasima province alone. The regional tourist link would boost tourism in the Northeast. I see more good than harm.
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US welcomes delay in controversial Mekong dam
WASHINGTON — The United States on Tuesday welcomed a delay in construction of a controversial dam on the Mekong River, voicing hope that Southeast Asian nations would work to ensure it is environmentally sound.
Cash-strapped Laos wants to go ahead with the $3.8 billion Xayaburi dam which would generate hydropower for export, but a meeting last week with officials from Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam put off a decision.
The neighboring countries asked Laos for further study of the dam amid warnings by environmentalists that it would seriously impact fish, trigger algae growth and disrupt the lives of millions who rely on the river.
"The United States welcomes the recognition by riparian states of the need to consider fully the potential economic, environmental and social impacts of hydropower development," the US State Department said in a statement.
"We encourage the countries to continue to work together to realize their shared vision of an economically prosperous, socially just and environmentally sound Mekong River basin," it said.
Senator Jim Webb, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on East Asia, has pressed for an active US role against construction of the dam which he argued would have "devastating" consequences for the region.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2009 launched a Lower Mekong initiative as part of a drive to re-engage Southeast Asia, which the US administration charged was overlooked during President George W. Bush's tenure.
President Barack Obama's administration has worked with the four countries to chart out the effects of climate change and last year offered nearly $150 million to public health efforts including AIDS treatment.
Read more!
Private sector has four proposals to ease border tensions
By Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation
Thai businesspeople, fearing that the border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia will harm bilateral trade and investment if they drag on much longer, will make four proposals to the government aimed at easing tensions.
The Joint PrivateSector Committee will make the proposals to Deputy Prime Minister Trairong Suwankhiri soon, it announced yesterday.
The first proposal is that the government carefully consider closing border checkpoints as well as cutting the supply of electricity to Cambodia. Second, concerned agencies and media should be more careful with the release of information that could intensify the conflict.
Third, the two countries should find ways to compromise over the disputed territory to ensure further border trade. Finally, economic and security issues should be clearly separated to reduce tension or conflict between the two countries.
Payungsak Chartsutipol, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, said the business sector still had confidence that the border conflict will be eased soon.
"People of the two nations are considered relatives. Nobody wants to see war or any fight," he said.
The closure of checkpoints should be considered only at a certain point and for a short period; otherwise, it would affect overall trading and people's confidence, Payungsak said.
Despite the conflict, private enterprises of Thailand and Cambodia have insisted on setting up the ThaiCambodian Business Council to strengthen trade and investment growth.
Thanit Sorat, secretarygeneral of the council and vice chairman of the FTI, said private enterprises were conducting business activities as usual although the tension has decreased investors' confidence.
Bilateral trade is expected to grow continuously to more than Bt85 bilฌlion this year from last year's Bt79.26 billion. However, Thanit said prolonged fighting would not only affect investment but also lower the value of bilateral trade between the two countries, particularly crossborder trade.
For instance, Thanit pointed out that Thai investment in Cambodia had shrunk considerably over the past few years because of the border conflict. Only one project from Thailand worth Bt30 million was approved by the Cambodia Investment Board last year.
From August 1995 to June 2009, 81 Thai projects have been launched in Cambodia with a combined investฌment value of Bt7.02 billion. Of these, nine projects are hotels worth Bt4.29 billion, followed by agriculturalindustry schemes worth Bt2.34 bilฌlion, and garmentindustry projects worth Bt221 million.
Bilateral trade between Thailand and Cambodia was worth Bt79.26 billion last year. Of that, Bt55.41 billion was from crossborder trade, of which exports from Thailand were valued at Bt51.11 billion.
The flareup at the border has hit the tourism industry hardest, as tourists have cancelled their bookings to Cambodia. Eventually, it will directly harm inbound tourism from Cambodia as well.
Thailand is projected to boost crossborder trade with Cambodia by 8 per cent to Bt59 billion this year. Crossborder trade with that country accounts for 7.09 per cent of the Kingdom's total crossborder trade value.
