Cambodia warns Thailand for airspace violations along border: defense statement

 PHNOM PENH, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian ministry of defense on Friday evening issued a statement warning Thailand for repeatedly violating Cambodian airspace along the disputed border areas.
   The statement said that Thai forces on May 31 and June 1 at noon flew a military surveillance aircraft L19 over Cambodian territory along the border in Banteay Meanchey province, and also on June 3 in the morning, a group of black-uniformed Thai troops rode an engine-driven parachute to spy along the border in Cambodia’s Battambang province.
   “The repeated airspace violations by Thai troops can be considered as a provocative act in an attempt to renew armed clashes,” it said. “With this provocative act, Thai troops must be responsible for any eventual accident at the present time and in the future.”
   “The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces calls for Thai troops relevant to the violations to stop abruptly this provocative act,” it said.
   The statement said that the situation along Cambodia and Thailand is still “quite fragile” and armed clashes can happen all the time.
   Cambodia and Thailand has border dispute just a week after Cambodia’s Preah Vihear temple was enlisted as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.
   The conflict is due to Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 square kilometers (1.8 square miles) of scrub next to the temple.
   Since then, both sides have built up military forces along the border and periodic clashes have happened, resulted in the deaths of troops and civilians on both sides.
   The latest flare-up between the two countries’ troops occurred from April 22 until May 3 at the 13th century Ta Moan temple and Ta Krabei temple in Oddar Meanchey province, leaving 19 people on both sides killed and nearly 100,000 civilians fled homes for safe shelters.
   The two sides agreed to accept Indonesian observers to monitor a ceasefire on their respective border side on Feb 22 at the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Jakarta, but the deployment was always delayed because Thailand demanded that Cambodian soldiers and locals be withdrawn from the disputed area of 4.6 sq km near the temple first.  (Nguon Sovan)