Soldiers Die As Thailand, Cambodia Clash For 2nd Day

[Prometheus Bound]

Source: AP via NPR

Soldiers Die As Thailand, Cambodia Clash For 2nd Day

by The Associated Press
April 23, 2011

Thai and Cambodian troops fired shells and small arms across the countries' border Saturday, killing at least 10 soldiers in a two-day clash.

The fighting with mostly long-distance shelling, resumed about 6 a.m. after a nighttime lull and halted by noon, both countries said. Cambodia also accused the Thai army of firing shells with poison gas, an allegation that could not be independently verified and that Thailand rejected.

Friday's fighting was the first reported border clash since February, when eight soldiers and civilians were killed near Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple. The new clashes took place about 100 miles west of there.

A Cambodian defense ministry statement Saturday accused Thailand of seeking to seize two ancient temples and said Thai aircraft supported the attacks, including reconnaissance planes that "flew deep into Cambodia's airspace." The statement also said Thailand had fired 75 and 105 mm shells "loaded with poisonous gas" into Cambodian territory, but did not elaborate.

Read more: http://www.npr.org/2011/04/23/135653267/thailand-cambodia-clash-for-2nd-day-toll-rises-to-10

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The Thai Military's Latest Sortie
Saturday, 23 April 2011

<snip>

.......The current tit-for-tat accusation has exhausted analysts who are monitoring the tense situation along the Thai-Cambodian border. One the surface, it is just another violent breakout between the two estranged neighbors. At a deeper level however, it indicates an increasingly agonizing state of Thai domestic politics.

First, the Good Friday clashes have provided another much-needed opportunity for the Thai military to take full control of foreign policy vis-à-vis what is perceived to be the country's number-one enemy. Over the past months, the Thai army has been wrestling hard with the Foreign Ministry for the overall domination of foreign policy toward Cambodia. For the army, taking over foreign policy is crucial, as this guarantees its political role as well as authority in the decision-making process.

The clashes also took place at the right time. Instability, and even war, along the border would justify the military's request to UNESCO for the postponement of the discussion of Cambodia's management plan in the surrounding Preah Vihear area. The 35th World Heritage Committee (WHC) will be meeting from June 19-29, in Paris. Thailand has insisted that the 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area must be demarcated before talks on management can begin. A new round of armed conflict with Cambodia is possibly a deliberate act to derail the WHC agenda.

Above all, the armed confrontation has highlighted the essential notion of national security. According to the Thai traditional view, in time of crisis the country needs a strong army to ward off external threats. Taking this view, the military could have criticized the Abhisit Vejjajiva government for insisting to exercise diplomatic means to achieve peace. .....
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3145&Itemid=442

[izquierdista]

1. I wonder.....

Do the weapons being fired have "Made in U.S.A." stamped on them?

[dizbukhapeter]

3. Of course

Thailand uses American equipment, the standard service rifle is the m16. But thats not relevant. Thailand has history of violating border boundaries and aggressive border incursions against its neighbors. They tried to invade Laos at Ban RomKlao but their inexperienced conscripts were massacred by the dug in Laotians.

[HereSince1628]

2. Another war for religion?

"accused Thailand of seeking to seize two ancient temples"

Maybe less desire to own temples and more mindfulness training for the leaders in both countries.

[jwirr]

4. Oh, great now our old wars are coming back to haunt us. Somewhere

along the line we are going to have to take a look at this world movement to democracy and explain to protesters that if they are not strong enough to overthrow their governments on their own then the world cannot help them. At least we cannot enter a war in each and every country that has a group of protesters large enough to get in the news. We are overstretched already and it is destroying our ability to do the things that are needed at home. For anyone who is old enough to remember South and Central America pre-1960s they voted via a takeover every so often and we did not join in - at least not in the form of military actions. I am sure that our CIA was busy creating the world they wanted behind the scenes. Today that part of the world is much more stable than it was then.

[musette_sf]

5. my thoughts exactly