10 Thai troops injured in Surin after 'light weapons' clashes on border

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/via CAAIBy The Nation on SundaySurinPublished on May 1, 2011Flare-up triggered by delay in informing units of ceasefireTen more Thai soldiers were injured in the Thai-Cambodian border clashes in Surin's Phanom Dongrak district on Friday night until yesterday morning, bringing the cumulative Thai casualties to seven deaths and 95 injuries in the nine days of clashes. Among the four injured soldiers from Friday night's clash, First-Lieutenant Kosit Songsaengkajorn suffered severe shrapnel wounds to his neck and back and was transferred to Phramongkutklao Hospital in Bangkok, while others were airlifted...

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Intensity of fighting on border eases

http://www.bangkokpost.com/via CAAIARMY ENCOURAGED, BUT CLASHES CONTINUE Published: 1/05/2011 at 12:00 AM Newspaper section: News The military believes the situation on the Thai-Cambodian border is improving despite fighting continuing on the border near Surin for a ninth day.Second Army Region spokesman Prawit Hookaew said that although the clashes have not yet ended, encouragement can be taken from the fact that the exchanges of gunfire have lessened in intensity and heavy weapons have not been deployed in the past few days.He said only small and mortar guns have been used since military delegations from both sides held talks on Thursday.In the latest skirmishes, two Thai soldiers were injured yesterday afternoon near Ta Kwai temple in the border area of Surin.Fighting on Friday...

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Thai biz in Cambodia not suffered from border clashes

http://www.pattayamail.com/Sunday, 01 May 2011 By NNT BANGKOK, 30 April 2011 – The majority of Thai businesspeople in Cambodia have not been affected by the Thai-Cambodian border clashes, according to the Minister of Commerce.Ms Pornthiva Nakasai said she had checked with the Thai commercial counselor attached to the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh and found that Thai business activities were carrying on normally despite a series of artillery exchanges at the Thai-Cambodian border.According to the minister, most of the Thai businesses in the neighboring country are located opposite the northeastern Thai provinces of Sa Kaeo and Trat...

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New clashes on disputed border despite ceasefire

http://www.france24.com/via CAAI30/04/2011 After two ceasefires in two days and attempts to reach agreement over two ancient temples on the disputed jungle frontier, Thai and Cambodian troops clashed again on Saturday in the ninth day of the countries' bloodiest conflict in decades. By News Wires (text) AFP - Sporadic clashes broke out on the tense Thai-Cambodian border Saturday, both sides said, casting doubt on peace efforts as the countries' bloodiest conflict in decades stretched into a ninth day.The latest hostilities at two ancient temples on the disputed jungle frontier erupted just hours after Cambodia announced a second...

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Call for Government to ‘Step Down’ Over Border

Sok Khemara, VOA KhmerWashington, DC Thursday, 28 April 2011via CAAIPhoto: AP A military vehicle with a mounted grenade launcher makes its way during clashes between Thai and Cambodia in Surin province, northeastern Thailand, Thursday, April 28, 2011. Thai and Cambodian military commanders agreed to a cease-fire Thursday after seven days of artillery duels killed at least 15 people, Cambodia said. Thailand did not immediately confirm it, but the contested border was quiet most of the day. “...this government must step down to allow Cambodia to avoid wars and losing land to the west and to the east.”Exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy...

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Heavy losses give Cambodia good reason to cry (ONLY ABHISHIT's GOVERNMENT SHOW NO TEAR WHEN THAI PEOPLES ARE DIE DURING THE FIGHTING ..SHAME ON YOU Ab

http://www.bangkokpost.com/via CAAIPublished: 29/04/2011 Newspaper section: News Cambodian defence spokesman Chhum Socheat did not shed crocodile tears to win sympathy from the world when he talked to reporters during a recent press conference on the Thai-Cambodia border clashes.It could be true that heavy losses suffered by Cambodia during the border clashes with Thailand brought him to tears, and not the heart-wrenching drama in the Thai soap opera Dok Som Si Thong, as army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd suggested. Col Sansern earlier said that Lt Gen Chhum Socheat might have been a bit too impressed by Reya, a popular and artificial female character in the Channel 3 soap opera, which can be seen in Cambodia.A highly placed military source said that when Defence Minister...

