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2009-08-19T20:41:00.002+07:00

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[PIMEX] Phnom Penh Post: Imports inspector ends contract

2009-05-20T23:55:00.002+07:00

Imports inspector ends contract Print
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Written by Kay Kimsong
Wednesday, 20 May 2009

*French company BIVAC set to leave Cambodia after finishing customs
operations in the Kingdom at the end of April, as Government says it has
acquired necessary expertise.*
090520_14.jpg
Photo by: *TRACEY SHELTON *
A lorry moves containers at Phnom Penh's dry port in this file photo.
French company BIVAC has finished its contract with Cambodia. The
government determined it now has sufficient capacity to undertake
pre-shipment inspections.

THE government will not renew its contract with BIVAC, the French
company contracted in April 2006 to undertake pre-shipment inspections
on goods imported from ASEAN nations.

Kun Nhem, the Customs and Excise deputy director general, told the Post
on Tuesday the government now has qualified staff that can do the job.

"The contract is finished and as of May 1 importers should not pay fees
to BIVAC," he said. "The contract ended officially on April 30. We are
now qualified to check the original prices of goods in the country of
origin for all shipments."

Pre-shipment inspection is the practice of employing specialised private
firms to check the price, quantity and quality of goods ordered from
another country.

Kun Nhem said the Kingdom had outsourced its pre-shipment inspection
role longer than any other ASEAN nation inspector, and noted that
import-tax revenues for May were unchanged compared with those months
for which BIVAC was responsible.

"Having BIVAC is the same as not having BIVAC," he concluded.

Kun Nhem said that under the BIVAC system, importers paid a fee to the
company for the service, and BIVAC's agents in the nations from where
goods were shipped would check the shipment.

"Now without BIVAC the importers are happy because they don't have to
incur this fee," he said, adding that the service added to the price
paid by consumers.

An office worker at BIVAC's Cambodia office confirmed that the firm
ceased pre-inspection work on May 1.

----------------------------------------------------------

Without BIVAC the importers are happy ... they don't have to incur
this fee.

----------------------------------------------------------

She said BIVAC charged importers US$250 for a 40-foot container, and
$200 for a 20-foot container, with a maximum charge of $500. She
referred all other questions to her managers, but the Post was unable to
contact them.

Chan Sophal, the president of the Cambodian Economic Association, said
cutting out BIVAC would benefit importers, and agreed that local
officials were technically able to take over the PSI role.

"Whether they have the will to do it is another matter," he said.

Chan Sophal said the government should take other measures to ensure
that revenue from customs fees ended up in the Treasury. He said low
salaries paid to Customs officials resulted in some keeping revenues for
themselves.

"With the economic downturn, the government should look at cutting
spending - such as spending on companies like BIVAC," he said. "And
corrupt customs officials take more money for their own pockets than
they hand to the nation."

He said officials should stop taking advantage of their positions and
should realise the revenue is needed to develop the country in a time of
economic crisis.

Tyre importer Kong Nuon, the chairman of the Kong Nuon Import and Export
Company, said the termination of BIVAC's contract had made the import
process easier and cheaper.

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Phnom Penh Post: Imports inspector ends contract

2009-05-20T23:55:00.001+07:00

Written by Kay Kimsong
Wednesday, 20 May 2009

*French company BIVAC set to leave Cambodia after finishing customs
operations in the Kingdom at the end of April, as Government says it has
acquired necessary expertise.*
090520_14.jpg
Photo by: *TRACEY SHELTON *
A lorry moves containers at Phnom Penh's dry port in this file photo.
French company BIVAC has finished its contract with Cambodia. The
government determined it now has sufficient capacity to undertake
pre-shipment inspections.

THE government will not renew its contract with BIVAC, the French
company contracted in April 2006 to undertake pre-shipment inspections
on goods imported from ASEAN nations.

Kun Nhem, the Customs and Excise deputy director general, told the Post
on Tuesday the government now has qualified staff that can do the job.

