Global Hindu Footprint - Spread Beyond India

[Husky]

Border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand damages famous 9th-11th century Hindu Kovil (completed a century before Angkor Wat) - a World heritage site - located in Cambodia.



1. www.aolnews.com/story/thai-cambodian-clashes-resume-at-disputed-border/762350/?cid=10

Damage to temple on Thai-Cambodia border minimal

Updated: Feb 8, 2011 - 7:53AM



Todd Pitman

AP

PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia -A historic temple that was the scene of artillery battles between Cambodia and Thailand appears to have suffered minimal damage, as journalists used a fragile truce Tuesday to inspect the site.



Four days of shelling in the disputed border region blackened hillsides surrounding Preah Vihear temple and shrapnel from the blasts chipped away at some of the sanctuary's ancient walls, but the damage was light and the structure remained intact.



Cambodian officials said over the weekend that Thai artillery collapsed "a wing" of the temple, but Thai officials dismissed the account as propaganda. Tuesday was the first day journalists were able to visit the temple since Cambodia made the claim.



The two nations have clashed several times in the area since 2008, when the U.N. declared Preah Vihear a World Heritage site. But the latest skirmishes were the most intense yet, marking the first time artillery and mortars have been used, according to soldiers and locals.



At least seven people have died in the clashes that began Friday. One civilian and one soldier from Thailand have been killed, and another 25 Thai soldiers have been wounded. Cambodia's says five Cambodians have been killed, including at least two soldiers, and 45 people wounded.



Cambodian troops used a shaky cease-fire Tuesday to dig fresh positions and stack sandbags around the temple, which was awarded to Cambodia in a 1962 World Court ruling that many Thais dispute.



"It's quiet now, but fighting could start again at any time," said Pho Suong, a Cambodian soldier deployed at Preah Vihear. "We're on high alert. We will not fire first, but if we are attacked, we will fire back."



Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, whose country holds the current chairmanship of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations, said in Bangkok on Tuesday that both sides "are committed to ensure that the situation stabilizes." Natalegawa spoke after talks with his Thai counterpart.



The temple — located just several hundred feet (meters) from the border with Thailand — has fueled nationalism in both countries for decades. The latest fighting comes as Thailand's embattled government faces protests from ultranationalists at home who say it hasn't done enough to protect Thailand's sovereignty in the border region.



While the World Court ruled on the temple's ownership, some of the tree-lined border around it has yet to be demarcated.

(In reality, it belongs to any remaining Hindus of the region (there are still Hindus in Thailand; no clue about any last vestiges in Cambodia - but I'm sure they can share). The Kovil isn't some 'museum' to be claimed by others; it belongs to a living religion.)



Built between the 9th and 11th centuries, the temple sits atop a 1,722-foot (525-meter) cliff in the Dangrek Mountains about 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of the Cambodian capital.



It is dedicated to the Hindu diety Shiva, but it was later used as a Buddhist sanctuary.

(Unless I'm confusing myself - I don't think I am - the 2nd half of the statement would be a reference to how some Cambodian Buddhists ended up seeking refuge there from the Khmer Rouge?)

The temple is revered partly for having one of the most stunning locations of all the temples constructed during the Khmer empire — the most famous of which is Angkor Wat.

Repeat: all the oldest temples in Cambodia were Hindu.





2. uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20110204/tts-uk-thailand-cambodia-temple-factbox-ca02f96.html

Preah Vihar and Thai-Cambodian tensions

Friday, February 4 10:39 am



(Reuters) - Fighting broke out between Thai and Cambodian soldiers on Friday along a disputed stretch of their border, near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple. Skip related content



Following are facts about the site:



-- Completed in the 11th century, Preah Vihear pre-dates Cambodia's more famous Angkor Wat temple complex by 100 years. Many say its stunning setting atop a jungle-clad escarpment overlooking northern Cambodia also eclipses its celebrated cousin as the finest of all the ruins left by the mighty Khmer civilisation.



-- Officially part of Cambodia since a 1962 World Court ruling, Preah Vihear, or Khao Phra Viharn as the Thais call it, has been accessible mainly only from Thailand. From Cambodia, landmines and Khmer Rouge guerrillas kept it off-limits for decades. Even after Pol Pot's forces surrendered in 1998, the track up the 600 metre Dangrek escarpment is so steep and pot-holed it's passable only by motorbike or heavy-duty four-wheel drive. After rain, you can forget it altogether.



