Thailand denies plan to seize temple

Bangkok Post

a day ago

The Royal Thai Army has denied an allegation made by Cambodia that Thailand was preparing military action to seize the Ta Kwai temple, which lies on the disputed border between the two countries.
The allegation followed media reports in that Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang, the commander of the 2nd Army Region, had announced plans to seize the Ta Krabei temple, also known as Ta Kwai in Thailand.
The commander reportedly said the temple belongs to Thailand and must be taken back.
A report published by the news website Cambodianess.com said that in response to the claim, Phnom Penh is urging the international community to pressure Thailand to honour the ceasefire agreement, not just in words but through concrete action.
Lt Gen Maly Socheata, the Cambodian Defence Ministry spokesperson, said on Monday that Lt Gen Boonsin's remarks represented a violation of the ceasefire that took effect at midnight on July 28. It also undermined the spirit of the Cambodia–Thailand General Border Committee (GBC) meeting in Malaysia on Aug 7, she said.
Citing the joint statement issued after that meeting, she noted that both sides had agreed not to move troops — including patrol units — toward the other's positions.
She described Lt Gen Boonsin's comments as 'clear evidence of a deliberate plan to infringe on Cambodia's sovereignty and territorial integrity'.
Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree, the Thai army spokesman, said the comments by Lt Gen Maly misrepresented Lt Gen Boonsin's remarks about the contested temple.
Maj Gen Winthai insisted that Lt Gen Boonsin had only stated that Ta Kwai was under Thai sovereignty, and that he did not order troops to advance towards Cambodian positions around the disputed site.
He said Thai troops are currently stationed about 30 metres from the site.
While he said there are currently no plans to seize the disputed temple, he said efforts would be made in the future to bring the temple back under Thai control through appropriate means.
The general's comments, he added, were neither provocative nor indicative of planned military action.
'I insist that the Second Army Region commander never mentioned the use of troops,' he said.
Landmines still a danger
Maj Gen Winthai also criticised Cambodia's use of anti-personnel mines and accused its spokesperson of distorting facts during a recent visit that Phnom Penh organised for military attaches from nine countries to inspect the damage caused by skirmishes.
He said the use of anti-personnel mines was intended to disguise violations of the ceasefire agreement and that it was no different to using artillery to attack Thailand directly.
On Saturday, three Thai soldiers were injured after stepping on a PMN-2 landmine along a regular logistics route near Chong Don Ao-Krisana in Si Sa Ket, an area that had previously been cleared by a Thai army mine action unit, he said.
Cambodia was suspected of planting new mines in several locations since border tensions flared on May 28, he said, adding that on Aug 4, Thai forces found 18 PMN-2 mines in Phu Makua in Si Sa Ket.
Maj Gen Winthai said the Thai military strictly follows international rules of engagement and limits its strikes to military targets. Cambodian allegations of civilian casualties are unfounded, he said.
Meanwhile, the Thai Mine Action Centre (TMAC) and related agencies have recovered 384 pieces of ordnance from border areas in the four northeastern provinces between Aug 1 and 9, according to the army.
These included BM-21 rockets, artillery shells, mortar rounds and other types of explosives: 80 items were recovered in Buri Ram, 218 items in Surin, 70 items in Si Sa Ket and 16 items in Ubon Ratchathani.