"The contract is finished and as of May 1 importers should not pay fees
to BIVAC," he said. "The contract ended officially on April 30. We are
now qualified to check the original prices of goods in the country of
origin for all shipments."

Pre-shipment inspection is the practice of employing specialised private
firms to check the price, quantity and quality of goods ordered from
another country.

Kun Nhem said the Kingdom had outsourced its pre-shipment inspection
role longer than any other ASEAN nation inspector, and noted that
import-tax revenues for May were unchanged compared with those months
for which BIVAC was responsible.

"Having BIVAC is the same as not having BIVAC," he concluded.

Kun Nhem said that under the BIVAC system, importers paid a fee to the
company for the service, and BIVAC's agents in the nations from where
goods were shipped would check the shipment.

"Now without BIVAC the importers are happy because they don't have to
incur this fee," he said, adding that the service added to the price
paid by consumers.

An office worker at BIVAC's Cambodia office confirmed that the firm
ceased pre-inspection work on May 1.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Without BIVAC the importers are happy ... they don't have to incur
this fee.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

She said BIVAC charged importers US$250 for a 40-foot container, and
$200 for a 20-foot container, with a maximum charge of $500. She
referred all other questions to her managers, but the Post was unable to
contact them.

Chan Sophal, the president of the Cambodian Economic Association, said
cutting out BIVAC would benefit importers, and agreed that local
officials were technically able to take over the PSI role.

"Whether they have the will to do it is another matter," he said.

Chan Sophal said the government should take other measures to ensure
that revenue from customs fees ended up in the Treasury. He said low
salaries paid to Customs officials resulted in some keeping revenues for
themselves.

"With the economic downturn, the government should look at cutting
spending - such as spending on companies like BIVAC," he said. "And
corrupt customs officials take more money for their own pockets than
they hand to the nation."

He said officials should stop taking advantage of their positions and
should realise the revenue is needed to develop the country in a time of
economic crisis.

Tyre importer Kong Nuon, the chairman of the Kong Nuon Import and Export
Company, said the termination of BIVAC's contract had made the import
process easier and cheaper.

[Thailand] Rice exports hit by fall in prices, demand amid soaring supply

2009-05-20T23:49:00.001+07:00

May 20, 2009
By Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation

Thai rice exports will suffer this year, with prices set to decline into
next year from increased supply in the world market and bearish demand,
a seminar heard yesterday.

Moreover, Thai rice trading will face more problems due to insufficient
development of both crop production and irrigation. Several recent
administrations have been unclear on development of a sustainable rice
policy.

The crop is a major export for the Kingdom.

At a seminar yesterday hosted by Thai Rice magazine entitled "Rice Price
Trends: Reduced Risk for Coping with the Global Crisis", traders,
government officials and economists said the price was set to drop
slightly into next year, due mainly to a combination of lower demand and
greater supply.

Thai Rice Exporters Association president Chookiat Ophaswongse said more
rice exporters had entered the market this year.

"Burma and Cambodia have started exporting large amounts of low-grade
rice for less than US$300 [Bt10,200] per tonne to the world market.

"India will soon export up to 3.5 million tonnes of rice from more than
20 million tonnes stockpiled this year," said Chookiat.

Greater supply in the world market and bearish demand during the world
economic slump will pull down rice prices, he said.

Chookiat said the government's recent decision to sell off large volumes
of rice via bidding caused Thai prices to fall.

Before the bidding, Thai rice was quoted at $530 a tonne in the world
market. Now it is down to $490 a tonne.

Last year, India suspended rice exports, because of a domestic shortage
problem. Burma exported up to 700,000 tonnes of 25-per-cent white rice
in the first four months of the year.

Thailand Development Research Institute president Nipon Poapongsakorn
told the seminar he, too, believed the rice price would fall gradually
until next year.

"The world economic slowdown has meant lower demand for rice. Lower oil
prices, which affect crop prices, will also ensure the rice price
remains unchanged or decreases slightly in the second half of this
year," said Nipon.

