Cambodia protests to Thailand over border gunfight
PHNOM PENH, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia protested to Thailand on Saturday about Friday's border shooting incident, which was the first clash between the two countries in the more than two-month-long border dispute.
"On Oct. 3, 2008, at 15:30, a group of Thai soldiers entered Cambodian territory in the area of Phnom Trap and fired gunshots from M.79 at the Cambodian troops stationed at Veal Intry area on Phnom Trap hill side, located approximately 2,000 meters to the west of Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda (in the area of Preah Vihear Temple)," said Cambodia's Foreign Ministry in a letter to the Thaiembassy which was obtained by Xinhua.
"The shooting resulted in the injury of one Cambodian soldier from Brigade No 43," the letter said, adding that Cambodian troops returned fire in self defense, which was followed by a brief exchange of gunfire between the sides.
"The Royal Government of Cambodia considers the above act by Thai soldiers as a serious armed provocation, contrary to the commitment to exercise utmost restraint made during the Meetings of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the two countries on July 28, 2008 at Siem Reap, Cambodia and on Aug. 18-19, 2008 at Cha-am, Thailand," the letter said.
The Cambodian government strongly protests against this "deplorable and intentional armed provocation" by Thai soldiers, it said.
Such armed provocation by Thai soldiers could lead to very grave consequences, including "full scale armed hostility" which would adversely affect the present efforts of the two governments to seek out a peaceful and amicable solution to the current border problems, it added.
Meanwhile, Cambodian officials said the area was calm Saturday and that an investigative committee was inspecting the area to determine how the incident occurred since troops on both sides have been ordered not to fire.
Thai new Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat is scheduled to visitCambodia on Oct. 13, which is a routine visit to ASEAN (the Association of South East Asian Nations) members after he was elected as Thai leader.
Cambodian Information Minister and government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said late Friday that the exchange of fire would not affect the visit of Thai Prime Minister to Cambodia.
The border row between the two neighbors erupted after Cambodia's arrest of three Thai nationalist protesters on July 15, whom authorities allegedly crossed illegally into Cambodia close to thedisputed Preah Vihear temple site.
Since then, Thailand and Cambodia have been building up their forces near the temple and tensions have escalated, spreading to other temple sites along the border. Editor: David Du
Thai Protesters Trap Legislators SETH MYDANS and THOMAS FULLER October 7, 2008
BANGKOK — Thousands of anti-government protesters surrounded Parliament on Tuesday, trapping hundreds of legislators, cutting off power to the building and vowing to remain until the government falls.
Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat escaped over a back fence after delivering a policy address but other members were unable to leave, according to reporters inside the building.
The siege escalated a six-week sit-in on the grounds of the nearby prime minister’s office that has forced the government to relocate its activities to a former international airport.
Nearly 70 protesters were reportedly injured when the police attacked the rally early Tuesday, firing tear gas and stun grenades. The protesters, some of whom were armed with sticks and machetes, threw back tear gas canisters and hurled rocks and firecrackers.
The blockade appeared to have been well planned. Protesters distributed food and water and masks to protect against tear gas. They set up barricades of stacked tires and secured the entrance to the Parliament.
Groups of reinforcements arrived during the afternoon, some carrying banners.
“Together we win or lose, we will know it today, we won’t give up,” said Anchalee Paireerak, a leader of the People’s Alliance for Democracy, the anti-government group that has held street protests since May.
The People’s Alliance is a patchwork coalition of businessmen, academics and activists who accuse the government of being a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a coup in 2006 and now lives in London.
They seek to modify the country’s democratic system to weaken the electoral power of the rural poor, who formed the base of support of Thaksin and now of the ruling People Power Party.
The prime minister is a brother-in-law of Mr. Thaksin, but has sought to find a compromise with the protesters.
Their aggressive action Tuesday appeared to have derailed the early stages of talks between the two sides. In his policy speech, before he fled the building, Mr. Somchai said, “This government is determined to tackle economic problems and to listen to all sides to find a solution to end the crisis.”
THAILAND'S POLITICAL MAZE – A BEGINNERS GUIDE November 26, 2008 .. Bangkok, Thailand Ian Williams, NBC News correspondent
Bangkok's massive multi-million dollar airport terminal tonight resembles a night market. It's teaming with yellow-clad protesters and lined with make-shift stalls selling badges, t-shirts, stickers and jewelry, as well as food and drink. Outside, the passenger drop-off zone is a sea of yellow protesters rattling their plastic "clappers" as they listen to fiery speeches from the top of truck.
