THAI-CAMBODIAN BORDER DISPUTES

[manupete]

Cambodian, Thai Border Fighting Still Continues: Spokesman

PHNOM PENH, April 23 (Bernama) -- The gunfire exchange between Cambodian and Thai troops over the border disputed area at the Ta Mon Thom temple and Ta Krabey temple in Oddar Meanchey province still continues, reports China's Xinhua news agency.

Chhum Socheat, spokesman for the Cambodian Ministry of Defence, said Saturday that the clash began at 6:15 when Thai troops started their attack on Cambodian troops stationed at the Ta Mon Temple and then at 6:40 a.m., Thai troops expanded their attacks on Cambodian troops stationed at the Ta Krabey temple.

As of 8:40 a.m., the fighting still continues.

"The fighting is on a large-scale as Thai troops have been using all types of sophisticated weapons -- heavy guns, machine guns, and artilleries to fire onto the temples and civil habitats around the areas," he said.


Immediate casualties are not available, he said.

Pich Sokhin, provincial governor of Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province, said that the provincial authority is using trucks to evacuate villagers from the nearby fighting areas.

"As of 9:10 a.m. this morning, a large-scale attack still continues and it's reported that some of our soldiers were injured, " he told Xinhua by telephone on Saturday.

"And we have evacuated 595 families living nearby the fighting areas to a safe shelter in the province's Sarong district, some 30 kilometers from the battle fields," he added.

This is the second consecutive day of military clashes between Cambodian and Thai troops over the border disputed areas, after Friday's clashes claimed at least 6 lives of both sides' troops and injured over a dozen, forced thousands of locals on both sides to flee home.

The most recent military clash recurred just more than two months after the deadly clash on Feb 4-7 at the border disputed area next to the Preah Vihear temple, a World Heritage Site

[Pee Nuu]

We can hear the booming and whatnot from a distance!

[manupete]

Border clashes erupt again
Foreign Ministry, Army blame intrusion for latest bout of fighting, leaving 4 soldiers dead; Supreme Commander sees Cambodian ploy to hasten stationing of observers on border
Thailand and Cambodia traded diplomatic salvos yesterday evening after a new border skirmish left several people dead and prompted a massive evacuation effort on the Thai side.

Four Thai soldiers were killed and 13 others wounded in the clash that broke out with Cambodian troops on the border of Surin province. After 20,000 Thai villagers were evacuated to safety, the Foreign Ministries on both sides opened a diplomatic row, with Thailand accusing Cambodian troops of launching "unprovoked attacks".

The gunbattle began at dawn at Temple of Ta Kwai in tambon Bakdai in Phanom Dong Rak district between patrols from both sides with small arms used, before artillery fires from Cambodia began, and the areas of fighthing expanded to Temple of Ta Moan Thom in tambon Tamiang. The fourhour gunfight ended at 10.30 am, through mediation between local commanders.

Yesterday's skirmish was a second after a gunfight near Preah Vihear Temple in Buri Ram in February, which saw a number of Thai soliders and civilians killed and wounded. The Foreign Ministry said later the clash was prompted by Cambodian troops' trespass into a 100metrewide buffer zone.

"What happened will not affect ongoing ThailandCambodia Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) process," said ministry spokesman Thanee Thongphakdee. Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said he hoped that the fighting would not worsen or expand, nor would it had any affect on a World Heritage meeting in France in June.

Supreme Commander General Songkitti Jakkabart said the gunfight was a ploy by Cambodia to hurry up involvement of Indonesia observers, who have been bound to take part in demaraction and working out dispute over Preah Vihear temple.

The fallen and wounded soldiers were attached to three local companies of paramilitary Rangers under the Suranaree Taskforce.

In a Royal Thai Army statement, the fight began after a group of Cambodian troops entered the restricted zone and were digging foxholes. They opened fire on Thai troops who told them to stop and withdraw. The artillery fires then came from Cambodia and there was an exchange of them, which had reduced and stopped by around 8 am. The smallarms gunfights continued sporadically until 10.30 am, said Colonel Sirijan Ngathong, a deputy spokeswoman.

As a result of the fighting, Chong Chom border pass in Surin province had been ordered closed by the Army, starting at 10am on Monday. Cambodian troops have reportedly moved heavy weapons to an area near Temple of Ta Kwai two days ago.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong has sent letters on Friday to the United Nations Security Council and Indonesia, the current chair of Asean to draw attention of the international and regional community to the latest clash between Thai and Cambodian troops, Xinhua reports.

The clash reoccured just more than two months after the deadly clash on Feb. 47 at the border disputed area next to Preah Vihear temple, the World Heritage Site. Cambodia claimed that Thai troops have trespassed and staged an attack on the base of Cambodian troops along the border from Ta Krabek temple to Chhub Koky in Oddar Meanchey province at about 6 am.

Cambodian defense ministry's spokesman Lt Gen Chhum Socheat said in a morning briefing that since early this morning up to now the fighting still continues after Thai side took a short pause at around lunch time.

