Preah Vihear: From Conflict to Development

Poorly equipped Cambodian soldiers along the border?

Monday, June 27, 2011
Op-Ed by MP

The news that the Thai delegation had decided to walk out on the World Heritage Convention in protest against the latter’s decision to advance Cambodia’s management plan for consideration does not come as a shock to any informed observers. All the signals from the Thai camp leading to this announcement last Saturday night in Paris appeared to convey an air of optimism that the UN body would cave in to Thailand’s obstructive pressure and lobby to derail Cambodia’s management proposal. The signals, misleading as they usually are, had been communicated with the Thai public in mind. Having manufactured or resurrected the row that had been put to bed since 1962, the challenge for this Thai administration has been how to ‘sell’ this unwholesome piece of its business and its largely incoherent strategy over this venture to an increasingly uneasy, sceptical Thai public in this critical period leading up to the forthcoming general election.

Politicians and diplomats the world over are not normally held in high esteem by their educated, thoughtful public. With the exception of an honourable few, this breed of men are a species of their own. However, at least on the issue of Preah Vihear, it is nevertheless, possible to surmise with a high level of confidence which camp has been telling the truth and which has been telling lies.

So we ask: what makes Bangkok different from Phnom Penh on this conflict? Well, not a great deal in most respects. Thailand may be the second largest economy in the region or enjoys a higher GDP as compared to many of its neighbours’ economic status, but its democratic credentials are largely open to question. Even the decision to end Thai participation at the UNESCO convention last Saturday evening is being questioned by some quarters in Thailand for having been made without parliamentary consultation or seal of approval. What really distinguishes between the two camps is the legal basis governing the actual case itself which is final and not amenable to interpretation. The Thais may argue that the ICJ has no right to adjudicate disputed boundary line between two countries, yet that is precisely what the Court did in 1962 when it declared that the Temple stood within Cambodian sovereignty, and that the boundary line in the immediate area (proximate to the Temple grounds) as drawn up by French geographers and subsequently accepted by Thailand’s central authorities over a period of several years (implying compliance or agreement) is to be upheld by the Court in place and irrespective of any reference to the watershed line raised by the Thai camp at the time.

So whereas Bangkok has this insurmountable legal mountain to climb (they have always been confident their expensively assembled legal team is capable of reducing a mountain to a hill and vice versa!) Phnom Penh has a simpler, defensive task to perform. The latter has no need to distort facts; to tell lies before their own people or to mislead the rest of the world. Nor will it be in their interest to do so. Why deceive anyone when the merit of the case is overwhelmingly in your favour?

While it may be premature to make assumptions about the likely outcomes of this case (being lodged with both UNESCO and the ICJ) it would be a perversion of truth and a travesty of justice if any of Bangkok’s demands is accommodated. Since the day the Temple became inscribed as a world heritage site, Bangkok has done everything possible to sow doubt into the minds of interested third parties as regards the management plan’s merit or even the very act of having this temple listed in this manner; an arrangement that does not foresee future Thai participation or involvement in any shape or form. This, it points out, is a sacrilegious violation of its own peculiar notion of sovereignty. Never mind that a previous Thai government approved of the inscription application proposal. Like a child in a sweet shop being dragged away from what it desires, this Thai government is opting to give vent to its childish instinct and frustration by throwing a tantrum and making as much a scene as it possibly can. If the child has no sense of shame or embarrassment, he/she certainly has nothing to lose!

Even some of the Phnom Penh regime’s severest critics would acknowledge its patient handling of the Temple issue in contrast to the corresponding aggressive behaviour of its Thai counterpart. This patience as such has partly been born of Cambodia’s inability to leverage the crisis initiated by Thailand, or more precisely by her military muscle and aggression. Since the integration of what was left of KR and other opposing armed Cambodian factions into the unified national military command, the general trend and expectation among Cambodian policy-makers had been to scale down the size of the country’s armed forces in order to reduce the costs of military expenses, and divert much needed resources into other fields. Unfortunately, this plan has since 2008 been turned on its head by the Preah Vihear crisis: the Thais appeared to have other ideas. The conflict itself, provided it remains localised and non-internationalised, would provide Thai political factions with a useful distraction and a sideshow, but for the Cambodian regime it is much more of a burden and potential slippery slope to political oblivion. This is why it would be unfair to suggest it had helped to initiate this situation.

The failure to equip Cambodia’s military to meet external threats of this kind until Thai troops had advanced across large patches of Cambodian territory would appear to indicate that the Cambodian regime had neglected one of its central obligations: i.e. national security vis a vis neighbouring states. The importance that a modern progressive state attaches to the internal affairs or domestic situation of another state is of vital long term strategic relevance and significance. Beside reports prepared by country embassies and other governmental agencies, a whole variety of sources of advance intelligence of this sort can also be extracted from within civil society, academia, historians, anthropologists, reporters, mass media etc. By failing to heed their warnings or restricting their right to freedom of expression in fear of their expanding ‘interference’ in politics and perceived governmental spheres, a regime or state is electing to put itself in a position of grave disadvantage and isolation.

