Hun Sen orders army to shoot Thai trespasses

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Hun Sen orders army to shoot Thai trespasses

Published: 29/09/2009 at 12:36 AM
Online news: Asia

Phnom Penh - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered his troops on Monday to shoot any trespassers in a simmering border dispute with Thailand and angrily blasted the neighbouring nation's territorial claims.

Cambodian PM Hun Sen

His remarks came a little over a week after Thai protesters rallied at the disputed border area near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, the site of clashes that have killed seven soldiers since tensions flared last year.

"If they enter again, they will be shot," Mr Hun Sen told officials who applauded as he publicly ordered troops along the border to fire against civilian or military "invader enemies" who illegally enter Cambodia.

"Troops, police and all armed forces must adhere to the order... for invaders, shields are not used but bullets are used," Mr Hun Sen said in the speech at the opening ceremony for Cambodia's new Ministry of Tourism building.

Mr Hun Sen also lambasted Thailand's claim to the disputed 4.6 square kilometres of land around Preah Vihear, saying he may raise it at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) meeting next month.

"This is a unilateral claim with the ambition of occupying Cambodian territory... If the Thai prime minister put the (unilaterally-drawn) map in front of me, I would tear it," Mr Hun Sen told the audience.

"Cambodia does not want war, but Cambodia deserves the right to destroy enemies in its territory," he said, adding that he would take the issue to the UN Security Council in the case of any aggressive action by Thailand.

Cambodia and Thailand have been at loggerheads over the land around the Preah Vihear temple for decades, but tensions spilled over into violence last July when the temple was granted UN World Heritage status.

Although the World Court ruled in 1962 that it belonged to Cambodia, the most accessible entrance to the ancient Khmer temple with its crumbling stone staircases and elegant carvings is in northeastern Thailand.

Soldiers from Cambodia and Thailand continue to patrol the area, with the last gunbattle near the temple area in April leaving three people dead. The border between the two countries has never been fully demarcated, in part because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia.

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HEY

Discussion 86 : 06/10/2009 at 01:05 PM86
To those who think that giving a little bit and gain some by asking one country to give up a bit of land to put the problem at ease.

That's not gonna work, you could share the cake but you can't spare the land. I am not trying to stir things up but this is the reality........No one will be willing to give up their own land and that's how we born as a human being.
MMouse

Discussion 85 : 06/10/2009 at 09:50 AM85
Wake up people!! WHY are you getting so upset about this tiny unimportant bit of land. There are many places the border needs to be negotiated it will only be done when BOTH sides give and take a little. Accept the small losses and be happy with the gains. Don't be so greedy to think you can always win.
The real reason it is all blown up so big is because it's a political diversion.
What's more important this piece of land, no bigger than some phu yai's garden or the economy and how much money you have?
What's more important achieving democracy and stamping out corruption or how many tourists visit this old obscure temple?
This is all about distracting you all away from the really important things. It's probably the oldest form of propaganda, you find an enemy and everyone joins together and forgets about the embarrasing, inconvienient, tricky things that you don't want them to think about.
Don't let them keep fooling you.
Nick

Discussion 84 : 05/10/2009 at 11:37 PM84
Education is improtant for leaders!!!!!!!!!!!

It's all about monies...

Leader can have their own agenda...

Creat job to keep people bussies and you have bigger GDP less killing
Raymon

Discussion 83 : 05/10/2009 at 11:00 PM83
Come on Peter. Good faith is a just in dictionary now. The relationship between Cambodia and Thai is so boiling... Thai Soldiers burned a Cambodian Boy alive; the Cambodian Village-Soldiers wait for an opportunity to revenge.
Now, Cambodia PM order them to shoot to kill.
Those soldiers are pleased to take this order with a big smile.
Peter Quinlan

Discussion 82 : 04/10/2009 at 09:43 PM82
There exists here a real opportunity for both sides to show good faith and common sense.

There are, not one, but several areas where the Thai/Cambodian border is not yet agreed. Why not negotiate for some wins each way. Both governments will be able to crow about their successes, both governments will be able to close their border disputes file once and for all, and we can all get on with far more important matters.
Dr Ajun

Discussion 81 : 04/10/2009 at 09:10 PM81
What is it about people of any race, creed and colour, who think that a man - any man - has the right to order the shooting of others?

Any act of aggression will only compound the problem. Cambodia in this region was originally Thailand - who cares? Conquered Nations are conquered nations and the history books are only ever written by the victors, not the vanquished.

The temple is not the strategic important piece, what is important is that all people should put aside what idiots called politicians rant about and simply allow mixed communities to live in peace. It is untenable that a head of state condones 'shooting' of foreigners or Thai's - what sort of fool are Cambodian allowing to run their country.

And Thailand with its political thugs are no better. Both countries are extremely corrupt and run by corrupt governments and politicians. In this case the Thai Prime Minister is the yet to be proven corrupt as opposed to the Cambodian Prime Minister who is openly corrupt. Don't blame yellow shirt Thais (who are not the thugs here as opposed to their red shirt counterparts) and don't blame the Cambodian people. What is expressed her is ONE man's directive and it is totally WRONG - Wake both sides, get a life!
Mak

Discussion 80 : 04/10/2009 at 11:14 AM80
I like to said that, Thais like people who haven't slept but pretend to slept. So it's so difficult to wake these people up.

The ICJ issued the verdict that the temple is belong to Cambodia and order Thais to leave the surrounding area. The Thais then manipulate the word SURROUNDING AREA is just one meter from the temple's foundation. And this lead them to draw their own map unilaterally.

Thais know well about ICJ's judgement is base on map drawn by French-Siam committee which recognized internationally even their predecessor government but they turn into blind eye, blind ear every time when Cambodia talk about the verdict and map(French-Siam), that is why I said it so difficult to wake people who haven't slept up.

The reason that Thais don't want the issue bring to multilateral talk like ASEAN or UN because they know for sure that what they have talk, talking and going to talk is baseless according to international law.
www

Discussion 79 : 04/10/2009 at 04:19 AM79
Paula, the international court would have to take into account where the temple is situated. It would be disastrous to have a court ruling without considering the territory. Here is the court ruling. Read it carefully.

http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?sum=284&code=ct&p1=3&p2=3&case=45&k=46&p3=5
Paula

Discussion 78 : 02/10/2009 at 07:02 PM78
To Chris,
The World Court ruled in 1962 that only the temple belonged to Cambodia, not the surrounding land which has been illegally occupied by Khmer's people!!
This is nothing about democratic way but it is the result from our previous corrupted Thakky government who turned blind eyes because of the conflict interest....shame on Thakky's government!!
khcrew

Discussion 77 : 02/10/2009 at 07:02 PM77
maybe cambodia shoud draw a map say bangkok belong to khmer so we got the right to occupied there and tell all thia to move does that make sence? if the area belong to thia why so scare to take the cast to the world court huh.....scare that thialand will lost? shamefull state!!!

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Hun Sen orders army to shoot Thai trespasses