-- The temple has stirred nationalist passions on both sides for generations. In the run-up to the 1962 World Court ruling, Thailand's military government organized a fundraiser in which every citizen donated 1 baht to pay for Bangkok's legal team at The Hague. It was Cambodia's bid last year to list the ruins as a World Heritage Site that sparked a flare-up in tensions. One Thai and three Cambodian soldiers died in a firefight last October.



-- Preah Vihear has witnessed its fair share of bloodshed. The Khmer Rouge occupied the site for years, and rusting artillery pieces can still be found lying amid the ruins. In June 1979, Thai soldiers forced 45,000 refugees from Pol Pot's "Killing Fields" to descend the heavily mined escarpment back into Cambodia. "Several thousand died, either shot by Thai soldiers to prevent them trying to cross back, or blown up in the minefields," British historian Philip Short wrote in a seminal biography of Pol Pot.



(Editing by Jason Szep)

Unlikely that if it had been a Buddhist temple, either side would have dared to damage it.

But now it's only a museum piece to both nations, I guess.





3. Background to the territory dispute



www.eturbonews.com/20984/preah-vihar-issue-damages-not-only-temple-also-mutual-understand

The Preah Vihar issue damages not only the temple but also mutual understanding



[color="#800080"][Image caption:][/color] No destruction for this [color="#FF0000"]copy[/color] of Preah Vihar temple exposed during the ATF in Phnom Penh / Photo: LC







By Luc Citrinot, eTN | Feb 07, 2011



BANGKOK (eTN) - This is a sad story about a beautiful Khmer temple from the 11th century perched on a plateau, which dominates a valley. With Angkor temples complex, Wat Pho in Southern [color="#0000FF"]Laos[/color], as well as Phimai and Phnom Rung in [color="#0000FF"]Thailand[/color], the temple belongs to the most beautiful sites from the once-mighty Khmer empire. But instead of remaining a symbol of peace and serenity, Preah Vihar temple is, for more than century, an object of dispute between Cambodia and Thailand.



The quarrel dates back exactly from 1904, when both Siam and the French colonial authorities ruling Cambodia formed a joint commission to demarcate their mutual border. By then, Preah Vihar went to the French with the Siamese government acknowledging the new border. It was later again contested by Thailand until a ruling from the International Court of Justice determined in 1962 that the temple was effectively on Cambodian territory. However, a 4.2 square kilometer piece of land surrounding the temple belongs to Thailand, restricting, in part, access to the temple.



The registration of Preah Vihar on the UNESCO World Heritage List has not helped. Yje [color="#800080"](The)[/color] temple has turned into a nationalist issue. In Cambodia, Prime Minister Hun Sen has used the Preah Vihar temple as a means to stir up national fervor. In Thailand, the Abhisit Vejjajiva government is prisoner of conservative nationalist movements, which are actively supported by the “Yellow Shirts” political group. Despite speeches announcing to look for a solution, both governments will not bow and retrocede an inch of their claimed sovereignty over the temple location and its surroundings.



Since the UNESCO inclusion in 2008, incidents and casualties involving both Cambodian and Thai armies have multiplied. Thailand has vowed to block a UNESCO plan to restore the temple, as it would eventually encroach into the infamous 4.2 square kilometers of Thai territory. Cambodia has been prompt to raise Cambodian flags everywhere including on Thailand’s side. Military clashes have followed with the most violent happening over the last four days. According to the Bangkok Post, casualties between both armies claimed already the life of at least 5 Cambodian soldiers, while on Sunday night, 15 Thai soldiers and two villagers were wounded.



Not only lives are lost over the temple issue. Cambodia announced on Monday that a wing of the sacred, unique architectural complex has been destroyed by Thai artillery shooting. Another damaging consequence is the permanent suspicion among Cambodians and Thais. Boh [color="#800080"](Both)[/color] people never liked each other, but the Preah Vihar issue is adding fuel to the flames. Mistrust takes now its toll on behavior on both sides of the border. Talking to Cambodian artist Em Riem about a visit to Bangkok on his way to a show in Paris, he replied that he feared being arrested if leaving the airport’s international perimeter. And some Thai students admitted to feeling angry and insecure, if they would go to Cambodia. It will be a hard task to build up a sense of community among Southeast Asians, as is wanted by ASEAN officials.