Post-conflict Preah Vihear:

When will such a time be, I know not! However, once the legal wrangling has been put an end to, it is time for the Cambodian government to:

1. Demarcate the boundary within the Temple areas with tall barbed wire fences to prevent unwanted incidents from taking place such as armed clashes due to troops straying into each other’s territory, or any other unauthorised entries into the bespoken locations;
2. Build a small museum dedicated to the Temple and have a replica of the Temple in its peak condition erected to provide visitors with a glimpse of its original magnificence and stature. There should, of course, be a brief but factual chronology of the Temple’s history, beginning with its inception in the year its construction was started, dates of its completion and any subsequent restoration works done under various Khmer kings. Periods of its occupation by Siamese and Thai authorities should also be included in the chronology, including the settlement at the ICJ, and the current recurrence of the conflict with Thailand since 2008.
3. Screen entry from the Thai side of the border to the Temple site. Local Thai citizens as well as other Thais of Khmer descend should be granted free access to the Temple complex, both for tourism purposes as well as for business related activities. The rest of Thai citizens should be charged a nominal entrance fee for visiting the Temple from either side of the border. Other international tourists and visitors should be charged a higher entrance fee (but not too high!). Income derived from the gate receipt should be ploughed back towards meeting the Temple’s conservation costs.
4. The benefit of giving free access to local Thai citizens is two-fold: a) to help foster economic activities and momentum in the area by not restricting cross-border access to locals and traders whose well-being and livelihood will have a corresponding economic effect on the other side of the border where trade is inextricable linked and co-dependent; b) Cambodia will stand to gain valuable support from local population who see no sense in supporting ultra-nationalistic activities as witnessed by recent PAD activists’ violent protests in Sisaket in recent years and by the opposition of local residents to these actions who feared the inevitable damaging consequences upon their trade and livelihood. The small nominal entrance fee for other Thai citizens will be a gesture of goodwill towards the Thai people in general who may have a certain emotional attachment towards the site which came into being when their ancestors were still subjects of the Khmer Empire. They will also have an opportunity to explore the museum and learn about their actual national origins; about successive Thai governments’ attempt to illegally seize the Temple or the surrounding areas under the banner of national sovereignty.
5. The theme of the Museum should centre upon education and universal values that inspire a common bond and a sentiment of shared history and culture rather than accentuated national vanity.
6. Persuade the Chinese government or Chinese companies to invest in the region’s tourism infrastructure such as accommodation and transport systems. This will discourage future Thai military from taking reckless actions against the Temple and its surrounding locations.

It is time to pave the way for lasting peace for both nations and for their future generations to co-exist in mutual harmony and prosperity.

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Cambodia, Thailand Closer to Observer Agreement

Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC Thursday, 17 March 2011

via CAAI

Photo: AP

The deadly clashes in February left at least 10 people dead and damaged Preah Vihear temple, a World Heritage site.

“We are confident that these terms of reference could be finalized in the near future.”

Cambodia and Thailand are close to reaching an agreement that would put a monitoring mission along the border, the site of deadly clashes in February, officials said Tuesday.

The two sides must agree to terms of reference in order to allow observers from Indonesia, which as the current head of Asean helped broker the agreement after fighting over the border left at least 10 people dead and damaged Preah Vihear temple, a World Heritage site.

“We are working closely with both governments,” Michael Tene, a spokesman for the Indonesian government told VOA Khmer Tuesday. “We are confident that these terms of reference could be finalized in the near future.”

Indonesia cannot send observers until both sides agree to the terms, he said. The terms include the duties of a monitoring mission and where observers would be located.

Tene declined to disclose details of the current negotiations, but he said Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to all but one point in the terms.

Thai Foreign Affairs spokesman Thany Thongphakdi told VOA Khmer the main point of discussion is now the area of coverage for the observers and where they will be dispatched.

Indonesia has agreed to send 30 observers to the border, with half on each side of the border near Preah Vihear temple, where Thailand and Cambodia disagree on border demarcation.

Cambodian officials say they have already agreed to the original terms set out by Indonesia.

Indonesian officials say they want an initial meeting with all three countries on March 24 and March 25, but a definitive date has not been set.

Cambodian Foreign Affairs spokesman Koy Kuong said Cambodia expects talks on those dates. However, Thany said the meeting may have to be pushed to April 7 and April 8, due to a scheduling conflict for Cambodian and Thai officials.

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Thai-Cambodia Shiva temple conflict has Indian architect ang

uished

Aerial view of Preah Vihear temple.

Sanjib Kr Baruah,
Hindustan Times

New Delhi, March 09, 2011

With tension palpable along the Thai-Cambodia border, regional grouping ASEAN has proposed a meeting between the two countries on March 24-25 to resolve the vexed border issue that centers around the stunning 900-year-old stunning Preah Vihear temple complex dedicated to Shiva, one of the trinity of Hindu Gods. It is a temple that architect Divay Gupta helped restore.

Understandably Gupta is a worried man. "I was there in January last year and have been going there on and off for the last five years. I have heard there has been some damage on the temple. It is already very fragile and there is threat of the entire structure collapsing," he told HT.

As an international expert under a UNESCO project, Gupta had helped prepare the management plan for the temple complex. The effort led to the listing of the monument as a world heritage site on July 7, 2008, sparking off a decades-long dispute that led to Thai and Cambodian troops exchanging machine gun and artillery fire that has resulted in many deaths—both of soldiers and civilians—besides leading to the displacement of thousands.

Heavily landmined in the aftermath of the decades-long war in Cambodia, the border between the two countries has never been fully demarcated.

