Sunday, April 12, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
A new clash between Thailand and Cambodia on April 3. 2009
The clash happened at the same place Veal Entry, near Preah Vihear, as in last October 2008 as the result of unresolved border demarcation issue. Both sides have promised to resolve the border issue peacefully but nothing has been done so far except talking and talking. Thailand's side has been busy with its own internal affair and Preah Vihear is a hot subjet to Thai government. Many Thais still consider that Preah Vihear belongs to Thailand even it is clearly Cambodian temple. The international court gave reason to Cambodia in 1962.
The strange thing is that gunfire erupted when the Thai government is in difficulty with its own internal affair. The current Thai government faces pressure from the Red T-Shirt protesters who want the government fall. When the gunfire erupted lin october 2008, the then government were under pressure from the Yellow T-Shirt protesters.
Thai soldiers
The war is so a sort of diversion game the Thailand government does in the hope that it can remain longer in power.
On military aspects, Thailand is far more well equipped (by the US) than Cambodia. Thailand has modern guns, modern jet fighters, modern helicopters, ... Cambodia is poorly equiped with old guns from the civil war, some old Russian made helicopters, a couple of old jet fighters that cost too much to maintain, ....
Cambodian soldiers
But Cambodian soldiers are highly motivated to protect their land. Some (if not most) of them are former Khmer Rouge soldiers and they look for a mission to accomplish. When I visited Cambodia last February, I met a military doctor from Preah Vihear. According to him, Khmer soldiers were "happy" of the war because the government took care of them, they had enough and delicious food, they felt they did something to protect Cambodia and the majority of Cambodians support them (the soldiers). He said that villagers living near Preah Vihear brought them chickens, cows, ....
Anyway, war is not a solution. I hope that the border issue will be resolved peacefully soon and Cambodians and Thais can live along together as good neighbors.
God bless Cambodia and its soldiers
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Some articles from the net.....
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Article du Cambodgesoir: http://www.cambodgesoir.info/content.php?itemid=35661&p=
The strange thing is that gunfire erupted when the Thai government is in difficulty with its own internal affair. The current Thai government faces pressure from the Red T-Shirt protesters who want the government fall. When the gunfire erupted lin october 2008, the then government were under pressure from the Yellow T-Shirt protesters.
Thai soldiers
The war is so a sort of diversion game the Thailand government does in the hope that it can remain longer in power.
On military aspects, Thailand is far more well equipped (by the US) than Cambodia. Thailand has modern guns, modern jet fighters, modern helicopters, ... Cambodia is poorly equiped with old guns from the civil war, some old Russian made helicopters, a couple of old jet fighters that cost too much to maintain, ....
Cambodian soldiers
But Cambodian soldiers are highly motivated to protect their land. Some (if not most) of them are former Khmer Rouge soldiers and they look for a mission to accomplish. When I visited Cambodia last February, I met a military doctor from Preah Vihear. According to him, Khmer soldiers were "happy" of the war because the government took care of them, they had enough and delicious food, they felt they did something to protect Cambodia and the majority of Cambodians support them (the soldiers). He said that villagers living near Preah Vihear brought them chickens, cows, ....
Anyway, war is not a solution. I hope that the border issue will be resolved peacefully soon and Cambodians and Thais can live along together as good neighbors.
God bless Cambodia and its soldiers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some articles from the net.....
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Two Thai soldiers killed in Cambodia border clash: army
BANGKOK, April 3, 2009 (AFP) - Two Thai soldiers were killed and another 10 wounded in a border clash with Cambodian forces on Friday, army officials said, updating an earlier toll.
One of the soldiers died at the site of the clash near a disputed 900-year-old temple and the other died later in hospital, said regional Thai army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Wichit Makarun.
The toll was confirmed by a second army official speaking on condition of anonymity, who added that the military was already sending the bodies back to their home towns.
Soldiers exchanged rocket, machinegun and mortar fire near the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple on the frontier, following a brief skirmish earlier in the day, officials from both sides said.
The area was the scene of several clashes last year after Cambodia successfully applied for United Nations world heritage status for the ruins in July, with four soldiers killed in a battle there in October.
One of the soldiers died at the site of the clash near a disputed 900-year-old temple and the other died later in hospital, said regional Thai army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Wichit Makarun.
The toll was confirmed by a second army official speaking on condition of anonymity, who added that the military was already sending the bodies back to their home towns.
Soldiers exchanged rocket, machinegun and mortar fire near the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple on the frontier, following a brief skirmish earlier in the day, officials from both sides said.
The area was the scene of several clashes last year after Cambodia successfully applied for United Nations world heritage status for the ruins in July, with four soldiers killed in a battle there in October.
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Article du Cambodgesoir: http://www.cambodgesoir.info/content.php?itemid=35661&p=
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