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Suthep slates foreigners' Thai analysis

http://www.bangkokpost.com/via CAAIPublished: 29/04/2011Newspaper section: NewsThe government has no intention whatsoever of using the Thai-Cambodian border conflict for political gain, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said yesterday.Mr Suthep, who is in charge of security affairs, dismissed criticism by foreign analysts that the government might be using the border conflict with Cambodia to tout its political credentials.Suthep: No gains politicallySince the latest border spat erupted last Friday, foreign media outlets have offered wide-ranging analytical comment on the cause of the fighting.US magazine Time interviewed a...

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Wary truce at Thai-Cambodian border

Cambodian soldiers stand guard near the Cambodia-Thailand border in Oddar Meanchey province on April 28, 2011. Hopes of an imminent ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia faded on April 27, after Bangkok pulled out of talks with its neighbour and deadly border clashes entered a sixth day.Photograph by: Stringer, AFP/Getty Images April 28, 2011Agence France-PresseSAMRONG, Cambodia - A fragile ceasefire halted the bloodiest clashes between Thailand and Cambodia in decades on Thursday, after seven days of fighting left 15 dead and around 75,000 civilians displaced.Both sides remained cautious after local-level military negotiations...

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Cambodian, Thai military commanders promise ceasefire

PHNOM PENH, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian and Thai military commanders concluded a 40-minute meeting here on Thursday morning and promised a ceasefire after seven straight days of armed clashes between the two countries' troops over the border disputed areas since Friday last week.The meeting was held at 10:50 a.m. at the O'smach border checkpoint in Oddar Meanchey province between Cambodian Major General Chea Mon, commander of Military Region 4 and Lt Gen Thawatchai Samutsakorn, commander of Thai Army Region 2.Phay Siphan, spokesman of the Office of the Council of Ministers of Cambodia said following a meeting that lasted about 45 minutes on Thursday, both agreed to an unconditional ceasefire and encouraged both sides to meet regularly to ease tension.They also agreed to reopen...

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US urges Thailand, Cambodia to exercise restraint in resolving conflict

BANGKOK, April 28 (MCOT online news) – The United States has urged Thailand and Cambodia to act with restraint in resolving the border dispute through peaceful means and negotiation.US Ambassador to Thailand Kristie Anne Kenney met Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at Government House on Thursday morning.She said after the meeting that the US will not intervene as the two countries are obliged to hold bilateral talks. The dispute can be handled by existing mechanisms facilitated by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).The US envoy also called for the two countries to return to the negotiation table.Meanwhile, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said before leaving to attend the 5th Asean Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council Meeting in Indonesia on Thursday...

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Thai-Cambodia artillery duels continue for 7th day as death toll rises to 15

Thursday, April 28, 2011By Thanyarat DoksoneThe Associated PressPHANOM DONGRAK, Thailand — Artillery fire boomed across the Thai-Cambodian frontier for a seventh day Thursday as fierce border clashes erupted again between the two neighbours and the death toll rose to 15.Loud explosions could be heard since dawn in Phanom Dongrak, a village about 12 miles (20 kilometres) from the border, an Associated Press reporter said.In Cambodia, field commander Col. Suos Sothea said the fighting was centring again around the ruins of two crumbling stone temples from the Khmer Empire at Ta Moan and Ta Krabey, which have been caught in crossfire since last Friday.The body of a Thai soldier who died in a rocket-propelled grenade attack was loaded into a helicopter at a hospital in Phanom Dongrak,...