However, some factors could actually cause a slight increase in the
price, such as increased demand in certain markets. These could include
major rice importers Indonesia and the Philippines.

Commerce Ministry permanent secretary Siripol Yodmuangcharoen said not
only India would become an important rice-export rival of the Kingdom,
but also Pakistan, which is set to export up to 4 million tonnes this year.

Kwanchai Gomez, secretary-general of the Thai Rice Foundation under
Royal Patronage, said uncertainty about the rice price would be
prolonged as long as development of rice production and quality was delayed.

This will also result in a huge cost burden for farmers.

She said Thailand's rice production must be developed to meet a
particular quality and yield per rai.

"Thai farmers have long suffered from low incomes and little management
expertise.

"The government must focus on providing knowledge to newer generations,
to ensure the development of rice farming, as well as the creation of
sustainable incomes to increase the quality of life for rice farmers,"
she said.

Thai Farmers Association president Prasit Boonchuey said instead of
losing more than Bt20 billion in a pledging scheme, the government
should consider investing Bt10 billion each year for the sustainable
development of rice farming, production and irrigation.

He said rice-price volatility was connected to the world market and
middlemen.

Rice farmers have always experienced unpredictable rice prices, even
during the pledging scheme. The government must establish a long-term
agenda to ensure long-term sustainability in rice trading and prices,
Prasit said.

Asia- more economic troubles ahead

2009-05-10T17:49:00.001+07:00

Sunday May 10, 2009
RANDOM THOUGHTS By Neville de Silva
The Sunday Times (Sri Langka)

Asia which overcame the financial crisis of 1997/98 which started here
in Thailand, felt it was better equipped to deal with the current global
turmoil that has caused havoc in western economies.

Better supervision and regulatory measures over financial institutions,
some believed, would cushion this part of the world from the worst
features of the meltdown in banking and financial circles in the West
where it all started. That, it now seems, was wishful thinking. It does
not appear to have taken account of the fact that the financial crisis
which began last year came on top of other economic problems which
compounded the situation. What it means is that Asia is not out of the
woods, not by a long shot and more difficulties lie ahead before it gets
better, if it does.

That is the impression gathered, listening to a stimulating discussion I
sat through the other day at the 65th Session of the Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP), a regional body of the United
Nations based in Bangkok. It was a discussion on the financial crisis by
a high-level panel that brought together several eminent persons from
different disciplines and so provided the breadth of knowledge that an
issue of this nature really needs, impinging as it does on every aspect
of society and cutting across socio-economic lines. One of the critical
factors that do not appear to have been seriously regarded by those who
thought that Asia had somehow managed to escape the worst ravages of an
economic crisis that has yet to run its course, is the trade
relationship between Asia and the western world.

Asia's trade integration with the economies of the west is relatively
high- about 50% of the GDP of this region. Then consider this
continent's financial integration with western economies, particularly
so with the US, which amounts to 40% of the region's GDP. Earnings from
tourism, remittances by expatriate workers from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh,
Philippines and others and Official Development Aid also make up a
substantial part of the GDP of several of Asia's less developed countries.

As was pointed out in the course of the discussion, a one percentage
point drop in growth in the United States would constitute a 0.6
percentage point decline in Asia's GDP. As was stated last week the
present crisis is different from any that has gone before. It is really
a global crisis as it has a much greater impact economically and
socially throughout the world than anything previously. It was also
stated that this present crisis is likely to be deeper and of a long
duration than any in the past. Moreover recovery would be much slower.
One reason for this is that the crisis was born at the centre of the
system and not on the sidelines and so it is going to be much harder to
contain.