The present dispute has its roots in 2008 when anti-government protesters in Thailand vehemently criticised the Thai regime for backing Cambodia's bid to list the site as a world heritage site.

Contending claims to the Shiva temple and its surrounding area have stirred nationalist passion in the two countries for generations.

More than a decade ago, the 11th century temple area was under the control of the remnants of Pol Pot's guerrilla army, the Khmer Rouge. It predates the famous Angkor Wat temple complex by more than 100 years.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice had awarded the 4.6 sq km area comprising the temple and its precincts to Cambodia, irking Thailand no end, whose military regime had organised a fund-raiser where every citizen donated 1 baht to pay for the Thai legal effort at The Hague.

Situated on a hillock, the temple is mainly accessible from the Thai side as it was land-mined from the Cambodian side by Khmer Rouge guerrillas besides being a very steep 600-metre climb.

The descent from the temple has a bloody history with thousands having been blown to bits in 1979 when Thai soldiers forced some 45,000 refugees to climb down the mined precipice to Cambodia.

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The History of Khmer-Thai Conflict at Preah Vihear

By Khmerization
7th Marc, 2011

Preah Vihear temple was constructed by the Khmer kings Suryavarman I (1002 -1050) and Suryavarman II (1113 -1150) and was controlled by subsequent Khmer rulers until the late 18th century. It fell under Siam’s (Thailand’s) control around 1794 when Siamese rulers, taking advantage of a weak and fractured Cambodia, annexed Battambang, Sirisophorn, Tonle Ropov, M’lou Prey (parts of present day’s Stung Treng province) provinces and Siem Reap province which administered Preah Vihear temple before Preah Vihear province was created in 1962 (1).

Due to internal feuding and prolonged and protracted internal strife, Cambodia has become so weak in the later part of 18th and 19th centuries that Cambodia’s eastern part of the Mekong River was controlled by Annam (Vietnam) and the western part of the Mekong River was controlled by Siam (Thailand).

The French Protectorate and the War with Siam

Fearing that Cambodia might eventually be totally swallowed by Vietnam to the east and Thailand to the west, King Norodom (Sihanouk’s great grandfather) had invited King Napoleon III of France to establish a protectorate over Cambodia in 1863.

In 1867, the Siamese rulers recognized France’s protectorate over Cambodia, but Siam still maintained control over Battambang, Sirisophorn, Tonle Ropov, M’lou Prey provinces. In 1883, King Norodom had signed a treaty to put Cambodia under the French colony. Since then, France had always wanted to recover Cambodia’s and Laos’ lost provinces from Siam. In 1886, France fought a brief war with Siam when combined French, Cambodian and Laotian troops pushed Siamese troops beyond the left bank of the Mekong River in Laos in an attempt to liberate all Laotian and Cambodian provinces on the western side of the Mekong River, including Cambodia’s Tonle Ropov and M’lu Prey provinces and Laotian Champassak province.

In 1893, France fought another naval war with Siam on the Gulf of Thailand when French naval forces defeated Siamese naval forces and captured Siamese provinces of Trat and Chantaburi and French naval vessels had reached Bangkok through Menam on 8th July 1893 and gave King Chulalongkorn the ultimatum of France’s wish to re-integrate provinces on the left bank of the Mekong River to France control (2). On 29th July 1893, Siamese King Chulalongkorn had accepted the term of France’s ultimatum. On 3rd October 1893, France and Siam signed a treaty to return all Laotian provinces and the Cambodian provinces of Tonle Ropov and M’lou Prey to French control. France did not demand Siam to return Battambang and Siem Reap province, where Preah Vihear temple was situated, to Cambodia yet, but it had put a clause in the treaty to ban Siam from stationing any Thai troops in the provinces.

However, under the provision of article 3 of the 1893 treaty, France has the rights to recover all Laotian and Cambodian provinces annexed by Siam and provided unrestricted French powers to ensure the protection of all Laotian and Cambodian ethnic minority living in those provinces. The article stipulates “about the rights of France to provide protection to Khmers, Annamites (Vietnamese) and Laotians living inside Siam. France has the obligations to provide protection to these people by laws not to be oppressed by Siamese authority”. This clause means that Siam had lost its sovereignty over all Laotian and Cambodian provinces annexed by Siam. Furthermore, it would mean the return of all of these provinces to Laos and Cambodia.

Realising that Siam had been hard-pressed by France, Siamese King Chulalongkorn embarked on a tour to Russia, Germany, England and then France to garnish support and to lobby them to press France to abandon its ambition to recover all annexed Laotian and Cambodian provinces. In France, he asked French President Félix François Faure to cancel the 1893 Treaty. The French president agreed to cancel the 1893 treaty if Siam agreed to return Battambang, Siem Reap and Chantaburi to French control.

The Return of Battambang and Preah Vihear

In 1902, France cancelled the 1893 treaty and renounced its rights to protect all Khmers, Laotians and Vietnamese living in Siam, by only accepting the return of M’lou Prey and Tonle Ropov provinces, which cover only 20,000 km2. This agreement outraged the French public and the French parliament refused to ratify it. In 1904, France had negotiated a treaty and forced Siam to return M’lou Prey and Tonle Ropov to Cambodia. Under a secret clause in this treaty, Siam is required to transfer all police powers to France in Battambang, Siem Reap and Sirisophorn provinces.

