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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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=
Accrochages khméro thaïs : la version officielle | |||
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En attendant les déclarations du Premier ministre Hun Sen, qui devraient être rendues publiques dans l’après-midi, le ministère des Affaires étrangères cambodgien vient publier un communiqué officiel résumant les derniers événements dans la zone frontalière de Preah Vihear.  Selon les officiels cambodgiens, un soldat thaïlandais a sauté sur une mine dans la zone de Veal Intry, située 500 mètres à l’intérieur du territoire cambodgien, le 2 avril au matin. Après l’incident, plusieurs de ses camarades ont alors cherché à retourner à l’endroit concerné pour récupérer des armes et des indices. Ils ont essuyé des tirs de la part des soldats khmers et se sont repliés. Le 3 avril, un nouveau groupe de soldats thaïlandais a pénétré sur le territoire cambodgien. De nouveaux échanges de tirs ont eu lieu. Une rencontre entre les deux commandants en charge a ensuite été organisée dans la pagode Keo Sikkha Kiri Svara pour résoudre le problème sans faire usage de la force. Toutefois, de nouveaux affrontements ont eu lieu dans l’après-midi et des armes lourdes ont été utilisées. Le marché situé au bas de l’escalier principal a été brûlé et le bureau de l’Autorité nationale pour Preah Vihear, situé à proximité du temple, a été détruit par les tirs. Aucun mort ne serait toutefois à déplorer côté cambodgien. Le ministère des Affaires étrangères insiste par ailleurs sur le fait que la mine qui a explosé était située nettement à l’intérieur du territoire cambodgien et que les intrusions thaïlandaises constituent une violation des accords internationaux et bilatéraux signés sur cette question frontalière. Le gouvernement du Cambodge exprime ses regrets et réaffirme que les soldats khmers n’ont réagit en situation de légitime défense. Il souhaite plus que jamais régler cette dispute frontalière par la négociation. |
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