He did not give the official number of casualties at the briefing. However, Neak Vong, the deputy commander of brigade 42 at Ta Mon Thom temple, told Xinhua by telephone that the interim figure recorded that three Cambodian troops were killed and one was injured.

Thailand's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Cambodia had launched "unprovoked attacks". " Thailand protest in the strongest terms the unprovoked armed attacks on both Thai military and civilians, and the construction of the bunkers which is a clear violation of international law, the Charter of the United Nations, as well as the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Thailand and the Government of Cambodia on the Survey and Demarcation of Land Boundary," the statement said.

"Thailand reaffirms its commitment to resolve any pending boundary issues peacefully and calls on Cambodia to resolve the dispute through the existing bilateral mechanisms."


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Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

The latest skirmish between Thai and Cambodian troops in Surin province early on Friday has injured thirteen Thai soldiers and four soliders were killed, Public Health Ministry reported yesterday.

The ministry reported at 10.30 am that ten of them were sent to Phanomdongrak Hospital before transferred to Surin Hospital to receive medical treatment. The other three were sent to other military hospitals. Two of ten soldiers were serious injured from the clash. They will be sent to recieve medication at Pramongkut hospital, Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said.

The clash erupted at about 6 am near the Ta Kwai Temple in Tambon Bakdai of Surin, Phanom Dongrak district. The exchange of rifle and artillery fires forced residents in about 20 villages in district to evacuate to safe areas.

Jurin said he has instructed all Surin Hospital and other three hospitals including Kab Cherng, Bua Ched, and Phanomdongrak Chalermprakiat to be prepared around the clock to provide emergency medical services to affect people.

Medicine, medical supplies, emergency room and surgical equipment should be prepared to handle with the emergency accidents, he said.

Jurin also ordered hospital's staff to work with related agency to provide care for 3,000 people who evacuated from their villages to three temporary shelters including Nikhomprasat site in Prasat district, Kokklang school and Taniwitthaya school.

"A medical mobile team and health volunteers have already provided mental and physical care services to affected people who stay in shelter," he said.

Picture below..Families take refuge in a school in Prasat

[manupete]

Thai-Cambodian border clashes draw 40,000 worried evacuees to shelters
Following a second day of fighting between Thai and Cambodian troops, Surin's six temporary shelters yesterday were filled with 25,000 evacuees from villages along the border in Phanom Dongrak, while two temporary shelters in nearby Kap Choeng district were also full, with 15,000 evacuees.
Thai Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd yesterday said the Army would do its best to assist affected people and that a mobile hospital was already set at Maharat Hospital 4. Mental health experts from the Weerawatyothin Army Camp in Surin's Mueang district were also dispatched to assist the evacuees. Mobile kitchens were set at shelters while the state and private sectors also assisted the evacuees in other aspects.

In related news, neighbouring Buri Ram's Ban Kruat district chief Nat Chatwattanasiri went to inspect the damage at five villages of tambon Sai Taku, located about 20 kilometres from the clash area, from five stray cannon balls from Friday's clash.

Finding 40 rubber trees destroyed but no resident houses damaged nor anyone injured, Nat set up a 20-strong team of civilian security volunteers to guard each of the affected villages until the situation is resolved. Buri Ram police also arranged for 50 police officers a day to patrol affected villages.

After 2,500 people fled their homes on Friday, the total number of evacuees at the shelter in tambon Noen Charoen yesterday rose to 6,500 at six locations.

One evacuee, Naree Kaewpa-op, 58, said she was frightened to hear gun fights all morning yesterday and saw black smoke near her home so her family sought refuge at Noen Charoen. She said she wanted the clash to end fast because both sides suffered losses.

In Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district, although the situation there remained normal, many border residents now were fearful that the Surin border clash might spread to the Preah Vihear Temple area and prepared to evacuate.

Bhumisarol resident Samrit Saenpradap, whose family home was damaged in the previous border clash in February, urged Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to help end the clash as soon as possible, as she and fellow villagers now feared for another clash in the Preah Vihear Temple area.

Another villager, Chanyapat Pradasri, said she sympathised with the affected villagers who had to flee their homes and urged people to be prepared for evacuation by keeping important documents with them and filling up cars' petrol tanks for emergency.

Following the recent border clash, Army Region 2 commander Lt-General Thawatchai Samutsakorn ordered the Thai-Cambodian key checkpoint at the Thai border district of Kap Choeng, namely the Chong Jom-Osamed checkpoint, to close indefinitely.

However, Surin Chamber of Commerce vice chairman Thiensak Samphansirikul yesterday commented that the recent border clash would only slightly affect the border trade and economy, because trade at the Chong Jom-Osamed checkpoint generated about Bt40 million-Bt50 million income in the first three months.

Since the border pass was closed for just one or two days the damage so far was only about Bt1 million to Bt2 million, he said, expressing hope that the pass would soon be re-opened.

He said a planned June 18 meeting in Cambodia between the chambers of commerce of the Thai lower northeastern provinces' and their Cambodian counterparts was still on.

On the Cambodian side, villages close to the border were emptied as people fled with their belongings, according to Agence France-Presse.