In 1906, French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau ordered the French Protectorate Authority to enter into a negotiation with Siam for the return of many more Cambodian annexed provinces. The 1907 Franco-Siamese treaty was concluded on 23rd March which required Siam to return Battambang, Siem Reap (Preah Vihear province was still under Siem Reap) and Sirisophorn provinces to Cambodia. The French parliament ratified the treaty 20 days later. The Mixed Franco-Siamese Commission, which was established a few years earlier, began conduct border surveys to demarcate the Cambodian-Siamese borders and to plant border posts. After the demarcation works were completed, the Franco-Siamese Commission commissioned the topographic maps called the Dangrek Map. The Dangrek Maps (Annex 1) were produced and they put Preah Vihear temple under Cambodian sovereignty. Siam was given 11 copies of the maps and it had accepted the maps in their entirety (3).

The 1907 Franco-Siamese Treaty

The 1907 Franco-Siamese Treaty only allows the return to Cambodia of the provinces annexed by Siam after 1794. Under the treaty, Siam can retain all other 13 provinces it had annexed before 1794, including Kauk Khan (Sisaket), Surin, Nokor Reach Seima (Korat) , Buriram, Sakeo, Sankeac, Krat (Trat), Chantaburi, Neang Rong (Rayong) and so on, which had been annexed before 1794 (4). Under this treaty, Preah Vihear temple was put under Cambodia’s sovereignty.

The Thai Occupation of Preah Vihear temple and the 1962 ICJ Verdict

In 1954, less than one year after Cambodia gained independence from France and taking advantage of a weak Cambodia, Thailand sent its troops to occupy Preah Vihear temple. After 5 years of unsuccessful negotiations, Cambodia filed a complaint to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague in 1959. On 15th June 1962, the ICJ, with the majority votes of 9 to 3, awarded the ownership of Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia. The judgment was accepted by Thailand and the 4.6 sq. km2 so-called “disputed zone” had not been claimed by Thailand for 46 years. The maps commissioned by the Franco-Siamese Mixed Border Commission in 1907 and provided to Thailand in 1908, and were used by the ICJ to reach its verdict in 1962, put the so-called “4.6 sq.km2 disputed zone” squarely under Cambodian sovereignty. With the majority votes of 9 to 3, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has adjudged:

“Thailand is under an obligation to withdraw any military or police forces, or other guards or keepers, stationed by her at the Temple, or in its vicinity on Cambodian territory”.

Thailand was obligated to withdraw all its troops and return all stolen artefacts to Cambodia. And in order to celebrate and to commemorate the ICJ victory over Thailand as well as to prevent future takeover of the temple by Thailand, the Cambodian government had created a new province in 1962 called Preah Vihear province, to honour the temple.

However, on 15th July 2008, one week after Unesco inscribed Preah Vihear temple on 7th July 2008, Thailand sent its troops to re-invade and re-occupy the Preah Vihear surroundings, the temple vicinity, and triggered a border conflict till today.

The so-called 4.6 sq.km2 disputed zone

The 1962 ICJ verdict (5) stated clearly that Thailand is under an obligation to withdraw troops from “the Temple, or its vicinity on Cambodian territory.” Maps from the 1907 treaty put the temple and its areas, the so-called 4.6 sq. km2, or the temple’s “vicinity”, claimed by Thailand, inside Cambodia. So, the 4.6 sq. km2 did not exist and the 1962 ICJ verdict was clear: the so-called 4.6 sq. km2 areas or the temple’s “vicinity” currently claimed by Thailand have been judged to belong to Cambodia.

Conclusion

By the 1962 verdict of the ICJ, the 1907 Franco-Siamese Treaty and the 1908 map, the 4.6 sq. km2 did not exist and therefore Thailand’s current act of aggression against Cambodia by forcibly occupying the 4.6 sq. km2 zone constitutes an invasion of a sovereign state that could proceed to cause a regional instability. Cambodia, as a member of the international community, should seek international legal remedy one more time to settle the matter once and for all.

References

(1) Battambang during the Times of the Lord Governor, p. 211.
(2) http://khmerization.blogspot.com/2011/02/franco-siam-war-of-1893-over-cambodia.html
(3) https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=12de40a91a9412a4&mt=application/pdf&url=https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui%3D2%26ik%3D3be3c9113b%26view%3Datt%26th%3D12de40a91a9412a4%26attid%3D0.1%26disp%3Dattd%26realattid%3Df_fvlot44f1%26zw&sig=AHIEtbSpj69vA-re7UkvtTZFy8esdWxqyg&pli=1
(4) http://khmerization.blogspot.com/2008/09/king-sisowaths-1906-protest-letter-to.html
(5) http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?p1=3&p2=3&code=ct&case=45&k=46&PHPSESSID=df1449206e4b8593a7f78076e318b471/2008/01/preah-vihear_1961bmp.jpg

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Dodging bullets on the Thai-Cambodia border

via CAAI

The recent ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand allows a former UN official to recount his two trips, 17 years apart, to the hotly contested Preah Vihear temple

By Brooks Entwistle 8 March, 2011

The current ceasefire makes it easier for tourists to visit Preah Vihear, but be aware that military action could restart at any moment.

In 1993, I was part of the first group of foreigners to climb up to the Preah Vihear temple from the Cambodian side since the French in the 1960s.

