Thai Soldiers Raised a White Flag to Surrender to the Cambodian Troops

By Soy Sophea

Cambodian government officers said that Cambodian and Thai troops started exchanging gunfire after Thai troop entered Cambodian territory near Preah Vihear temple, known as Veal Entry, at 7:15 a.m. on April 3. It repeated again around 1:30 p.m.

Koy Kuong, spokesperson at the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said shots took place at three diffrenrent places: Veal Entry (Eagle Field), Phnom Troap (Troap Mountain) and in front of the Preah Vihear temple.
Kuong said that Cambodia considered Thailand’s claimed ownership of the disputed territories belonged completedly unacceptable and an abuse of international law.

“The claim is intentional abuse,” Kuong said. “The claim does not have legal evidence and is illegitimate as Thailand is violating the French-Siamese Convention of 1904 and the International Court of Justice claim in 1962 that assured the territory belongs to Cambodia.”
He added that Cambodia’s Army Region 4 met with Thailand’s Region 2 after army clashes to figure out a peaceful means to end the border dispute after a nearly 20-minute-long fight.

Srey Doek, Cambodian Army Commander at Preah Vihear, said he told the Thai army commander that he followed Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen advice to be ready to fight even within one millimeter of Cambodia’s territory.

He added that if Thai troops dared to across Cambodia’s restricted area, Cambodian soldiers would start to fire. However, Cambodian military officials said that Cambodian troops have taken over altillery at Cambodia’s Bihiver Temple next to Preah Vihear Temple.

Meanhwile, Phay Siphan, spokesman for Cambodia’s Council of Ministers, said the crossfire occurred around 7:15 a.m. local time, after a number of Thai soldiers trespassed on the Eagle Field, a piece of Cambodian soil.

At 4:00pm, two Thai helicopters landed to retrieve the Thai casualities and injured soldiers. The number of casuality was not confirmed.

Moreover, it is reported that Thai soldiers at battlefield raised a white flag to surrender to the Cambodian soldiers as many as their soldiers left the fighting scene.On Thursday, a Thai soldier stepped on a landmine and lost a leg at Veal Entry area. In July of last year, the tension over the long-disputed territory of the two countries started after the 11th century Preah Vihear temple at the border was granted UNESCO World Heritage status.The two countries' troops clashed in the area in October 15.

The border dispute has not been resolved during subsequent talks by the two countries. The two neighboring countries have never fully demarcated their disputed border, due partly to landmines left over from decades before.