Conflict over the conflict

I listened to the 7pm news on the radio. We get Radio Australia and BBC World service. I flipped between the two of them so I got to hear both. They both said that both sides had agreed to patrol the border so there would be no more fighting. But I'm hearing very very different things around me. Not sure what is happening up in Preah Vihear, but this headline reflects some peoples feelings.
Stung Cambodians say ready to take on Thais

Something to sing about!

“Our home is girt by sea!”

Well thinking out border disputes means I’m starting to understand why we Aussies have this line in our national anthem.

With this heighten sense of nationalism that is around me I want to ask Aussies if they can try to use the word ‘girt ”in a sentence this week. Let me know how you go.

Remains of fallen Khmer soldiers

Some photo links

Remains of fallen Khmer soldiers

Civilian evacuation from Preah Vihear (don't forget to read the comment!)

So yesterday there was some fighting, and from what people said it sounded like Khmer was winning and captured some Thai soldiers. Then the Thais wanted to negotiate, but some Khmer don't trust them, why do they want to do that now, when they didn't before? But last night on TV they said they will be having talks today.

Just found out that a 3rd Khmer has been found dead. Third Cambodian soldier found dead

KI Media might be able to fill you in.

3 Khmer dead from fight yesterday

Fighting in Preah Viheah You tube link
I haven't watched it yet Soeun just recommended it, and here is a link to a blog Soeun has been reading about why it might be happening , from both sides Cambodia Thai war and the hidden agenda

Two dead in fighting on Cambodian border this article has a summary of the background, so I'll post is here:

The background in a nutshell (taken straight from AFP on KI Media)

"The stand-off between the neighbours first flared in July after Preah Vihear was awarded World Heritage status by the UN cultural body UNESCO, angering some Thai nationalists who still claim ownership of the site.

The situation quickly escalated into a military confrontation, with up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops facing off for six weeks, although both sides in August agreed to reduce troop numbers in the main disputed area.

Tensions flared again this week after failed talks on Monday aimed at cooling the months-long standoff.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen then issued an ultimatum to the Thai side after he accused more than 80 Thai soldiers of entering one of a handful of disputed areas -- telling Bangkok to leave or risk conflict.

Cambodian officials insisted that the troops did leave before the Tuesday mid-day deadline, but Sompong said they were standing their ground.The Cambodian-Thai border has never been fully demarcated, in part because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia."

Fighting

Fighting erupts along Thai Cambodian border
and for the latest I'm checking the KI Media site, it gets news from a few different places, and you can read the comments from khmer ppl too

Cartoon

To recap, on Monday the PM of Cambodia Hun Sen said that if the Thai troops didn't move back by Tuesday (yesterday) he would start fighting. When I posted yesterday afternoon the on lone news said that the troops had moved back, but people here and the Bangkok post said they hadn't. And when I came online just now (its about 9am wed)this is what I found:
Death zone cartoon (Soeun pointed out features in here I didn't notice at first)
and heaps of articles on KI Media here is one:

Phnom Penh announces Thai pullout , Bangkok denies
and another one
Thai sends more troops to Cambodian border

and don't forget to read the comments on KI media articles.

Later the same day...

Some background to this issue is posted here. That was written in July, you can read about what's been happening this month is my last few posts.

Well since I posted this morning, according to some reports Thai soldiers have moved back! This is good news as last night the Prime Minister said if they didn't move today there would be war.

Here is a link to an article and some comments Troops retreat from disputed border
And to find out the latest have a look on the KI Media site

I checked the Bangkok Post and it had an article for today saying that they wouldn't retreat. I can't see a time on this, its just under "breaking news". Thai army ready to defend sovereignty

And now the Phnom Penh Post has an article about it, but if you read the headlines in my previous blog post its nothing new. Cambodia warns of war after border talks

I guess I'm posting all these links and headline because I don't want to put any sensitive info on my blog, but by reading the headlines and the people's comments you might get an idea of what people here are talking about. I think in these situations its easy for rumours to start, so i'm not sure who or what to believe. This article has about 88 comments, you can see what I mean : Thai troops pull out from Veal Entry

On a different note, here is something we often talk about, Free education costs a fortune

Thai/Khmer relations update

More headlines from KI Media from yesterday and today, as well as peoples comments at the end of the articles. I can't write about the rumours I'm hearing, so I'll just give you some headlines, some of these articles are similar, KI collects thems from various sources. If you just read down throught the headlines you'll get the gist of what's going on, if you want to know more you can click on a headline to read the article, and have a look at the comments!