Cambodia and Thailand have been in conflict over the beautiful, and strategically located temple for centuries.

A 1962 World Court ruling gave the 11th-century Hindu temple, perched on the edge of the Don Krek Mountain cliffs, to the Cambodians, whose country occupies the flat rice-bowl landscape some 1,500 feet below.

In 2008, UNESCO named the temple a World Heritage site, further cementing its status on Cambodian soil and eventually leading the two sides to begin fighting over the prized real estate.

The current round of armed conflict, which began February 4, has left several people dead and the temple damaged.

Even though a ceasefire has been announced, the chance of violence flaring up again is high. That's a shame, because I have fond memories of the place and returned recently with my family.

Locals and landmines

My trip to the temple in 1993 was as a UN official based in the village of Cheom Ksan, in one of Cambodia's most remote areas. I had the mandate to register, educate and poll any potential Cambodian voters who called the Preah Vihear temple home.

That New Year's Day mission, with Pakistani UN peacekeepers and my Cambodian election team, had the goal of registering the few Cambodians who lived up on the top of the cliff among the ruins to vote in the historic June 1993 election.

After a sweaty hike up hundreds of overgrown ancient Khmer stone steps, with landmines on either side, we "summited" to a shocking sight -- there were swarms of Thai tourists, who could drive right up to the border, only a few meters from the temple, for a day of sightseeing.

While we were grateful for the ice-cold Diet Cokes for sale at the temple entrance, none of which we had down in the Cambodian villages below, and we registered a few voters, I hiked back down knowing what a tinderbox this could become with a proper spark.

With landmines on either side, we ‘summitted’ to a shocking sight -- swarms of Thai tourists.

— Brooks Entwistle, former UN official

Return to Preah Vihear

Ironically, it was a flare up in 2008 that enabled me to go back to the Preah Vihear temple last November, 17 years later, with my three young daughters and wife in tow.

Over the last two years the Cambodian government has built an impressive network of roads around the border areas, with the help of Chinese construction companies, in order to move troops and resources quickly to the frontier.

The trip north from Siem Reap to the Preah Vihear temple, a journey that took several bone-jarring days in a UN jeep (or a Russian-piloted UN helicopter ride) when I was there, is now totally doable.

I had regaled my daughters with stories of how remote and exotic my village and the temple were, but as we drove up perfectly paved roads that I remembered as rutted out ox cart paths, I thought I was in for a major paternal credibility test.

Thankfully, my village was still well off the main highway and still just a series of paths.

I was able to find one of my original UN team leaders, Phalla, (many others had perished during the Khmer Rouge occupation of the village not long after the UN pulled out, or had been killed by land mines) and the young girl, Somaly, whose parents had rented me a room in their traditional home on stilts and now run the village's only guest house.

It was an emotional reunion, and my daughters, who were born in Hong Kong and New York and have grown up in Mumbai, asked if we could move there given all the space, greenery and live animals wandering the village paths.

Ancient history meets modern warfare

Leaving the village behind, we headed west to Preah Vihear temple where my stories of an Indiana Jones-esque hike up the cliff in 1993 were called into question as we were able to drive up a recently built series of switchbacks whose sole purpose was to provide easy military access to the sliver of land that the Cambodians hold at the top of the cliff.

On that peaceful day in November, we were the only tourists as my daughters walked playfully among the ruins and between the Cambodian army trenches and the Thai bunkers across the valley.

They explored this pristine temple, far removed from the crowds around the over-run temples at Angkor Wat, and we gazed over the edge of the cliff with my former home Cheom Ksan in the distance.

After proving to the girls that the stone steps were still there and that the road did not exist on my previous trip, we hopped in the bed of our 4x4 pick-up and had a roller-coaster ride back down the mountain, again struck by how close the Cambodian and Thai people and soldiers were living to each other.

Tour Khmer Rouge remnants

To close the adventure loop, we headed west again to Anlong Veng, the final resting place of Pol Pot and the last Khmer Rouge redout.

This was the only area that the UN could not get into in 1993 and was the village from which the Khmer Rouge launched a last ditch attack on Cheom Ksan 10 days before the historic election. That attack was rebuffed by the UN Pakistani soldiers who protected our outpost and team.

In Anlong Veng you can tour the home of Ta Mok, the one-legged Khmer Rouge general who created havoc in the district next door both while I lived there, and for five years after I left. Other sites include Pol Pot's grave and various grisly Khmer Rouge last-stand reminders.

From Anlong Veng it is a two-hour drive south back to Siem Reap, finishing a 14-hour loop of seeing some of Cambodia's most remote and historically significant terrain.

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Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak pagoda after the destruction by Thai artillery shells

Scene of the pagoda after the 4-7 February fighting.

By Khmerization
Source: Koh Santepheap

Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak pagoda has been a flash point that have caused several deadly armed clashes between Cambodian and Thai troops since July 2008. The pagoda was built in 1998 in the so-called "disputed zone", 2 years before the signing of the 2000 MOU between Cambodia and Thailand which prohibited the construction of any buildings inside the zone. However, Thailand has consistenly demanded that it be dismantled after Unesco had inscribed Preah Vihear temple on 7th July 2008 and after the Thai invasion of the area a week later on 15th July of the same year.

Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak pagoda suffered substantial damages by Thai artillery shells during the fighting from 4-7 February. Up to now there is no repair works being done on the pagoda due to opposition from Thailand who warned Cambodia not to repair the damages and due to dangers posed by unexploded Thai artillery shells.

Visitors to the pagoda after the fighting will see a very quiet and sad environment around the pagoda. Visitors will see the damages to the roof of the pagoda caused by Thai bullets or shrapnel from rockets or cluster bombs. The images and statues of the Buddha inside the temple, which had suffered substantial damages, look so sad. The scene of the temple ground look sad and eerie, full of craters left by rockets and potholes left by cluster bombs and unexploded rockets are still littered around the temple compound.

Currently, there are 6 monks still residing at the pagoda, 3 of them are senior monks and 3 are novices plus 6 temple boys. There are no nuns residing at the pagoda because all of them had fled during the fighting of 4-7 February.

Ven. Sun Saing, Abbot of Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak pagoda, said the monks have to cook their own food (normally nuns cook for them). Food supplies are donated by generous people from faraway places and from troops based in the areas (normally laypeople around the temple supported the monks with daily food ration). The damages, rubbish and rubble left by the burning from Thai shells have not been cleared because unexploded Thai artillery shells are still littered the temple ground. The abbot said the Preah Vihear National Authority has come to inspect and assess the damages, but he does not know when they will come to repair the damages.

However, Cambodian authority said that they cannot do the repair works around the pagoda straight away because the military situations in the areas are still unstable and because Cambodia wants to the leave the evidences for national and international tourists to see for themselves of the destruction caused by Thai troops.

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Cambodia appeals ICJ to clarify verdict on disputed temple

via CAAI

25/02/2011

The Cambodian government on February 24 officially asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to explain the Hague’s verdict in 1962 on the sovereignty of the 11th century Preah Vihear temple.

The Cambodian news agency AKP quoted Prime Minister Hun Sen as saying that the country officially sent its proposal together with all relevant documents to the ICJ, appealing this organ to clarify the 1962 verdict that recognises Cambodia’s sovereignty on the Preah Vihear temple.

Earlier, PM Hun Sen said that Cambodia would obey the ICJ’s decision and suggested Thailand respect the decision.

According to the Cambodian government leader, the Cambodia-Thailand conflict can not end with a ceasefire order or observers from the third side which may just ease tension while awaiting for a comprehensive solution for the two countries’ border area.

Cambodian newspapers on February 24 cited the US State Department’s statement applauding the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s efforts in addressing the current severe border dispute between the two nations.

ASEAN will send Indonesian observers to the area near the disputed temple to monitor the ceasefire.

On February 23, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva announced that the country will not withdraw any troop from the border area with Cambodia despite the presence of the Indonesian observers.

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Purnomo Prepares Thailand-Cambodia Observer Team

Thursday, 24 February, 2011
MAHARDIKA SATRIA HADI
TempoInteractive.com

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Defense Ministry has prepared an observer team that will monitor the armistice between Thailand-Cambodia at the border of the two countries.

“We will announce it when it is confirmed,” said Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro at his office in Jakarta yesterday. However, he would not specify the composition of the team or when it would be established.

Purnomo was responding to Thailand and Cambodia’s request for Indonesia to arbitrate their conflict. Both countries have agreed to a cease fire after they were involved in a border conflict two weeks ago. The request was welcomed by the Indonesian government, which has responded by planning the observer team.

“The government will first send an advanced team to gather initial information,” said Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa following the Informal ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting at the Foreign Department’s office in Jakarta on Tuesday. Marty confirmed that the observer team consisted of civilian and military elements, namely staff from the Foreign Department, Defense Ministry and Indonesian Armed Forces.

Marty did not confirm the number of people in the team, but estimated there would be no more than 20 people in each. There will be two teams assigned at the Thai and Cambodian borders. “We haven’t decided the leaders yet. Normally they would be military officers. I think there will be more military members,” he said.

Regarding the suggestion to form the observer team, Marty said he had spoken to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, and Indonesian Armed Forces Commander Admiral TNI Agus Suhartono. “It won’t be in weeks, it will be formed within several days,” he said.

According to Marty, if one of the countries violates the armistice at the border, the observer team will note it in the report. Later, the report will be submitted to the Indonesian government as the ASEAN 2011 leader. “We then will convey to both parties who has violated and why,” he said.

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Thais hurt in landmine blast [-Were the Thai soldiers trying to trespass into Cambodia?]

Cambodians build a concrete road to Preah Vihear temple to help troop movements in the disputed area near Phu Ma Khua. Thailand opposes the construction of the road. JETJARAS NA RANONG

Cambodians accused of 'expanding presence'

25/02/2011
Wassana Nanuam
Bangkok Post

SI SA KET : Two Thai soldiers have been seriously injured after stepping on landmines while patrolling Phu Ma Khua along the Cambodian border.

The incident occurred about 4pm yesterday.

The two were later identified as Sgt Pornpiboon Ngaosuwan and Cpl Sumet Boonsalee of the 16th Infantry Battalion in Yasothon province.

They have been admitted to Kantharalak district hospital in Si Sa Ket province.

Cambodian troops are ignoring Asean's urgent call for a truce with Thailand by continuing to fire shots in the disputed border area.

Cambodian soldiers yesterday fired three shots in the area where they are trying to expand their presence before the arrival of Indonesian observers today.