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Thailand, Cambodia armies agree to ceasefire

04/28/2011REUTERS PHNOM PENH - Thailand and Cambodia's armies have agreed to a ceasefire to end seven days of bloody clashes along their disputed border following a meeting of field commanders, a government spokesman said on Thursday.Both sides had agreed to allow one border point to open to allow displaced people to return to their homes and villagers to return, Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan said."We will abide by the ceasefire from now on and local commanders will meet regularly to avoid misunderstanding," he said....

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7th day of Cambodian, Thai fighting still going on: Cambodian gov't

April 28, 2011XinhuaGunfire exchanges between Cambodian and Thai troops over the border area at the 13th century Ta Moan temple and Ta Krabei temple in Oddar Meanchey province is still going on until 8 a.m. Thursday morning, the Cambodian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.The statement said that throughout Wednesday's night, Thai troops have fired artillery shelling on Cambodian troops' positions at Ta Mon temple and Ta Krabei temple and at 3:55 a.m. ( local time) early Thursday morning, Thai troops have increased their artillery shelling onto the two temple areas, and spread to the base of Cambodian Royal Armed Force in the west of O'smach area."The fighting still continues until 8 a.m. (local time) today," it said. "And our soldiers are still in firm and full control...

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Fighting intensifies on Thai Cambodian border

April 28, 2011ABC Radio AustraliaThe border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia is getting worse.Fourteen people have died in six days of fighting and there's no end in sight to the conflict. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has called for a truce but has no plans to meet with his Thai counterpart until May. Both sides accuse the other of aggression in the long running dispute.Reporter: Karon SnowdonSpeaker: Panitan Wattanayagorn, Thai government spokesman; Phay Siphan, Cambodian government spokesmanClick here to listen to the audio program (Windows Media)SNOWDON: In the latest violence, one civilian and a total of 13 troops from both sides have been killed with 60 soldiers wounded. Thirty thousand villages have been evacuated, according to reports. Defence ministers were to...

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Fighting resumes along Thai-Cambodian border, spreads to new area

Cambodian soldiers inspect a multi-rocket launcher near the Cambodian-Thai border in Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia, 26 April 2011. Border clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops after four days of fighting killed and injured soldiers on both sides and forced thousands of civilians to evacuate their villages near two disputed temples. Both sides blame the other for instigating the fighting. EPA/MAK REMISSA Apr 28, 2011DPAPhnom Penh/Bangkok - Cambodia said fighting between its forces and Thailand had resumed in four places along their disputed border as of early Thursday. Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan said...

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Thai Minister Scraps Visit to Phnom Penh

April 28, 2011Nirmal GhoshStraits Times IndonesiaBangkok. Thailand's defense minister on Wednesday abruptly canceled a visit to Phnom Penh to discuss a ceasefire with his Cambodian counterpart, on grounds that Cambodian media had interpreted his visit as a sign of capitulation by Bangkok.But Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in his first remarks after the latest round of clashes — which continued with sporadic artillery exchanges yesterday - said “Cambodia doesn't want the conflict to spread further.”“Cambodia is small, poor and [with] small armed forces, but don't forget that ants can hurt an elephant,' he said, adding he would raise the issue at the Asean summit in Jakarta next weekend.In Bangkok, Thai Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan told reporters: 'I will definitely talk...

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US envoy [in Bangkok] encourages truce talks

28/04/2011Bangkok PostUS ambassador to Thailand Kristie Kenney called on both Thailand and Cambodia to exercise patience and use peaceful means to end their border conflict, reports said.Speaking to reporters after paying a courtesy call to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at Government House on Thursday morning, Mrs Kenney said the two countries must refrain from using force in settling the border dispute.She also hoped that the mechanisms of Asean could bring Thailand and Cambodia back to the negotiating table.Thailand and Cambodia were both long-time allies of the US and the US government wants to see the border conflict resolved as soon as possible, Mrs Kenney sa...