From yesterday:

Thai , Cambodian ministers in border dispute talks, this article is short and gives some background

Cambodia, Thailand resume talks on border spat

Thai, Cambodian ministers fail to solve border row

Cambodia, Thailand set timeframe to resolve border disputes

Last night we watched the news and the Prime Minister was talking about this: Hun Sen asks Thailand to pull out its troops from Veal Entry within 24 hours...otherwise war will be waged

Cambodia warns Thailand again in border dispute
Cambodia warns Thai over border

Cambodian PM gives border ultimatum this one has some comments which reflects the nationalistic feeling. As an Aussie, border disputes are totally foreign to me as our home is girt by sea.

Cambodian PM tells Thailand he will fight more nationalistic comments. "Yuon"is what Khmers sometimes call Vietnamese.

Cambodia warns Thailand to stop trespassing

Cambodia warns Thailand its patience wearing thin over border spat (lots of comments)

And from today so far (I'm posting at about 10am, so no doubt KI Media will add some more later on today)....

Thai border talks produce no results

Leave disputed area or face "death zone" Cambodia tells Thailand this one has a photos and heaps and heaps of comments

War threat [Sompong; no Thai troops will be withdrawn as of now]


And here is a link to some photos that were taken in July of the troops and the temple. : John Vink

Border update

KI Media posted some more on the border issues over the weekend. And for each story there are lots of comments, in English, by Khmer and others.
Also there are some photos of Khmer people protesting in Germany and Austria outside the Thai embassies, but I only put links for the other posts:
Thailand increased troop deployments along the borders
Military confrontations between Khmer and Thai troops are increasingly tense
Thai, Cambodian foreign ministers resume talks on lingering border dispute

and today the Thai FM visits Cambodia

Border crisis

Today's Phnom Penh Post has this photo and caption A new front line, as well as this article called : Border crisis a call to arms.

Back in the news- Border issue

In July you may remember hearing about Thai and Khmer troops at the border because of a dispute about land. It seems like this issue has been around for ages, maybe almost 1000 years.

In the last few days people have been talking about it more. Some links if you want to find out more:

KI Media has this: "Thailand intent to go to war with Cambodia?" and earlier on this one.

This blog brings together border news from different sources.

Some Cambodian news online (links).

Slave trade today

"There are more slaves today than ever before in human history," Dillon said in an interview. "In 2007, slave traders made more money than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined."

This is from an article you can read here.

And read about what is happening in Cambodia here.

Mental Health in Cambodia

A quote from a Phnom Penh Post article, click text to read article.



This lack of understanding is compounded by a severe lack of resources - there are only 26 psychiatrists and 40 psychiatric nurses in the entire country.



How common is it?



The Transcultural Psychosocial Organisation - a mental health NGO that has worked in Cambodia since 1995 - estimates that some 30 percent of the population suffer from mental health problems, the majority of which go un-treated. In comparison, they estimate the current figure in most Western countries is four percent. "


And from a book that came out ten years ago:

“Cambodia today is also a ward of untreated psychiatric illnesses that have their principle origin in the four years of the genocide. Twelve psychiatrists practiced in Cambodia before 1975; none were left after the despots fall.” (pg 14”)

Cambodia: Report from a Stricken Nation, Henry Kamm, Arcade Publishing, 1998

These days we have been...

Kimsoeun loves eating Korean spicy cabbage dish called kimchi (not sure how to spell it). Here are some photos of him making some the other day.

Recently I have been wondering about some things such as: When will our roads will reemerge from the water? How should a person from a developed country live, when they are living in a developing country as part of a local family (I miss Medicare has some of my thoughts)? What an interesting and useful book China Ramblings is.