Local Paper Discusses Situation Along Border, 'Abnormal' Thai Troop Movement

Phnom Penh 24 January 2011 -- Koh Santepheap

According to the Bangkok Post newspaper on 23 January, Thai Prime Minister Aphisit Vechachiva ordered the chief of the Thai military to communicate with Cambodian troops stationed in the Prasat Preah Vihear temple area and at Kaev Soekha Kirisvara monastery to dismantle the rock bearing the inscription in Cambodian saying 'Thai troops committing aggression against Cambodian territory.

Prime Minister Aphisit Vechachiva said with the belief that there would certainly be no problem with request for the removal of the inscribed rock. Aphisit said this again in the rebroadcast on [Thai television station] NBT at 2030 on 23 January to explain to the Thai people the efforts of his government and the armed forces to assist the seven Thai nationals detained in Cambodia accused of illegally sneaking into Cambodian territory.

He further said that his government will continue effort to help Virak Soumkhvamkhit, leader of the yellow-shirt group, who has been refused bail with continued payment of fine by the Cambodian tribunal.
According to reports from the Prasat Preah Vihear temple area, military officials said that the situation has put all units stationed at the frontline in a state of heightened vigilance and that Cambodia has refused all demands. Cambodian military officials said that we have already received the demand messages from the Thai side but we cannot comply with those demands.

Cambodian troops are now in a ready situation in the even there is tension resulting from those demands. We defend Cambodia's territorial integrity and do not recognize any Thai 4.6 [square-kilometer] area. Along with the cropping up of new problems, the temperature in the Prasat Preah Vihear temple is cold, 13 degrees Celsius.

It has been observed that, while all the positions of the Cambodian troops are on high alert, abnormal troop movement are also observed in Thai territory.

Sar Thavi, deputy governor of Preah Vihear province, who led the work to have the inscription and sign installed on 8 January, said that the sign put up on the rock in the middle of Kaev Soekha Kirisvara monastery with the inscription 'This Is the Place of Thai Aggression', had received the lofty permission of the head of the Royal Government of Cambodia, and also the consent of the unified military command of the Fourth Military Region, and of the first sector at Prasat Preah Vihear temple. The sign, a 0.90 by 1.80 meter marble slab, was put up on 3 January 2011 and inscribed in large golden characters. The sign faces east in the direction of the temple's fifth enclosure.