The Bangkok Post accompanied Thai soldiers to the 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area in Si Sa Ket yesterday morning to observe the military presence. The delegation found Cambodia actively expanding its military bases and bunkers in the disputed area after the outbreak of hostilities from Feb 4 to 7.

Cambodian soldiers have also turned Keo Sikha Kiri Savara pagoda into a military base equipped with anti-aircraft artillery in breach of the bilateral 2000 memorandum of understanding on land demarcation that prohibits any man-made physical changes in the disputed area.

An army source said Cambodian deputy army chief Hun Manet, son of Prime Minister Hun Sen, had told Thai army chief-of-staff Dapong Rattanasuwan and 2nd Army chief Thawatchai Samutsakhon last Saturday that the pagoda would only be repaired as a residence for monks.

The pagoda was partly damaged during the recent border clashes.

Cambodian soldiers have built facilities to support reinforcements on the disputed part of Phu Ma Khua. They have ignored repeated protests from the Thai soldiers overlooking them from the hill top.

Cambodian soldiers are also building two new roads from Keo Sikha Kiri Savara to Phu Ma Khua in a bid to occupy as much of the disputed area as possible.

"Cambodia will not readily stop because they want to advance and occupy as many parts as possible before soldiers and observers arrive from Indonesia," the source said.

There have been a number of clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops at Phu Ma Khua. Cambodian soldiers attacked a Thai base on the hill on Feb 5 and seriously injured a soldier who later succumbed to his injuries.

While this reporter was taking photographs of Keo Sikha Kiri Savara yesterday, Cambodian soldiers fired two warning shots from the pagoda and another from Phu Ma Khua. Thai soldiers and the reporter then left the area. If the third shot had come from the pagoda, there would have been another clash, the source said.

A truce agreed between the military leaders of the two countries last week would not be honoured as Cambodian soldiers were poorly disciplined and had proved they would not hesitate in firing on Thai soldiers in their own territory, he said.

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Temple row to dog relations until WHC meets [-A war of SEMANTICS?]

Now shake hands like good boys: Overseen by Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa (centre), Cambodia’s Foreign Minister Hor Namhong (left) shakes hands with Thai counterpart Kasit Piromya in Jakarta on Tuesday.
25/02/2011
Saritdet Marukatat
Bangkok Post

Thailand benefits from the decision by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to dispatch Indonesian observers to both sides of the border with Cambodia.

Phnom Penh may claim victory from the outcome of Tuesday's meeting in Jakarta, to have a third party involved in the border spat with its neighbouring rival, when the Asean foreign ministers agreed to the future presence of the observers.

The meeting led by Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa welcomes "the invitation by both Cambodia and Thailand for observers from Indonesia, current chair of Asean, to respective sides of the affected areas of the Cambodia-Thailand border, to observe the commitment by both sides to avoid further armed clashes between them...," said the chair statement released after the talks. Indonesia holds the Asean chairmanship this year.

But Bangkok seems to benefit more from the decision, as the team of observers from Indonesia will put an end to Cambodian accusations of "Thai aggression" during the armed clashes which began on Feb 4.


Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong attacked Thailand at the United Nations Security Council on Feb 14, claiming Bangkok used "sophisticated weapons including cluster bombs" and artillery shells "20 kilometres inside" his country. Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya strongly denied this, claiming Thailand was hit first by Cambodian soldiers on that day and had the right to self-defence.

Stationing the observers is the best way to put an end to this trade in accusations between the two countries, and may help fend off future clashes at the border near the famous Preah Vihear temple.

Thailand's diplomatic move on the defensive side compared favourably with the aggressive tactics of Cambodia from the beginning of the border conflict early this month. Phnom Penh has been using all means at its disposal to convince the international community that a small country is being threatened and bullied by a bigger neighbour. The strategy has left Thailand able only to react to every charge made by Cambodia.

The duty of the observers will help Thailand as they will witness the reality on the ground at the fragile frontier.

Yet the most difficult part has yet to come, when Asean expects the two countries to sit down at the same table to settle the disputed area through negotiation. The main body tasked with responsibility on this issue is the Joint Boundary Commission set up specifically to demarcate the entire land border, including the controversial 4.6 square kilometre area near the 11th century Hindu temple. The JBC is jointly chaired by former career diplomat Asda Jayanama and Cambodia's top border negotiator, Var Kimhong.

Judging from the tone of the Thai and Cambodian foreign ministers at the Security Council meeting in New York last week, and by subsequent moves, the two countries occupy different positions over how the issue of the overlapping border area near the temple should be resolved.

Cambodian Prime Minster Hun Sen wants the issue to go to the International Court of Justice to make the ruling once and for all, but Thailand's position is to talk it over with Cambodia. The JBC's success hinges largely on warm diplomatic relations between the two countries, but the atmosphere right now is not conducive to either side's settling the issue. Hor Namhong strongly criticised Thailand at the Security Council, claiming hostilities were aimed at taking control of the area near the temple. Mr Kasit hit back, calling all moves by Phnom Penh a "Broadway play" with a plot to try every means to take the issue to the world court, despite already having the mechanism agreed upon by the two countries to end the dispute.

The exchange of words in New York leads to the easy prediction that the first JBC meeting after the border clashes will make no progress. The date for that meeting has not been set.

