Fighting erupted between Thai and Cambodian soldiers on Wednesday in a disputed
border area surrounding the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple. Both sides claim
the other shot first in the latest flare-up in a dispute that broke in July.
Wednesday's fighting occurred near Phu Makhuwa mountain, known to Cambodians as
Veal Antri, the same location of another brief firefight between Thai and
Cambodian troops on October 3. Three soldiers were wounded in that skirmish.
Another two Thai soldiers were wounded by landmines in the area on October 5,
which Thai officials have claimed were planted illegally in Thai territory by
the Cambodians.
Cambodian Commander Bun Thean told the wire service Agence
France-Presse that "Cambodian and Thai troops are opening fire at each other".
Cambodian General Chea Saran, deputy commander of forces along the border,
meanwhile, told the Phnom Penh Post that there was heavy fighting. Various news
reports pointed to both sides firing rockets.
The fighting apparently lasted for over two hours before abating in the late
afternoon. The Nation newspaper in Bangkok reported the death of one Cambodian
soldier. Five paramilitary Thai rangers were apparently injured by shrapnel
from a Cambodian rocket-propelled grenade. The Thai soldiers were taken to a
hospital in the provincial capital of Si Sa Ket, according to reports.
The fighting comes two days after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen issued an
ultimatum for Thai soldiers to clear out of areas near the temple in 24 hours
or he would turn the contested border region into a "battle zone".
The Thai army refused to withdraw its troops and army commander General Anupong
Paochinda issued orders for Thai soldiers to retaliate in the event of any
Cambodia aggression. He said before the skirmish that Thailand would not
initiate any offensive moves.
Thailand's Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat called on Thais in Cambodia to
return to Thailand as soon as possible, signaling potential for more exchanges
in the days ahead.
Five years ago a mob burned down the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh after a
newspaper mistakenly reported that a Thai actress had said the ancient
Cambodian temple of Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand.
Although the fighting has stopped for now, many in the area believe it will
resume. The Thai army has readied heavy artillery pieces and Scorpion light
tanks along the border and its 6th Division is also reported to be ready to
reinforce troops. The Thai Air Force, too, has said its fighter jets are on
standby.
Temple troubles
In July, thousands of Cambodians poured into in the streets of Phnom Penh
waving flags and pounding drums to celebrate the listing of Preah Vihear temple
as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's
(UNESCO) World Heritage site. Hun Sen called the decision "a new source of
pride for the people of Cambodia".
But days after the celebration, hundreds of heavily armed troops from Thailand
and Cambodia had dug in around the contentious temple site with artillery
pieces and rocket launchers trained on the area.
Thailand successfully blocked Cambodia's efforts to list Preah Vihear in 2006
and 2007 on the grounds that a 4.6-square-kilometer stretch of land around the
temple compound is still subject to dispute. It is this piece of land, not
covered by the recent ruling, where the nations' forces are fighting.
"You need to look at the history. Vietnam and Thailand both grew while Cambodia
shrank since the 14th century, swallowed up bit by bit by those large
neighbors," Cambodian political commentator Chea Vannath told Inter Press
Service. "This is not a recent thing; it is long-running."
Legally, the temple has belonged to Cambodia since a ruling by the
International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 1962. The ICJ's 1962 ruling provoked
violent protests in Thailand, which has never accepted the verdict and
questioned the validity of the map used by Cambodia to claim ownership of the
temple, the same map used by UNESCO as the basis for its recent decision.
The Preah Vihear temple had a grim significance during Cambodia's years of
civil conflict. In 1979, it was where Thailand forcibly repatriated thousands
of Cambodian refugees who had fled across the mountain border to escape the
Khmer Rouge, ordering them to march down the steep slopes back to their
country.
As British journalist William Shawcross wrote of the scene in his book The
Quality of Mercy: "The path down the mountains became steeper, the
jungle thicker. Dozens, scores of people fell onto mines. Those with
possessions had to abandon them to carry their children down. One group of
refugees desperately pooled whatever valuables they had left, filled two
buckets with them, and walked back up toward the Thai soldiers, carrying a
white flag. The soldiers took the buckets and then shot the refugees."
The temple, which has been described as an "oasis of peace" was only regained
by Cambodian government troops from the Khmer Rouge in 1998.
Brian McCartan is a Chiang Mai-based freelance journalist. He may be
reached at brianpm@comcast.net.
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