"Most of the people in my village have fled their homes because many Thai artillery shells landed nearby," 29-year-old farmer Has Pov told AFP at a pagoda complex where he took refugee with his wife and two children in the Cambodian town of Samrong, about 40 kilometres from the fighting.

"I'm really scared by the shelling," he added.

[manupete]

Latest
Border clash resumes
Published: 24/04/2011 at 11:03 AM
Online news:
A clash between Thai and Cambodian soldiers resumed on Sunday morning on the Thai-Cambodian border near Ta Kwai temple in Phanom Dong Rak district of Surin province, Thai TBS television station reported.

The two sides began to exchange fire with dividual rifles, mortars and artillery pieces at about 9.45am.

No casualties were reported.

It was still not clear which side started the firefight this morning.

[manupete]

Cambodian troops claimed 3 Thai F-16s launched attacks from the air against Cambodian troops

Cambodian troops had heard loud explosions coming from three Thai fighter jets that were flying along the borderline where the fighting between Cambodian and Thai troops were taking place this afternoon. People and Cambodian troops said they had heard 6-8 explosions coming from the direction of the three planes that were flying over the area. They were sure that the explosions were the sound of the planes firing air-to-surface missiles against Cambodian ground troops. However, other people said they were just the sounds of fighter jets taking aerial photos.

Cambodian troops said at around 2 p.m today, Thai troops had increased their bombardments of the Cambodian positions and villages near Thmor Daun, Ta Krabey and Ta Moan temples.

Cambodian troops claimed that these fighter jets had fired missiles at Cambodian military trucks transporting food for troops, but missed when they were driven off the road and hid in the bush. Other sources said the loud noise coming from the directions of the planes was just the noise of the planes taking aerial photos, not the sound of rockets or missiles.

Mr. Neak Vong, deputy commander of 42nd Battalion, said he is investigating whether Thai fighter jets had really dropped bombs or fired missiles against Cambodian troops.

[isanbirder]

These reports may be true, but are unsourced.  The last one refers to yesterday, anyway.  Bangkok Post today, at 12.07 p.m. said that 10 Thai soldiers were wounded in fighting which took place between 2.30 and 5 a.m.  I have not yet checked with other sources.

[JanAndersLarsson]

My wife reported that there was a lot of gunfire east of bankruat tonight. however there were no problem to get hold of the children and transport them up here to Napho.

[gotlost]

Just had an artillary barage cold be heard in Kap Choeng 38 KM away.

[gotlost]

This is getting stupid://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/233824/fresh-clash-erupts-in-si-sa-ketetting stupid.   

[gotlost]

Im trying to vedrify this.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/233842/heavy-fire-arms-near-the-border-in-surin

[manupete]

Thai-Cambodia clashes spread east to Preah Vihear

Fighting has erupted between soldiers from Cambodia and Thailand along their disputed mountainous border for a fifth consecutive day.

Spokesmen from both sides said skirmishes broke out near the Preah Vihear temple on Tuesday.

The violence follows four days of fighting around the temple of Ta Krabey, 160km (100 miles) to the west.

At least 12 soldiers have been killed in the latest outbreak of violence between the two neighbours.

Parts of the Thai-Cambodian border have never been formally demarcated, causing continuing tensions and firing nationalist sentiment in each country.

The 11th Century hill-top temple of Preah Vihear is a particular flashpoint.

An international court awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962 but both sides claim ownership of the surrounding area. At least 10 people were killed in clashes around the temple in February.
 

There was no information on whether the most recent exchange of fire at Preah Vihear had caused casualties.

"They fired artillery and mortar and we retaliated," said Thai army spokesman Colonel Prawit Hookaew. Cambodia blamed Thailand for starting the clash.

It comes after days of fighting around Ta Krabey and another temple, Ta Moan, which stand in jungle areas further to the west that both sides claim.

Some 36,000 people have been displaced by the fighting, and the UN has called for a ceasefire.

On Saturday UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the border dispute could not be resolved by military means and both sides needed to engage in "serious dialogue".

[gotlost]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/233849/3-districts-in-surin-affected-by-fighting-declared-disaster-zones

[gotlost]

Thanks for the support guys. We grabed the wifes family (20) in 2 trucks and relocated to a villege on the 24 east of Prasat. Up untill 30 minutes ago you could still hear the artillary dual going. We are located just on the north side of KC just a bit to the west. THere isnothing but open country between us and Bangkok so the sounds and night lites are very bright and load. When all hell broke loss you could see the red in the sky. The nose was from some where else. The first go around lasted for 5 minutes by the time everyone was rounded up anothe 3 rounds were let lose. Reports tha we have for there are stiil contacts in KC shelss landed out in the fielsd from the house and there is at least one reported death. I'll look around tomorrow for somewhere to stay and if safe make a trip back into KC for a quick check

[Admin]

Tens of thousands of villagers from Thailand and Cambodia have fled the cross-border shelling, which shattered an informal ceasefire that had been holding since February. Footage shot in  Nong Kanna village, Surin Province, Thailand.

Villager recalls shelling on Thai-Cambodia border

Injured Thai soldiers treated in Surin Province