Poonsak Kunudom, counsellor for the Thai Trade Representative in Phnom Penh, said bilateral trade between Thailand and Cambodia was still growing normally.
The Commerce Ministry's Export Promotion Department has no plans to cancel the Thailand Trade Exhibition 2011, which will be held from May 1922 in Phnom Penh.
Read more!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Troops ready to fight with Cambodia if government orders: Thai army chief
The army chief made his remarks following criticism over the operations of the Thai military in the latest border clashes with Cambodia.
The renewed border clash occurred near the Ta Kwai and Ta Muan Thom temples in Surin on Friday. Sporadic clashes have been reported since then as border demarcation remains disputed by the two neighbouring countries despite attempts to resolve the problem through meetings of bilateral commissions at several levels.
The renewed border clash occurred near the Ta Kwai and Ta Muan Thom temples in Surin on Friday. Sporadic clashes have been reported since then as border demarcation remains disputed by the two neighbouring countries despite attempts to resolve the problem through meetings of bilateral commissions at several levels.
Five Thai soldiers were killed while 35 were wounded during the four days of clashes. About 25,000 border area residents in Surin and about 4,500 others in Buri Ram have been evacuated from their homes to temporary shelters.
Gen Prayuth stated troops have been deployed in every conflict zone to protect Thailand's sovereignty and have never retreated even a single step from the border.
Now the soldiers are staying fixed at the Thai border and we are ready to fight if ordered by the government, but [whether] the government can do it or not depends on the bilateral agreements that we have made with [our] neighbour,” the army chief said.
Gen Prayuth noted that whether the battle will occur or not depends on the governments of the two countries, adding that war has not been declared and that the latest incidents are only normal clashes along the border.
He stated that if a third country wants to intervene in the talks between Thailand and Cambodia in case the parties cannot continue their bilateral talks, such action will be accepted only when Cambodia withdraws all its troops from the disputed areas.
"There must be no Cambodian soldiers at Preah Vihear temple, or in local communities and temples, otherwise no observers will be allowed to do their work," Gen Prayuth asserted.
The army chief said that concerned agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters and the three armed forces disagreed with having third country observers, but if necessary, the army has already made its stance clear to the Abhisit government that all troops must leave the disputed Preah Vihear area.
Meanwhile, Cambodia accused Thailand of damaging the two ancient temples during three days of border clashes that killed 12 people on both sides.
Agence-France Presse (AFP) news agency reported Cambodia's defence ministry as saying in a statement that the Thai attacks had caused damage to the ruins, without giving further details.
"We do not know the extent of the damage to the temples yet," AFP quoted ministry of defence spokesman Chhum Socheat as saying. (MCOT online news) Read more!
Ties with Cambodia in danger
Govt threatens harder line over 'hostile acts'
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said the government will review all ties with Cambodia since Phnom Penh had shown no intention of bringing the border spat back to the negotiating table and had continued to commit hostile acts against Thailand.
His comment came after Thai and Cambodian troops battled yesterday for a fourth straight day along the disputed border area in a fresh bout of violence which has claimed the lives of five Thai soldiers and at least seven Cambodian troops.
"Cambodia has attacked Thailand continuously and intentionally," Mr Kasit said after returning from a trip to villages affected by skirmishes in Surin province.
Thailand had tried to contact Cambodian officials at all levels to work out a truce, but the Cambodian side repeatedly refused to talk, Mr Kasit said.
"Since Cambodia showed no intention to negotiate, we have to revise our relationship with the country in a bid to return peace and safety to people along the border areas," the minister said.
Mr Kasit said he would discuss the policy alteration with Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon after the latter returns from Surin today.
The ministry will also inform fellow Asean members that the fatal clashes erupted because Cambodia encroached on Thai territory, he said.
But while the government is taking a harder line, Thailand's military appears more open to compromise.