The hope now hinges on another channel: talks between the two countries' military leaders in another forum _ the General Border Committee chaired by the respective defence ministers, Prawit Wongsuwon and Teah Banh. Despite the armed conflict and border tension, military ties between the two countries at the top level have not been severed or devastated by the tension. They continue to maintain close contacts and relations between the two generals and are not as cool as their diplomatic counterparts'.

The next round of the GBC meeting will likely lead to a pledge by the defence ministers to order their commanders and soldiers at the frontier to end confrontation and restore peace at the border. That is the best the ministers in charge of defence can do right now.

The core problem of sovereignty over the disputed area is beyond its mandate. The issue will haunt both countries and Cambodia's efforts to put an end to this issue for good will intensify as the World Heritage Committee (WHC) meeting set for June draws nearer.

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Damage of The Temple Of Preah Vihear Caused by The Aggression of Thai Armed Forces

The following document by the Cambodian government provides details on the damages caused to the Preah Vihear temple from shelling by Thailand. The document also provides detailed information on the use of cluster bombs by the Thai army.

Damage to Preah Vihear Temple Caused by the Fighting

Click to Read More...

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ICJ Judgment on Preah Vihear in 1962 - Khmer translation

ICJ_Jundment_in_khmer__1962

Click here to download the entire document in Khmer (PDF)

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ICJ Judgment on Preah Vihear in 1962 - Khmer translation

ICJ_Jundment_in_khmer__1962

ICJ_Jundment_in_khmer__1962

Click here to download the entire document in Khmer (PDF)

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Preah Vihear: Indonesian team to monitor fragile truce between Bangkok and Phnom Penh

02/23/2011 15:29
AsiaNews.it

Indonesia, which holds ASEAN’s rotating presidency, is deploying a team to monitor the border between the two countries. It will include civilian and military personnel, who will move along and across the border. Still, no ceasefire has been put in place as Thailand pledges not to withdraw its troops.

Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Indonesia’s Defence Ministry is deploying an observer team to the disputed Thai-Cambodian border, which has recently seen violent clashes break out between soldiers of the two countries. The team is set to monitor the truce in place even though no mention has been made of a ceasefire.

Indonesia, which currently chairs the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN), will deploy observers on both sides of the border. “We're preparing observers for both sides,” Indonesian Defence Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said today.

It was reported yesterday that Bangkok and Phnom Penh had agreed on a truce but not on a ceasefire, and had asked Indonesia, the current chair of the ASEAN, to patrol the border.

Indonesia welcomed the request, announcing that it would send an advanced team to make “initial observations”. However, it added that its team would not be a peacekeeping or peace enforcement team. Observers, both military and civilian, would be unarmed.

Sources at Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry said that observer teams could use both helicopters and trucks and move in and out of the disputed area.

In the meantime, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva reiterated that Thailand would not give up the disputed area because the country has the right to protect its sovereignty and retaliate if its rights are violated.

Mr Abhisit said he would meet with a UNESCO delegation, expected on Friday, to explain the real causes of the crisis between Thailand and Cambodia.

The dispute began in 1962 when the International Court of Justice awarded the area with the ruins of the Preah Vihear Hindu temple to Cambodia, which is located atop a cliff surrounded by jungle claimed by Thailand. Given the nature of the terrain, it is impossible to reach the site directly from Cambodia.

After years of negotiations, the issue flared up in 2008 when UNESCO decided to make it a World Heritage Site, demanding Thailand allow access to the temple through its territory.

Since then, armed clashes have pitted soldiers from the two countries against one another. The last was in April 2009 and cost the lives of four Thai soldiers.

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UNESCO envoy to mediate on Preah Vihear temple in February

February 23, 2011
Xinhua

Koichiro Matsuura, the special envoy on the Preah Vihear Temple for the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), will travel to Bangkok and Phnom Penh between Feb. 25 and March 1 to talk on the temple's protection, the UN cultural arm said on Tuesday.

Matsuura, a former director-general of UNESCO (1999-2009), will discuss the safeguarding of the World Heritage site with the Thai and Cambodian prime ministers and seek ways to mitigate tension over the sovereignty of the temple, according to a statement issued by the Paris-based organization.

Irina Bokova, director-general of UNESCO, named Koichiro Matsuura on Feb. 11 as the special envoy to mediate the issue of Preah Vihear.

Preah Vihear Temple was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008 but sparked disputes between Thailand and Cambodia, both of which claim sovereignty over the 11th century temple.

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"Spectacular" Panoramic Views of Preah Vihear by Thierry Merré

Click the link below to view static pictures:

http://thierrymerre.com/photographer/?p=278

Click the following link to view the 360 degrees panorama:

http://thierrymerre.com//panoramic/preahvihear_F-2/index.html

Thank you Thierry for sharing!

Merci, Monsieur!

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"Spectacular" Panoramic Views of Preah Vihear by Thierry Merré

Click the link below to view static pictures:

http://thierrymerre.com/photographer/?p=278

Click the following link to view the 360 degrees panorama:

http://thierrymerre.com//panoramic/preahvihear_F-2/index.html

Thank you Thierry for sharing!

Merci, Monsieur!

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Thai-Cambodian Clash Requires Intervention

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Thai-Cambodian Clash Requires Intervention

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Hor Nam Hong, Cambodian Foreingn Minister will meet with security council to report on clashed with Thai troops

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