Cambodian, Thai forces clash along their border
Source: Agencies |
April 26, 2011, Tuesday
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THAI and Cambodian forces battled for a fourth straight day along their disputed border yesterday, as Cambodia accused its neighbor of damaging two ancient temples in weekend clashes.
Southeast Asian diplomats are struggling to end the repeated deadly flare-ups, but Thailand's prime minister appeared to reject outside help, saying the two countries have to resolve the dispute alone.
The fighting on land around temples and several other crumbling stone monuments is rooted in a long-running dispute over where the border should be drawn and has fueled profound nationalistic fervor in both countries for decades.
Field commanders on both sides reported heavy exchanges of fire after nightfall yesterday around Ta Krabey temple. Cambodian Colonel Suos Sothea said from the front that both sides had fired artillery, mortars and rifles.
Thai army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd confirmed that account, saying "we could not stay still and allow them to attack. We had to counter responsively."
Both sides have accused each other of starting the latest battles, which by Sunday had killed at least 12 soldiers on both sides and forced 30,000 people in Thailand and another 17,000 in Cambodia to flee.
While a wider war seems unlikely, several cease-fires have failed to prevent new border bloodshed.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a cease-fire, but the prospects for peace appear shaky.
Most of the recent fighting has taken place around the 1,000-year-old Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples, which are on territory claimed by both countries. The temples date back to the Khmer empire that once ruled over much of both Cambodia and Thailand.
Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan said the two temple complexes, caught in crossfire over the weekend, had been hit by bullets and shells, but there was no word on how bad the damage was. Thai authorities had no immediate comment on the allegation.
This month's renewed fighting comes as Thailand prepares for general elections expected by early July. The Thai army, which staged a coup in 2006 and continues to hold influence in domestic politics, has effectively vetoed a plan to station Indonesian observers to monitor the border situation.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa was in "intense" talks with both sides to secure an end to the conflict in his role as current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Foreign Ministry official Hamzah Thayeb said.
Natalegawa postponed a scheduled trip yesterday to Cambodia, Thayeb said, as Indonesia continued to push to send military observers to the region - a move Thailand has so far vehemently rejected. The trip's cancellation cast doubt on hopes the simmering dispute might be resolved quickly.
The conflict involves small swaths of land along the border that have been disputed for more than half a century.
Southeast Asian diplomats are struggling to end the repeated deadly flare-ups, but Thailand's prime minister appeared to reject outside help, saying the two countries have to resolve the dispute alone.
The fighting on land around temples and several other crumbling stone monuments is rooted in a long-running dispute over where the border should be drawn and has fueled profound nationalistic fervor in both countries for decades.
Field commanders on both sides reported heavy exchanges of fire after nightfall yesterday around Ta Krabey temple. Cambodian Colonel Suos Sothea said from the front that both sides had fired artillery, mortars and rifles.
Thai army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd confirmed that account, saying "we could not stay still and allow them to attack. We had to counter responsively."
Both sides have accused each other of starting the latest battles, which by Sunday had killed at least 12 soldiers on both sides and forced 30,000 people in Thailand and another 17,000 in Cambodia to flee.
While a wider war seems unlikely, several cease-fires have failed to prevent new border bloodshed.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a cease-fire, but the prospects for peace appear shaky.
Most of the recent fighting has taken place around the 1,000-year-old Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples, which are on territory claimed by both countries. The temples date back to the Khmer empire that once ruled over much of both Cambodia and Thailand.
Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan said the two temple complexes, caught in crossfire over the weekend, had been hit by bullets and shells, but there was no word on how bad the damage was. Thai authorities had no immediate comment on the allegation.
This month's renewed fighting comes as Thailand prepares for general elections expected by early July. The Thai army, which staged a coup in 2006 and continues to hold influence in domestic politics, has effectively vetoed a plan to station Indonesian observers to monitor the border situation.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa was in "intense" talks with both sides to secure an end to the conflict in his role as current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Foreign Ministry official Hamzah Thayeb said.
Natalegawa postponed a scheduled trip yesterday to Cambodia, Thayeb said, as Indonesia continued to push to send military observers to the region - a move Thailand has so far vehemently rejected. The trip's cancellation cast doubt on hopes the simmering dispute might be resolved quickly.
The conflict involves small swaths of land along the border that have been disputed for more than half a century.
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