The Thai side has proposed the temporary closure -- starting from the morning of 7 February 2011 -- of the [Thai] permanent border gate at Chong Chom, Kap Cheung district, in Surin province; and the [Cambodian] international border gate at O Smach in Samrong city, Oddar Meanchey province." The situation at some parts of the Cambodian-Thai border in the provinces of Banteay Meanchey and Oddar Meanchey is intermittently tense, calm, and normal. Other issues, including the evacuation of people from border villages continue.
Ngoy Chieng, deputy police chief of police post at O Smach international border gate, told Reaksmei Kampuchea on 7 February that the Thai side has proposed to the Cambodian side the closure of the border gate for a period of time while the border situation is most tense at the borders of Preah Vihear Temple and in Oddar Meanchey province. He further said that the Thai side did not really give a clear explanation on the closure saying only that it is to prevent confusion at the gate. Cambodian citizens involving in various businesses in Chong Chom market adjoining the border at this pass have returned to Cambodia with their valuables.
One-star General Lo Mithuna, deputy chief of the Cambodian-Thai relation office, told Reaksmei Kampuchea on 6 February that movements of Thai troops opposite border markers 13, 14, and 15 (in O Smach area) had turns the situation at this border gate into trouble.
Im Phon Sophal, deputy governor of Banteay Meanchey province, told Reaksmei Kampuchea on 7 February that there were news that some Cambodian citizens in Sangkat Poipet have decided to leave by themselves after hearing of, and out of concern following three armed clashes between Cambodian and Thai troops on 4 February afternoon, and on 5 and 7 February.
Im Phoan Sophal, deputy governor of Banteay Meanchey province, further said that according to some sources, women and children have been evacuated from the communes of Kouk Romiet and Banteay Chhma of Thmar Puok district, leaving only men to look after houses. He will continue to look into this.
Yot Rai, police chief of Thmar Puok district, however, told Reaksmei Kampuchea on 7 February that people living in the villages of O Kambot village, Boeng Ta Srei (Mahosrop), and Tamang in Kouk Romiet communes, and the villages of Prasat Tbaeng, Dang Rek (Thnung) in Banteay Chhma commune of Thmar Puok district, are determined to stick with and not to desert troops and po lice defending the border, and not to leave their houses.
None of the people living along the border in the following villages have left yet: Samraong (near border marker 35) and Banteay Mean Rit (near border markers 35 and 36 and Boeng Trakuon area), the villages of Boeng Sokrom and Kdoep Thmar in Kouk Romiet commune. They have only taken precaution, packing their belongings and valuables. Those who are better off have left, however.
Khou Peuv, chief of Svay Chek district, told Reaksmei Kampuchea that the district's unified command has made preparations to accommodate villagers from the border if they were afraid and wanted to move out of their areas. So far, however, people living the villages of Chamka Kor, Damnak Kakaoh, Lbaeuk Svay, and Chak Puok, have not yet left. Thai border police has kept in touch with Cambodian border defense police and troops to avoid the border situation from becoming tense.
At the border in O Chrov district, in the commune of O Bei Choan, the Thai side has made arrangements for Cambodian traders to take their paddy for sale through various border points, including the one at Chokchey-Nong Chan near border marker 46 -- the sensitive point where Thai politicians and yellow-shirt demonstrators created havoc on 29 December 2010.
People living along the border in Oddar Meanchey province adjoining the border with Thailand's provinces of Buriram, Surin, and Sisaket, continue to be evacuated since the evening of 6 February to 7 February. All the citizens living in the villages of east and west Chup Koki in Ampil commune have left; they started to leave by themselves since 4 February evening to Dey Bak area at the foot of Dangrek mountain. They are now moving deeper and away from the border. Villagers of Rumduol in the same commune at the foot of the Dangrek Mountain, have also left.
Villagers in Thmar Don of Kouk Mon commune of the same district [Banteay Ampil] are still leaving the area, with only a number of men staying behind.
People in various villages in Sangkat O Smach of Samraong town, who were evacuated from their houses on O Smach hill, were still hurriedly moving out on 6 February.
Those living in the following villages have all been evacuated: villages at the foot of the hill, and soldiers' families at Kbal Tonsaong in Trapeang Prey commune adjoining Choam international border gate in Anlung Veng district.
Those living in Anlung Veng township have also been evacuated, turning this small town of the former territory of hard-line Khmer Rouge into a desolate place.
The Reaksmei Kampuchea report in Cambodian on 8 February also talks about "successive dispatches of Thai reinforcement troops and heavy weapons to the border", saying:
Various sources have told Reaksmei Kampuchea on 7 February that on this afternoon some 30-truck-loads of regular Thai soldiers with artillery pieces were deployed to Dan village in Kap Cheung district, Surin province, near the permanent border gate at Chong Chom-O Smach international border gate. This is a further sign of tension along the border in this area after Thai mechanical equipment yesterday [ 6 February] prevented Cambodian machines from digging trenches at Chamka Svay Chanti in Sangkat O Smach near border markers 13-14.
The Thai side also ordered all Cambodian citizens doing business in Chong Chom market adjoining the border to leave by 1400 [ 0700 GMT] on 7 February.
According to sources, in Aranyaprathet district of Srah Kaev province, opposite [Cambodia's] Malai district in Banteay Meanchey province, on 7 February afternoon, some 30 black-clad Thai soldiers were dispatched to dig new trenches opposite the post at Kbal Tumnoup of border police unit 815 in O Sampoar commune. The number of Thai regular soldiers has also been increased at asphalted road number 2, some five-six kilometers inside Thai territory, opposite Malai district. Thai soldiers have also positioned artillery pieces against Cambodian territory on a hill opposite Boeng Robang commune. This border point has also been closed to traffic. The border pass in Malai area, however, is till open to business as usual.
Tep Khunnal, chief of Malai district, told Reaksmei Kampuchea that after checking, there is no increased presence of Thai troops along the border in his district.
Sources at the border also told Reaksmei Kampuchea that the Thai authorities at the border have instructed male citizens to set up checkpoints and defend their localities during tense periods.
Thai citizens in the district of Kouk Thyoung and Tapraya have received the above instructions.
Prak Sam, chief of the border police post at Boeng Trakuon, told Reaksmei Kampuchea on 7 February that today [ 7 February], alarmed by the border situation, the Thai authorities intermittently ordered its border gate open and close. By 1220 the same afternoon, the two border gates were closed because the Cambodian side stopped issuing any passes to Cambodian citizens to cross into Thailand.
The sources also said that a number Cambodian Buddhist monks studying in Thailand have reluctantly decided to leave because of the tense border situation. Dozens of them have returned to Cambodia through Poipet international border gate since 5 February.
The military situation at the border in Thmar Da commune in Veal Veng commune of Pousat province, seemed to have heated up on 6 and 7 February, because more black-clad Thai soldiers were brought in and moved close to the border, along with the positioning of three 105-mm artillery pieces opposite our Cambodian armed forces' posts.
According to frontline sources, at 1500 on 6 February 2011, another 20 black-clad Thai soldiers were added to those stationed opposite Chey Chumneah bridge. Some three kilometers away from the border, Thai troops were moving back and forth with the sound of gunfire heard. The Thai side said this was part of the military exercise's firing.
The sources, said that Thai troops dragged and positioned three 105-mm guns between the posts at Chey Chumneah bridge and Veal Kduoch.
On 7 February, another 15 Thai soldiers were stationed opposite Ta Koch post. There is, however, no problem as of 7 February afternoon.
No comments:
Post a Comment