16 October 2008

Thai border dispute claims two lives

PHNOM PENH ââ¬' Army chiefs from Thailand and Cambodia will hold talks in an attempt to resolve the border dispute which led to soldiers exchanging shots and rocket-fire.

Cambodia claims two of its soldiers were killed yesterday in clashes near the ancient Preah Vihear temple.

Reports from Bangkok indicated seven Thai soldiers were wounded and another 10 are missing, believed captured by Cambodian forces.

The Thai army has brought in 500 reinforcements and heavy weapons and says it is ready for battle, while the Foreign Ministry claims it is prepared to take Cambodia to the United Nations and the International Court of Justice over sovereignty of the disputed border area near Preah Vihear temple.

The fighting prompted Thailand to urge its nationals to leave Cambodia.

Thai Airways International has prepared large aircraft to evacuate all Thais in Cambodia if the situation worsens.

There are about 1,000 Thais in Phnom Penh and about 500 in Siem Reap, according to the foreign ministry.

Reports of the fighting will further damage Thailandââ¬â¢s tourism sector which is already suffering from political violence in the capital.

Thailand and Cambodia both claim they own the area around the temple, which became a Unesco World Heritage site in June, reigniting lingering nationalist tensions.

The two countries have failed to reach a settlement, despite several rounds of talks.

UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon said he was "deeply concerned" by the violence and urged both sides to show restraint.

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• Tourists Need Not Worry!
  
  

  This sad excuse for conflict, which has now accumulated several dead soldiers, should not concern tourists visiting either Cambodia or Thailand for it is not, yet, part of the usual tourism routes in either country. The problems are exarcerbated by the ongoing political turmoil in Bangkok city, again away from the usual tourist haunts, which means the Thai government cannot attempt an amicable settlement of the border dispute because of its weakened political position. It should be remembered that there are long outstanding points of friction between Cambodia and Thailand which have rarely, in the past, affected tourists directly. Visit without fear, except around Preah Vihear.

  By Jon Hewson, Sunday, October 19, 2008