War Brewing In South East Asia Because Of A Ruin

Tension between Thailand and Cambodia, South East Asian countries has been going on for a while and finally a gunfight erupted between their troops. If this issue is not handled properly, it could turn into a serious armed conflict and eventually war.

The station of troops by both sides is not on border dispute but on a ruin site where a 11th century temple named Preah Vihear sit on and was recently named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Any World Heritage Site has potential to generate hard cold cash in term of tourism revenue which both Thailand and Cambodia are desperate for.

About Preah Vihear

One of the most spectacular sights in Cambodia, Prasat Preah Vihear is set in a stunning location at the top of a 550metre (1500ft) cliff right on the Thai Border. Until October 2003 this site was extremely difficult to reach on the Cambodian Side.

Preah Vihear achieved notoriety as it was the the stage for the final surrender of the Khmer Rouge in 1998. The area is still littered with land mines and shell holes.

There is an old field gun still up there as a reminder of the war and until recently there was the remains of a helicopter which crashed here at the time of the surrender. (the Crashed helicopter is now at the war museum in Siem Reap)

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From XinHua News Agency: Cambodia protests to Thailand over border gunfight

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia protested to Thailand on Saturday about Friday's border shooting incident, which was the first clash between the two countries in the more than two-month-long border dispute.

"On Oct. 3, 2008, at 15:30, a group of Thai soldiers entered Cambodian territory in the area of Phnom Trap and fired gunshots from M.79 at the Cambodian troops stationed at Veal Intry area on Phnom Trap hill side, located approximately 2,000 meters to the west of Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda (in the area of Preah Vihear Temple)," said Cambodia's Foreign Ministry in a letter to the Thai Embassy which was obtained by Xinhua.

"The shooting resulted in the injury of one Cambodian soldier from Brigade No 43," the letter said, adding that Cambodian troops returned fire in self defense, which was followed by a brief exchange of gunfire between the sides.

"The Royal Government of Cambodia considers the above act by Thai soldiers as a serious armed provocation, contrary to the commitment to exercise utmost restraint made during the Meetings of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the two countries on July 28, 2008 at Siem Reap, Cambodia and on Aug. 18-19, 2008 at Cha-am, Thailand," the letter said.

The Cambodian government strongly protests against this "deplorable and intentional armed provocation" by Thai soldiers, it said.

Such armed provocation by Thai soldiers could lead to very grave consequences, including "full scale armed hostility" which would adversely affect the present efforts of the two governments to seek out a peaceful and amicable solution to the current border problems, it added.

Meanwhile, Cambodian officials said the area was calm Saturday and that an investigative committee was inspecting the area to determine how the incident occurred since troops on both sides have been ordered not to fire.

Thai new Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat is scheduled to visitCambodia on Oct. 13, which is a routine visit to ASEAN (the Association of South East Asian Nations) members after he was elected as Thai leader.

Cambodian Information Minister and government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said late Friday that the exchange of fire would not affect the visit of Thai Prime Minister to Cambodia.

The border row between the two neighbors erupted after Cambodia's arrest of three Thai nationalist protesters on July 15, whom authorities allegedly crossed illegally into Cambodia close to thedisputed Preah Vihear temple site.

Since then, Thailand and Cambodia have been building up their forces near the temple and tensions have escalated, spreading to other temple sites along the border.

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From CNN: Thai and Cambodian troops wounded in clash

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -- Soldiers from both Cambodia and Thailand were wounded Friday in a brief clash along their volatile border, officials from the two countries said.

Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said a Cambodian soldier was slightly wounded when Thai troops fired a grenade from their territory. He said Cambodian troops returned fire, with the "military incident" lasting less than a minute.

Thai officials initially denied knowledge of the incident, but a Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman later said Cambodian troops had encroached on Thai territory and had been the first to fire, wounding two Thai troops.

Tensions along the normally peaceful border between Cambodia and Thailand flared on July 15 after UNESCO, the U.N. cultural agency, approved Cambodia's application to have a disputed 11th century temple named a World Heritage Site. Friday's clash took place about two miles (three kilometers) west of the temple, Preah Vihear.

A spokesman for Cambodia's Cabinet, Phay Siphan, said the incident began after Cambodian troops intercepted a trespassing Thai patrol. He said the Thai troops retreated in response to a warning from the Cambodians, but then fired the grenade.

Cambodian troops returned fire with AK-47 assault rifles, with the exchange of fire lasting three to five minutes, he said.

Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said Friday evening that the Thai troops had been patrolling in their own territory when they encountered the Cambodian soldiers.

"The Cambodian troops shot at the Thai troops first, wounding two soldiers. One Cambodian soldier was also wounded after the Thais responded," he said.

Lt. Gen. Wiboonsak Ngeepan, the regional army commander for northeastern Thailand, said it was unclear if the Cambodians intruded intentionally or had strayed into Thailand because "the area is dense forest."

Both countries have long claimed Preah Vihear, but the World Court awarded it to Cambodia in 1962.

After UNESCO approved the temple's listing as a World Heritage Site, Thailand sent troops to occupy the nearby Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda, also claimed by Cambodia.

Cambodia responded with its own troop deployment. The two sides came close to a shootout on July 17 when Cambodian monks sought to celebrate Buddhist lent in the pagoda.

Troops on both sides raised their weapons, but no shots were fired, and the Cambodians eventually backed down.

Since then there has been a limited troop withdrawal from the area, and talks have been held several times on resolving the conflicting claims, but without much progress.

Before Friday's clash was reported, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh told reporters that he and Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat would travel to Cambodia on Oct. 13 to discuss the border issue with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

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