Gen Prawit said yesterday he was ready to hold talks with his Cambodian counterpart through the General Border Committee (GBC) in a third country.
It is the first time that the Thai military has agreed for a GBC meeting to be held outside Thailand or Cambodia.
The minister said he wanted the eighth meeting of the GBC, which is co-chaired by both Thai and Cambodian defence ministers, to take place earlier than originally scheduled in June.
Cambodia is set to host the GBC meeting but if it is not ready, the Thai armed forces are willing to hold the meeting instead, said Gen Prawit.
"The GBC meeting can be held anywhere, but it must be a bilateral issue," he said.
A source at the Defence Ministry said Gen Prawit will travel to Indonesia to attend the Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting in mid-May and he will meet his Cambodian counterpart, Gen Tea Banh, to discuss the border issue on the sidelines to prepare for the GBC meeting.
But the military's stance on Indonesia's proposal to deploy observers to border areas on both sides remains unchanged.
Indonesian observers may be allowed to enter the disputed area on the condition that Cambodian soldiers withdraw from the area around Preah Vihear temple and other temples and communities in the area, army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha says.
Gen Prayuth said the Foreign Ministry, the Defence Ministry and the armed forces have disagreed with the proposal to allow a third country to observe.
"But if it is necessary, we have put forward a condition that all Cambodian soldiers must withdraw from Preah Vihear," Gen Prayuth said.
"There must not be Cambodian soldiers around Preah Vihear, other temples and communities. If Cambodian soldiers remain, there will be no observers."
Gen Prayuth said he did not consider the clashes to be a war, but if does escalate, Thai soldiers are ready to protect the country's sovereignty, he said.
Gen Prayuth dismissed reports that Thai troops retreated during the fighting.
"We will launch an attack at the government's order. If the order is issued today, by tomorrow we will have seized the area," he said, adding that troops of the two countries are now face to face 100 metres away from each other's territory.
A border clash broke out near Ta Muen Thom and Ta Kwai temples in Surin's Phanom Dong Rak district again when Thai and Cambodia troops exchanged artillery fire yesterday evening. No casualties were reported.
A previous exchange had broken out at around 10.30pm on Sunday.
Paramilitary ranger Aree Kongnakpanao was killed and six soldiers injured.The wounded were taken to a hospital in Wirayothin military camp and Surin Centre hospital in Surin.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Thailand has evidence Cambodian troops had attacked first and Mr Kasit would discuss the issue with the Asean chair on Thursday.
Mr Abhisit said negotiations were useless if Cambodia wanted to escalate the conflict. There will be retaliation if Cambodian opens fire, he said.
Read more!
Cambodia says Thailand damaged temples
Cambodia on Monday accused Thailand of damaging two ancient temples during three days of border clashes between the Southeast Asian neighbors that have left at least 12 soldiers dead.
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| Cambodian armored vehicles stand by near disputed border |
Natalegawa was due in Cambodia on Monday, but Thayeb said the trip was postponed because Indonesia was still negotiating terms on sending in military observers - a move that Thailand has so far vehemently rejected.
The dispute between Cambodia and Thailand involves small swaths of land along the border, with nationalistic politics fueling tensions. Clashes have erupted several times since 2008, when Cambodia's 11th-century Preah Vihear temple was given UN World Heritage status over Thailand's objections.
The current round of clashes is the first reported since February, when eight soldiers and civilians were killed near the Preah Vihear temple, which suffered minor damage from exploding artillery and mortar shells that knocked small chucks out of a few of its walls. The latest fighting is about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Preah Vihear.
After easing earlier in the day, fighting resumed late Sunday night, both sides said.
Thai Army spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Cambodian troops opened fire, killing a Thai soldier. Chea Samrach, a Cambodian soldier on the front line, said Thai snipers killed one Cambodian soldier and wounded two others. Ten soldiers died in the first two days of the clashes.