As I have already said this crisis was preceded by a food and fuel
crisis when food prices skyrocketed and fuel prices reached
unprecedented levels. Sri Lankan consumers are well aware of the
difficulties that faced them during those hard times. True, food and
fuel crisis now seems gone and prices have stabilized at lower levels.
But who is to say that it may not happen again. It might be recalled
that Asian countries came out of the financial turmoil of a decade or
more ago by stimulating their export sector. It was an export-led
strategy that helped Asia come out of that particular situation. But
obviously that strategy cannot save them this time round for the credit
crunch in the west and the significant drop in consumer spending
especially on imported goods and what might be considered luxuries or
non-essentials would not allow Asian countries to depend once more on
increased export earnings for economic recovery.

The World Trade Organisation predicts that the volume of global trade
which rose by 6% in 2007 and 2% last year will fall sharply by 9% this
year. If so it would be the biggest drop in 40 years. It is said that in
recent months exports declined in many Asian countries as import demand
contracted in the industrialized economies. So labour-intensive export
industries such as garments and textiles, footwear, toys, gems and
jewellery were seriously affected.

That drop in exports would affect countries such as Sri Lanka which rely
quite heavily on the garment industry for export earnings. If the
withdrawal of the GPS Plus trade concession comes on top of this, the
country's import earnings could suffer badly. Sri Lanka is not the only
Asian country with labour-intensive industries that face this situation.
Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam are some of
the others. That is not all. Growth in Asia is also expected to slowdown
perceptibly. Growth which recorded 9% in 2007 will drop to 4-5% this
year. The prospects for the coming year are uncertain so that a question
mark hangs precariously over 2010 as we move inexorably towards the
target date for achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

The current prediction is that if one excludes China and India the rest
of Asia will show no growth this year. Now here is the crunch. The
jobless in Asia rose from 79 million in 2007 to 84 million in 2008. If
that increase of 5 million in one year is considered unacceptable, then
worse is to follow this year.

Asia's unemployment this year is estimated at 94 million a jump of 10
million in one year. If that is bad news, worse is to come. Due to the
current crisis labour in the informal sector such as tourism,
construction industry, textiles and garments, small and medium
enterprises, trade and retail are not only likely to lose their jobs but
their wages are also expected to decline substantially. For those who
still fantasize about achieving most of the Millennium Development Goals
in the next five or more years, especially with regard to poverty, here
is something to ponder.

A 100 million people will be pushed into poverty. That is in a region
that still has 900 million people living under conditions of extreme
poverty. There is more bad news. But I think this is sufficient for one
morning.

The writer is a serving Sri Lankan diplomat.

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[PIMEX] Politiktoons no 74 from Bunheang Ung

2009-04-11T08:50:00.002+07:00

Please attached file for the Politiktoons no 74 from Bunheang Ung

Cheer,
Hotaro

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Politiktoons no 74 from Bunheang Ung

2009-04-11T08:50:00.001+07:00

Please attached file for the Politiktoons no 74 from Bunheang Ung

Cheer,
Hotaro

Hope blooms in Cambodian resort - BBC News

2009-04-06T13:26:00.000+07:00

Hope blooms in Cambodian resort

In Cambodia, as the pain of the brutal Khmer Rouge years is relived in a
courtroom in Phnom Penh, Petroc Trelawny goes further back in time to
revisit the days of the French colonial era - and explores one of their
old seaside playgrounds.

The security guard finally appeared, after my driver had spent some
minutes shouting and banging the gate.

He was a middle-aged man, who stumbled out of what had once been the
reception room window, down the curved ramp passing the crumbling
remains of a pair of cast-concrete statues.

A few dollar bills later, the rusty chain around the gate was loosened
and I was in.

Ghostly remains

Kep-sur-Mer is what the French called this small town in colonial times.
A nice beach, lush forestation, and sea breezes to keep the colons
[colonisers] cool - all this a matter of hours by car from the heat and
dust of the capital.

From the end of World War II through until the mid 1960s, French
settlers - and a few rich Cambodians - built dozens of bungalows and
villas for themselves.

Then came the gradual rise of the Khmer Rouge. It soon became too
dangerous to leave Phnom Penh.