The approach road to the terminal is lined with cars that reflect the largely middle-class character of the protesters – the SUV is the vehicle of choice. There are several security checks along the way, where guards wielding metal rods and golf clubs stop and search approaching cars. It feels like the anti-government protesters are settling in for the long-haul.
All flights remain suspended, and the estimated 3,000 passengers – most of them tourists – stranded last night when the airport closed have been moved to city-center hotels.
But who exactly are these protesters clad in yellow – the color associated with Thailand’s king – who risk crippling Thailand's lucrative tourist industry? And what do they want?
Who are the protesters? They go by the name of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and are a loose coalition of Thailand's old elite – businessmen, academics and royalists, drawing support largely from Bangkok's middle class. They have a degree of backing from conservative elements in the army and the royal palace – one reason why the government has been reluctant to move aggressively against them.
They are well-funded and well-organized, and have an ugly militia, armed with iron bars, sling shots, even guns. These "security guards" have frequently resorted to violence – yesterday they opened fire on government supporters on a city highway.
They claim to be fighting corruption and defending the king, and their professed aim is to topple the government which was democratically elected a year ago. Their strategy is to create as much dis- ruption as possible in order to force the hand of the military, which is reluctant to get involved. The last coup, in 2006, caused a lot of damage to the military’s reputation, and ultimately achieved very little.
Seizing the airport is perhaps the most effective disruption they've caused in months of protest, and comes at a time when they seemed to be running out of steam and losing support.
What do they want? The PAD's leaders want the government replaced by "new politics," effectively doing away with the current democratic system and limiting the electoral power of poorer voters, who they regard as ill-educated.
Instead, they want 70 percent of parliament to be appointed by worthy people – such as themselves. The government would be headed by a powerful king, whose portrait is everywhere at PAD rallies.
One newspaper column this week described their ideology as "a cultish and violent conservatism," combined with a "mangled version of democracy."
Their target, the government of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, is hardly a virtuous beast, but it was democratically elected, and enjoys massive support from Thailand's rural poor. If there was an election tomorrow, it would almost certainly be re-elected, which is why the PAD wants to change the system.
Somchai is the brother-in-law of Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister, who was disposed in the 2006 coup. He has been accused of widespread corruption and abuse of power, but his administration redrew Thailand's political landscape, empowering the rural poor, and adopting populist polices, including low cost village loans, and a basic health system.
These reforms came as shock in a system which has for years been, essentially, a competition within the Thai elite – the poor north-east serving as a repository of cheap labor for Bangkok's bars and building sites.
Thaksin's populism also threatened a traditional system of patronage and hierarchy, at the pinnacle which sits the royalist elite, who are the PAD's strongest supporters.
The current government is packed with Thaksin cronies, and the former prime minister, now in self-imposed exile, is accused of calling the government's shots from abroad. He has drawn massive crowds to live stadium phone-ins and remains very popular in the poor north and north-east of Thailand.
The government strategy this week has been, essentially, to "play dead," and not risk violence by confronting the PAD (which is what many of the protest leaders would like), allowing them to roam Bangkok at will. The police offered little resistance when they seized the airport.
For months the PAD has occupied Thailand's Government House, forcing the government to shift cabinet meetings to Bangkok's old airport. In most countries they would have been tossed out weeks ago, but there is another factor at play Thailand – one that is rarely spoken about openly: the future of the monarchy.
What about the king? King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, will be 81 next week. He is revered by the Thai people. Although he has few formal powers, he wields enormous moral influence. He has frequently intervened at times of crisis, but diplomats fear his advanced years and deteriorating health will limit his ability to calm this crisis.
The king's annual birthday address next week will be carefully watched. His wife, Queen Sirikit, has explicitly backed the PAD. She even attended the funeral of a PAD supporter killed in clashes with the police last month. Her backing has given the protesters a powerful "roof" in its anti-government campaign.
The queen's concern is for the continuation of a strong monarchy after her husband's passing, which will create an enormous vacuum.
The heir to the throne, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn will not command the reverence enjoyed by his father. He is very unpopular and unacceptable to many Thais, who prefer his sister Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, though she has never married and has no immediate heir.
None of this is openly discussed by the Thai media, which is shackled by strict lèse-majesté laws which make it a crime to offend the monarchy, but the future of the Chakri Dynasty goes to the heart of the current power struggle.
One seasoned journalist summed it up nicely: "Covering this crisis is like trying to explain the unexplainable, without mentioning the unmentionable."
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