Cambodia's defence Ministry said Thai forces fired 1,000 artillery and mortar shells Sunday, damaging the two temples. Some shells landed about 12 miles (20 kilometers) inside Cambodian territory, forcing 17,000 people to flee and destroying one school and a dozen homes, and setting ablaze some farming fields, the ministry said.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a cease-fire, but the prospects for peace appear shaky, with the two sides disagreeing on what triggered the fighting and differing on how to negotiate the conflicting territorial claims underlying the crisis.
Indonesia's efforts to mediate have been stymied so far by Thailand's reluctance to allow Indonesian military observers in the area of dispute. Thailand insists the problem should be solved through bilateral talks with Cambodia, but Cambodia wants third-party mediation.
The fighting comes as Thailand's military raises its profile in domestic politics ahead of general elections expected by early July. The army previously effectively vetoed a plan to station Indonesian observers to monitor the border situation.
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Thai-Cambodia border clashes raise diplomatic stakes
Regional diplomats stepped up efforts Monday to end the clashes along a disputed border between Thailand and Cambodia.
By Simon Montlake
Bangkok, Thailand
Diplomats are struggling to tamp down on four days of deadly firefights between Thai and Cambodian troops along their disputed land border. Repeated clashes between the two militaries, egged on by nationalist rhetoric from both sides, has thus far proven an intractable and embarrassing issue for Southeast Asia's regional diplomatic body.
Thailand and Cambodia have each accused the other of provoking fighting that erupted Friday, which has killed at least 12 soldiers and forced tens of thousands of villagers to flee. The clashes are the deadliest in nearly three years of skirmishes along the mountainous border, which is disputed in several places, including around the grounds of an 11th century Hindu temple known as Preah Vihear.
The latest fighting broke out near two other ancient Hindu temples. Cambodia said Monday that Thai troops had damaged the ancient sites, though similar claims have proven to be exaggerated in the past. Both sides have fired mortar shells and rockets in recent days.
IN PICTURES: Preah Vihear temple battle
While Thailand insists on settling the dispute via bilateral talks, Cambodia has repeatedly appealed to the United Nations to intervene. In February, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to which both countries belong, agreed to send observers to monitor a ceasefire in what analysts say is a test of ASEAN’s diplomatic weight. Until now, the group of 10 nations has focused on economic cooperation and steered clear of thorny border disputes.
As the current ASEAN chair, Indonesia offered to send observers to the border. But disagreement over the observers’ role, and opposition from Thailand’s powerful military, has delayed the mission. Angered by the delays, Cambodia has accused Thailand of reneging on its commitment to ASEAN’s monitoring mission.
Amid wrangling, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa canceled a planned visit Monday to Bangkok even as ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan called for "a genuine dialogue between the two sides." Thailand's foreign minister is currently scheduled to fly to Jakarta later this weeks for talks with Mr. Natalegawa.
In a statement Sunday, the Cambodian government described Thai claims of recent Cambodian aggression as a “slanderous and false allegation, which is aimed at misleading the public opinion.”
Thani Thongpakdee, a spokesman for Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Cambodian troops were to blame for the latest clashes. He said that Thailand was ready to accept Indonesian monitors, as long as they were unarmed and confined to specific border areas. However, he admitted that the current fighting was outside the designated areas.
“We still believe that having these observers in here is better than not having them and gives some kind of confidence to those living along the border,” he says.
The controversy over Preah Vihear, which was listed in 2008 as a World Heritage Site, dates back at least 50 years. In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled that the temple belonged to Cambodia. Thai nationalists argue that this ruling was based on flawed French colonial-era maps and that it should be given to Thailand.
Thailand’s polarized politics may be stoking the current conflict, amid warnings of military meddling in a planned election in June or July. Some analysts believe that saber-rattling by Thailand’s military could be a tactic to delay the election and suppress the opposition, which is loyal to ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
However, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Monday that he wanted to repair bilateral ties with Cambodia. “We don’t want it [the fighting] to escalate,” he said. Read more!