At first the contents of the weekend homes were looted, then the doors
and window-frames and roof tiles were taken.

What was left was then abandoned to the elements, or set ablaze as part
of the Khmer Rouge's quest to eliminate anything to do with an imperial
past.

But the buildings were too well constructed to be completely destroyed.

Now Kep is full of ruins, houses with crumbling verandas where pastis
was once sipped as the sun set, lovingly tended vegetable plots now
overgrown, trees where beds and sofas were once carefully arranged.

Of all the ghostly remains, my home-behind-the-gates was by far the most
spectacular.

A grand double-fronted residence, with wide balconies on the first floor
and gaping gaps where shuttered French windows would once have stood.
Perhaps he dreams of a day when Cambodia's situation is more
stable, rosier, and Kep-sur-Mer as was, can become a royal resort once
again

But there was something different about this place, and it took me a few
moments to work out what. Then I realised. The ruin was surrounded by
perfectly kept gardens.

The lawn was trimmed, the shrub-beds immaculate, the white roses
carefully pruned.

The young gardener soon appeared, a broad smile on his face as he
carried buckets of water.

Round the back of the house was his well, and his toddler daughter,
alarmingly amusing herself playing with an axe.

The powder-blue bathroom has long since fallen into disrepair

I pointed to show that I would like to look inside the house, and he
waved me in.

Red and white tiles still covered 60% of the floor. In the central hall,
an elegantly curved staircase slowly wound its way upstairs, its
banisters long gone.

The walls were riddled with bullet marks - there had obviously once
been some stand-off here.

The occupant of the master-bedroom would have enjoyed spectacular views
of the Gulf of Thailand.

The adjacent bathroom had once boasted a powder-blue suite - most of it
gone, or reduced to rubble, save for the lavatory roll holder, which
somehow had survived intact.

Mysterious benefactor

Then came a clue as to the ownership of this house. Another bedroom had
been turned into a makeshift classroom.

A series of cartoons painted on the wall seemed to poke fun at the
government.

In one a spotlight shone on a man in a suit, who looked like Hun Sen,
prime minister for the past 25 years. In the beam, the word
"transparency" was written in English and in capitals.

On another wall, a blackboard had the words along the top, again in
English, HM Norodom Sihanouk, King of Cambodia.

Sihanouk was monarch until 2004, when he unexpectedly abdicated, handing
power to one of his sons, Norodom Sihamoni, a former ballet dancer who
has spent most of his life abroad.

"King house, king house," my driver told me as we pulled away, waving
goodbye to the gardener and his daughter.

In fact as I discovered later, it was actually the villa of the king's
mother.

The Khmer Rouge abolished money and private property

The king's own residence is on a bluff the other side of town, a '60s
fantasy with sweeping picture windows and circular terraces overlooking
the sea.

Again the house is crumbling, but the grounds are perfectly maintained.

So who is paying the gardeners? Locals told me that money arrives
regularly and discreetly from the royal family itself.

Kep is gradually coming to life again.

French families are staying in the simple hotel on the beach and an
eco-resort has opened in the hills.

The grand former colonial governor's house - rather like a Normandy
chateau - has been restored and surrounded by chalets, though a
financial dispute means the complex is currently locked shut.

Cambodia now attracts over a million foreign tourists a year, but
Norodom Sihamoni is king of a nation that is still high up the UN list
of Least Developed Countries and suffers from what has been described as
"pandemic" corruption.

Recently the IMF announced Cambodia's economic outlook was distinctly
gloomy.

But if it is the king who is keeping his gardens growing in this little
coastal town, perhaps he dreams of a day when Cambodia's situation is
more stable, rosier, and Kep-sur-Mer as was, can become a royal resort
once again.

Cambodia says 4 Thai troops killed in border clash

2009-04-03T22:14:00.000+07:00

Friday, April 03, 2009

Friday, April 03, 2009
By SOPHENG CHEANG

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Thai and Cambodian soldiers traded fire with
machine guns and rocket launchers along a disputed border, killing as
many as four people Friday in an escalation of tensions in a
long-standing feud over an 11th century temple.

Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said four Thai soldiers
were killed and 10 captured during the two clashes. Thailand's Foreign
Ministry insisted only one Thai soldier was killed, seven were injured
and none was taken prisoner, while two Thai army officers, who refused
to be named, said two soldiers were killed and 10 injured.

The clashes occurred several hours apart near the same border location.

"The fighting has stopped. Commanders from both sides are talking," Maj.
Nou Sarath, a Cambodian soldier at the border, told The Associated Press.

The fighting is the latest flare-up near the cliff-top Preah Vihear
temple, which is on the Cambodian side of an ill-defined border that has
been a source of conflict for decades. Two clashes last year sparked
brief concerns of war.

In the first round of fighting Friday, Cambodia fired on some 60 Thai
soldiers after they entered Cambodian territory, sparking a battle that
lasted about 10 minutes, said Yim Kheang, a Cambodian soldier at the
border. Officials from both sides said there were no injuries.

Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said the clash started
when Thai soldiers arrived to investigate the site where one of their
colleagues had his leg blown off by a land mine on Thursday. As they
approached the area, Cambodian soldiers opened fire, he said.

Thailand and Cambodia have long had competing claims to land surrounding
the temple, which the World Court awarded to Cambodia in 1962. Tensions
flared last July after UNESCO, the U.N. cultural agency, approved
Cambodia's bid to have the temple named a World Heritage Site. Both
sides deployed troops.

Thai Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan downplayed Friday morning's clash.

"It was an accident, a misunderstanding among officials on the ground,
which is common when you are closely positioned," he told reporters in
Bangkok.

In the second clash, Cambodians insisted that Thai soldiers shot
rocket-propelled grenades into their territory. Tharit denied the
allegation. A Cambodian market near the border was set fire by a Thai
rocket but the market was empty so there were no casualties, Cambodian
soldiers said.

"The Cambodians started firing rocket-propelled grenades and rifles at
us," Tharit said. "That led to several casualties on our side."

On Thursday, a Thai soldier in the area lost his leg after stepping on a
land mine, but Thai and Cambodian military officials disagreed over
which side of the border he was on at the time.

Cambodia and Thailand share a 500-mile (800-kilometer) land border, much
of which has never been clearly demarcated because the countries refer
to different maps.

Tharit called on both sides to "exercise utmost restraint and not use
any force."

"We ask them to go back to the negotiating table," he said, referring to
border negotiations that are to resume at the end of the month.

Thai, Cambodian troops clash near disputed temple

2009-04-03T22:06:00.000+07:00

Friday, April 03, 2009

Thai, Cambodian troops clash near disputed temple

Fri, Apr 03, 2009
By Ek Madra
Reuters

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA - Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged rocket and
rifle fire on a disputed stretch of their border on Friday, killing one
Thai in the latest flare-up of an ancient feud over a 900-year-old Hindu
temple.

Both sides accused each other of firing first in two separate clashes
near the Preah Vihear temple, which is claimed by both Southeast Asian
nations and saw an armed stand-off last year.

One Thai soldier died from a rocket-propelled grenade fired by Cambodian
troops when fighting resumed after midday talks between the border
commanders failed.

Seven Thai soldiers were also wounded in the second battle, Wiboonsak
Neepan, commander of Thailand's Second Army, told Reuters.

In Phnom Penh, Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said he
had received reports of two Cambodian soldiers killed in the initial
fighting this morning, but it was not confirmed.

Cambodian officials claimed two Thais died in the morning clash.
Thailand said no one was hurt then and it planned to lodge a formal
protest with the Cambodian government.

The latest fighting comes a day after a Thai soldier lost a leg when he
stepped on a land mine in an area claimed by Thailand.

A Thai patrol visited the blast site on Friday morning and encountered
20 Cambodian soldiers.