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Cambodia rocks

Ethan (second from right) and Zac Holtzman (bearded) recruited a singer from Cambodia. - Photo by Lauren-Dukoff Singing in Khmer and English, Dengue Fever channel retro Cambodian pop musicWednesday, Apr 27, 2011By AnnaMaria StephenSan Deigo City Beat (California, USA)When Cambodian singer Chhom Nimol first met brothers Zac and Ethan Holtzman, she must have wondered if she was making the smartest move joining their new band, Dengue Fever. “Her sister told her not to do it,” laughs guitarist / vocalist Zac Holtzman—the one with the epic facial hair. “It was right after 9/11, and there I was with my crazy beard.”What the Holtzmans had...

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Cambodian, Thai troops exchange gunfire for 7th straight day

PHNOM PENH, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Gunfire exchanges between Cambodian and Thai troops over the border area at the Ta Moan temple and Ta Krabei temple in Oddar Meanchey province broke out again Thursday morning, said a field military commander."The fighting started again this early morning around 3:50 a.m. at the two temples, Thai soldiers triggered the attack first," Suos Sothea, deputy commander of the artillery unit, told Xinhua by telephone from the battle fields."In fact, Thai troops have fired artillery shelling on our troops almost throughout tonight and they have increased shelling in early Thursday morning," he said."Thai forces have fired both small guns and heavy artilleries on our troops over the areas, they have ambitions to fight and capture the temples," he said....

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Thai-Cambodia clash toll climbs to 15

Thu, Apr 28, 2011AFPBANGKOK - Heavy weapons fire rocked the Thai-Cambodian border for a seventh day on Thursday as officials confirmed a 15th death in the bloodiest fighting between the neighbours in decades."One Thai soldier died during a clash this morning and four were wounded," Major Sukit Subanjui, deputy spokesman for northeastern region Thai army, told AFP.Eight Cambodian and six Thai troops have died since fighting began on Friday along their shared border, prompting growing diplomatic pressure on the neighbours to end the conflict.Bangkok has said a Thai civilian has also been kill...

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Border conflict festers

April 28, 2011The NationAbhisit will seek talks with Hun Sen, doubts his intentions; Cambodian PM vows to raise issue at Asean summit, says does not want clashes to spreadEfforts to bring peace to the borders of Thailand and Cambodia have got nowhere as leaders of the two countries have yet to offer ways to settle the armed conflict, despite saying they are ready to talk.Both nations claim they did not trigger the border skirmishes and have called on each other to stop shooting.Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told the House of Representatives yesterday that he would seek an opportunity to talk with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen...

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[Thailand:] A nation under military rule

April 28, 2011 The NationOpinionIt seems that the nation I love so much (Thailand) is busy destroying itself. I believe much of it started with Thaksin, the would-be dictator. As greedy and corrupt as he was, however, he was not untypical of a rich Thai person.Next came the yellow shirts who took over Government House and later Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. They then started all the trouble with Cambodia. Why? Because they could - as they had the backing of powerful people and institutions (this arrogance being another unforunate aspect of wealthy Thai society). Then came the violence-prone red shirts and their leaders who made matters worse with their hate speeches and disregard for other Thais trying to make a living downtown. The Ministry of [mis]Education also deserves...

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Thailand's Premier Visits Cambodia Battle Zone as Both Sides Seek Talks

Apr 26, 2011By Daniel Ten KateBloombergThai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva headed to a border area to visit residents displaced by a week-long clash with Cambodian forces, as one of his aides said a resolution to the conflict may be reached within days. Abhisit visited camps for a few hours today in Surin province, where battles have killed at least 13 people since April 22. Both sides blame each other for starting the fighting that continued for a sixth day along their disputed border, the site of sporadic clashes over disputed temples since 2008. A resolution to the conflict could take place “sooner rather than later, maybe in two or three days,” Sirichoke Sopha, an aide to Abhisit and a lawmaker in the premier’s Democrat party, said by phone. “War isn’t good for anyone.”...

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