Thai-Cambodia border fighting enters fourth day

Cambodian troops near the temple. The two sides blame each other for breaking the truce

The armies of Cambodia and Thailand have exchanged fire across their border for a fourth day.

Artillery and machine gun fire was heard in the disputed area around the 11th Century Preah Vihear temple, which was damaged in earlier fighting.

On Sunday Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen asked the UN Security Council to stop what he said was Thailand's "aggression" against his country.

At least five people were killed in clashes on Friday and Saturday.

Each side accuses the other of firing first.

On Sunday the Cambodian government said a Thai bombardment had damaged the ancient temple - a claim the Thais have not reacted to.

"The firing has started for the fourth time," Hun Sen said at a graduation ceremony in Phnom Penh on Monday.

Fire was exchanged both ways across the border at about 0800 local time (0100GMT).
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There has been increased tension in the region since Cambodia won World Heritage status for the temple in 2008.

An international court ruling in 1962 said that the temple belonged to Cambodia although its main entrance is in Thailand and the surrounding area is claimed by both sides.

The most recent tension was sparked this month when a Cambodian court sentenced two members of a Thai nationalist movement to up to eight years in prison after finding them guilty of espionage.

Cambodia says the Thais started shooting four days ago. An unnamed Thai military source told reporters it had been "a misunderstanding".

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12378987

'Two dead' in Thai-Cambodia military border clash

Cambodia secured the World Heritage listing of the ancient Preah Vihear temple in 2008

Thai and Cambodian forces have exchanged artillery fire in a disputed border area, with a Cambodian soldier and a Thai civilian reported killed.

The Cambodian government has called it an "invasion", while the Thai military said it was a misunderstanding.

Tension has been rising in recent days, with both sides moving in more troops.

Shells landed in the grounds of the ancient Preah Vihear temple on the Cambodian side of the border and in a Thai village.

It is the most serious incident on the border for some time.

A Cambodian government spokesman blamed the encroachment of Thai soldiers for the fighting and said a complaint would be sent to the UN Security Council.

Long-running dispute

A Thai military official insisted that artillery fire from Cambodia was the trigger. But he said it might have been unintentional.

The fighting ended after about two hours, with both sides confirming a ceasefire.

The two countries' foreign ministers had been meeting in Cambodia to discuss the long-running border dispute when the fighting started.

The Thai nationalist "yellow-shirt" movement has called on its government to take a harder line on the issue with its smaller neighbour.

It is planning a demonstration in front of Cambodia's embassy in Bangkok on Saturday.

There has been tension in the region ever since Cambodia secured the World Heritage listing of the Preah Vihear temple in 2008.

This caused joy in Cambodia, and anguish in Thailand - which once claimed the temple.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12363768

First anti-government protests staged in Bangkok since emergency rule

Thailand's red-shirted anti-government protesters returned to the streets of Bangkok Sunday for their first demonstration since a state of emergency was lifted last month.

Police said up to 30,000 opposition supporters descended on the area they occupied during the height of the protests last year. Sunday's "Red Shirt" demonstrators -- so named for the color of their clothing -- demanded a thorough investigation of a deadly government crackdown in May, along with the release of protest leaders, some of whom have been held in jail on terrorism charges for months.

Sunday's demonstration was largely peaceful, a police spokesman told CNN.

But Red Shirt organizers say they plan to hold regular demonstrations twice a month until their demands are met.

Between March and May of 2010, thousands of opposition protesters occupied parts of the shopping district in central Bangkok. For the most part, the Red Shirts were supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 2006. They wanted the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and a new general election.

But their protests came to a bloody end in May. Government troops cracked down and drove them out of their positions in the Thai capital. Ninety-one people died and at least 1,500 others were injured in the clashes, which saw intense street battles between protesters and government troops. More than 30 buildings -- including a bank, a police station, a local television station and Thailand's biggest shopping mall -- were set on fire.

Amid the unrest, the Thai government imposed a state of emergency that put the military in charge of security. It lasted seven months and was only lifted in December. The prime minister has promised to hold a new election before the end of 2011


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http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/01/09/thailand.red.shirts.return/