Reuters AlertNet Lite - CAMBODIA: Residents flee as war fears stirred up

Reuters AlertNet Full site

NEWSDESK

CAMBODIA: Residents flee as war fears stirred up

20 Oct 2008 13:21:44 GMT
Source: IRIN

Background

• Cambodia recovery

PHNOM PENH AND PREAH VIHEAR, 20 October 2008 (IRIN) - After three Cambodian soldiers were killed in an intense gun battle with Thai troops at Veal Antri on 15 October, Cambodians have been fleeing their homes at the border, fearing more violence.

At the same time, several hundred Thai residents have left the country.

"Everyone left last week and there are not many people left. I fear for my safety. Someone could break into my home," Kosal, who owns a guesthouse in the border town of O'Smach, told IRIN.

Robbers have taken advantage of the situation, stealing motorbikes and raising fears that homes could be looted, the Phnom Penh Post reported on 17 October.

The gunfire exchange came during a three-month border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand over the ownership of the Preah Vihear temple.

"This panic is a natural reaction to the noise of the clash, because Cambodians have been used to peace for over a decade," Ngoeun Pen, adviser to the Council of Ministers in Cambodia, told IRIN.

Pen could not confirm reports, however, that border residents were fleeing.

Reports indicate troops fired small arms and rocket launchers, with one Thai army helicopter opening fire on Cambodian troops. Neither side took responsibility for firing first.

Both governments have attempted several negotiations since July – including seeking intervention from the UN Security Council – but have found no solution. The Cambodian government has rejected calls for mediation by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), citing Thailand's leadership role in the regional bloc.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen issued an ultimatum on 13 October to the Thai government to remove its troops or risk "full-scale armed conflict".

Since the 15 October battle, he has not mentioned the ultimatum, instead urging Cambodians living in border towns to remain calm while both sides engage in talks.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon expressed concern over the exchange of gunfire, urging both sides to "exercise utmost restraint" and "expedite bilateral talks so that their differences can be resolved peacefully".

Both sides have been digging trenches and increasing their troop presence before the scheduled negotiations, the Phnom Penh Post reported on 20 October.

Retribution fears

An estimated 500 to 700 Thai nationals out of 1,400 have left Cambodia, Kamrob Palawatwichai, press secretary for the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, told IRIN.

Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat advised Thai nationals to return home if it is not "immediately necessary" for them to stay in Cambodia. An evacuation plan was also in place should tensions escalate.

"Under Cambodian law, Thai nationals are protected along with all foreigners," Pen told IRIN. "We do not express any anger towards Thais over the clash as we seek a peaceful resolution."

"I am worried about the situation, but mostly as a precaution," one Thai citizen living in Cambodia, who requested her name not be revealed, told IRIN.

But unlike some, she sees no need to leave the country because she thinks no immediate threat exists.

The tensions stir up memories of anti-Thai riots in 2003 that led to the torching of the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh. The riots began when false reports were circulated that a Thai celebrity claimed the famed Angkor Wat temple was of Thai heritage, prompting Cambodian demonstrators to take to the streets, destroying Thai businesses.

"None of us expected the small problems would become so big," the woman told IRIN. "There were no winners in the situation. Thais lost good feelings, good friends, property, and almost some lives.

"I know most Cambodians are not extremely nationalistic, and that we can find a more intelligent way to solve this problem," she added. "My generation of Thais doesn't care about getting Preah Vihear. It's just stones."

She is one of the first Thai nationals to arrive in Cambodia, having settled in 1990 when the country was still closed under Hun Sen.

"Back then, I never felt tensions between Thais and Cambodians. Cambodians referred to us [Thais] as long-lost brothers and sisters," she said, referring to the first arrival of foreigners after the country was closed under the Maoist Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1979.

gc/mw

Email this article Send comments

Emergencies

• Cambodia recovery

MORE >>

NGO latest

• MAG welcomes verdict in Khmer Rouge murder trial
MAG - UK

• Christian Children's Fund Expands Work to Cambodia
CCF - International

• MAG welcomes Khmer Rouge trial
MAG - UK

• MAG Cambodia - August update
MAG - UK

• ADRA Attends Anti-Human Trafficking Forum to Discuss Solutions
ADRA - International

MORE >>

Latest news

• CAMBODIA: Residents flee as war fears stirred up

• Cambodia on track to become refugee model for Southeast Asia

• Thai protesters march ahead of Thaksin land ruling

• THAILAND: UN joins government in anti-poverty drive

• Cambodian PM says Thai border clash won't get worse

MORE >>

IRIN news

Background information

Briefings

Cambodia recovery - [Who works where]

Facts & figures

Cambodia

Thailand

Statistics graphs

Landmine casualties (2004)

View more stats

Breaking stories

CAMBODIA: Residents flee as war fears stirred up (1 minute ago)

Cambodia on track to become refugee model for Southeast Asia (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight

East Asian cities urged to get ready for climate change (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed

MAG welcomes verdict in Khmer Rouge murder trial (1 minute ago)

Blogs

Dancing, DIY saunas help Thai elderly cope with AIDS (1 minute ago)

Maps

MAP: Thailand - Cambodia conflict (16 October 2008) (1 minute ago)

Del.icio.us | Digg

Digg |

NewsVine | Reddit

Latest images

Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-10-19T070615Z_01_PPH05_RTRIDSP_2_CAMBODIA-THAILAND_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/PPH05.htm

Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-10-19T070053Z_01_PPH04_RTRIDSP_2_CAMBODIA-THAILAND_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/PPH04.htm

Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-10-19T065753Z_01_PPH01_RTRIDSP_2_CAMBODIA-THAILAND_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/PPH01.htm

Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-10-19T065716Z_01_PPH02_RTRIDSP_2_CAMBODIA-THAILAND_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/PPH02.htm

Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-10-17T060513Z_01_BAN03_RTRIDSP_2_THAILAND_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/BAN03.htm

Thai troops and Cambodia troops talk on the top of Phnom Trop mountain, near the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom ...

More pictures | Galleries

Last updated:Mon Oct 20 13:22:40 2008

Background

Emergencies

NGO latest

Latest news

Background information

Related articles