"After talks between the two sides failed, the Cambodian side started to
walk away and turned back to open fire at Thai troops with rifles and
RPG rockets, forcing the Thai side to fire back in self-defense,"
Thailand's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Preah Vihear, or Khao Phra Viharn as it is known in Thailand, sits on an
escarpment that forms the natural border between the two countries and
has been a source of tension for generations.

The International Court of Justice awarded it to Cambodia in 1962, but
the ruling did not determine the ownership of 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq
km) of scrub next to the ruins, leaving considerable scope for
disagreement.

Tensions rose last month when 100 Thai troops crossed into a disputed
area near the temple and were stopped by Cambodian soldiers, but no
fighting occurred.

The border had been quiet for months while the Southeast Asian neighbors
sought to jointly demarcate the jungle-clad area where one Thai and
three Cambodian soldiers died in last October's exchange of rifle and
rocket fire.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge commander, warned
this week that his soldiers would fight if Thai troops crossed the
disputed border again.

The site is 600 km (370 miles) east of Bangkok and only a decade ago was
controlled by remnants of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge guerrilla army.

Few foreign visitors go there, although both countries have said they
would like to develop the area as a tourist destination.

The Cambodia-Thailand Joint Border Committee will meet again on Sunday
for three days of talks in the Cambodian resort town of Siem Reap to try
to find a solution to the row.

Thai, Cambodian Border Fighting Stops, Thailand Says

2009-04-03T22:01:00.001+07:00

Friday, April 03, 2009

Thai, Cambodian Border Fighting Stops, Thailand Says

By Daniel Ten Kate

April 3 (Bloomberg) -- Fighting between Thai and Cambodian soldiers in a disputed border region has stopped after an exchange of heavy gunfire, Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said by telephone.

“The army chiefs are now talking,” Tharit said. “We asked for a ceasefire and do not want to use force.”

Cambodian and Thai troops engaged in “large-scale fighting” today, Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan said by phone. Two Thai soldiers were killed and six wounded, he said. Tharit denied the claim and said Thailand had suffered no deaths or injuries.

Two Cambodian soldiers were killed after soldiers fired at each other in at least three locations on the border, Agence France-Presse said, citing government spokesman Khieu Kanharith. Phay Siphan said he couldn’t confirm the Cambodian deaths.

The fighting erupted before the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Thailand and Cambodia are members, will hold a summit from April 10 to 12 in Pattaya south of Bangkok with the leaders of China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen plans to attend.

The disputed area has been the site of numerous incidents since July, when Thailand objected to Cambodia’s efforts to list Preah Vihear temple as a United Nations World Heritage site. The countries agreed in October to avoid clashes in the area after two Cambodian soldiers were killed in a gun battle.

Warning Issued

Hun Sen warned Thailand on March 31 that fighting would break out should troops from its neighbor cross into Cambodian territory.

Thailand plans to write a letter of protest to Cambodia after a five-minute exchange of gunfire between their troops earlier today, Tharit said.

The shooting erupted after Thai troops invited the Cambodians to inspect the site where a soldier from Thailand stepped on a landmine and lost his leg, Tharit said.

The meeting failed to resolve matters and the Cambodians left, then started firing, Tharit said. Thai officers suspect a newly laid landmine caused yesterday’s blast, he said.

In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled in a 9-3 vote that Cambodia had sovereignty over Preah Vihear. The court didn’t rule on the disputed land near the temple.

Thai and Cambodian officials have scheduled meetings to continue work on demarcating their 803-kilometer (499-mile) border. The two countries have yet to divide 10,422 square miles in the Gulf of Thailand that may contain oil and gas reserves.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is due to visit Cambodia later this month.

To contact the reporter on this story: Daniel Ten Kate in Bangkok at
dtenkate@bloomberg.net.

Thai, Cambodian troops clash near disputed temple

2009-04-03T21:59:00.000+07:00

Friday, April 03, 2009

Thai, Cambodian troops clash near disputed temple
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