See RFA Khmer report on this subject here.
Bangkok – The Thai Prime Minister said on Wednesday that she had spoken to her Cambodian counterpart to reduce tensions after Cambodia said that one of his soldiers was killed in a brief shooting with Thai troops in a sensitive border region.
The 10 -minute shooting at the hill 496 comes after weeks of mounting tension. The neighbors have history of armed confrontation in the disputed border areas.
Cambodia said one of its soldiers, the SGT. Suan Roan, 48, was killed during the fight and the body was transported from the border for funeral, reported the Associated Press. The Thai army said it had not been a victim.
Tensions have increased in recent weeks after Thai soldiers have accused their Cambodian counterparts of having burned a gym built by Thai in the region of Chong Bok, northeast of the province of Ratchathani, northeast of Thailand, where Thai borders, Cambodian and Lao meet. There have also been disturbances in the former sanctuary of Ta Moan Thom, in the province of Surin to the west. Thailand and Cambodia claim the site.
After Wednesday's shock, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said that the two countries were determined to prevent tensions from boiling.
“”[I] spoke to Prime Minister Hun Manet. [The incident] was a minor. We have the understanding and will allace tension and prevent the reappearance, “she told journalists.
Thai soldiers were invited to remain vigilant despite the leading negotiations, the Thai army said in a statement, adding that Cambodia had shot the first time and that all Thai soldiers were safe.
In March, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet threatened to use the military force if the Thai soldiers sent soldiers to the Temple Ta Manani Thom website.
The incomplete border demarcation there led to a confrontation between Cambodian soldiers who visited the temple last month and Thai soldiers who are stationed, according to the independent media Camboja.
In 2011, there was a fatal confrontation between the Thai forces and Cambodges on an old temple in Preah Vihear, which is in the West and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The United Nations International Court of Justice granted sovereignty over the region in Cambodia in 2013.
Published by Mike Firn and Mat Pennington.