4. www.trust.org/alertnet/news/qa-preah-vihar-temple-and-thai-cambodian-tensions/

Q+A-Preah Vihar temple and Thai-Cambodian tension

06 Feb 2011

Source: reuters // Reuters



[color="#800080"][Photo caption:][/color] This 2010 photo shows Cambodian Confederation of Unions members at a rally in Phnom Penh marking two years since Thai troops were deployed to disputed land surrounding the Preah Vihear temple, along the Cambodia-Thailand border. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

[color="#800080"](Wish someone would tell the pretty Cambodian holding the placard saying "Preah Vihear is the Spirit of Cambodia Forever" - and not just her, but Cambodians and Thais in general - that the Kovil is of greater significance than just an empty heirloom; that it meant far more to their Khmer ancestors who built it than just being a piece of architecture/art.)[/color]



BANGKOK, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged fire on a disputed stretch of their border on Sunday, witnesses said, the third flare-up in three days in an ancient feud over territory surrounding a 900-year-old Hindu temple.



The latest fighting occurred despite Thailand's announcement of a ceasefire on Saturday following clashes in the area that killed at least five people on Friday and Saturday.



For main story, click on )



Below are some facts about the temple, the territorial dispute and possible political ramifications in Thailand.



WHAT'S THE HISTORY OF PREAH VIHEAR?



Preah Vihear, or Khao Phra Viharn as the Thais call it, was completed in the 11th century and predates Cambodia's more famous Angkor Wat temple complex by 100 years.



Many say its stunning setting atop a jungle-clad escarpment overlooking northern Cambodia also eclipses its celebrated cousin as the finest of all the ruins left from the mighty Khmer civilisation.



The temple has in recent years been accessible mainly from Thailand. Landmines and Khmer Rouge guerrillas kept it off-limits from the Cambodian side for decades.





WHY THE DISPUTE?



Both sides have historically laid claim to the temple but a 1962 World Court ruling awarded it to Cambodia.



Thailand and Cambodia have squabbled ever since over demarcation of the border and jurisdiction over 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of land around Preah Vihear, which was not covered by the ruling.



For generations, the temple has stirred nationalist passions on both sides. Before the court in The Hague made its ruling, Thailand's government organised a fundraiser in which every citizen donated 1 baht to pay for the legal team.





HAS THERE BEEN VIOLENCE OVER THIS IN THE PAST?



Cambodia's bid since March 2008 to list the ruins as a World Heritage Site sparked an exchange of gunfire in October that year in which one Thai and three Cambodian soldiers were killed.



There have been sporadic flare-ups since then, the most recent in April last year.



Relations with Cambodia have become a bone of contention in long-running hostility between Thai political factions with pro-establishment "yellow shirt" activists accusing their main rival, ousted former populist premier Thaksin Shinawatra, of colluding with Cambodia to Thailand's detriment.



The temple dispute has been back in the headlines since the end of last year, when a group of activists allied with the "yellow shirts" was arrested for allegedly encroaching into Cambodian territory.



A Cambodian court sentenced two of them on Feb. 1 to jail terms of six and eight years for trespass and spying.



"Yellow shirt" protesters demonstrating over the territorial dispute near the Thai prime minister's office since Jan. 25 have threatened to step up their protests as a result, putting pressure on the government to take a tougher line.





HOW IS THE DISPUTE BEING RESOLVED?



The two countries routinely pledge cooperation over the temple, give guarantees their border troops will not engage in hostilities and agree to delineate the border once and for all, but the quarrelling never seems to stop.



Thailand wants joint development and supervision of the Hindu temple, which could one day be a lucrative tourist site.



However, the temple debate is often used in both countries as a tool to gain popular support or to distract the public from other issues. (Compiled by Martin Petty and Alan Raybould; Editing by Jason Szep and Robert Birsel)

5. On the current clash:

www.voanews.com/english/news/asia/Thailand-and-Cambodia-Border-Uneasy-Calm-After-Clashes-Villagers-Wait-to-Return-Home-115558629.html

Thailand and Cambodia Border Uneasy Calm After Clashes

Daniel Schearf | Si Sa Ket, Thailand February 08, 2011



[image caption:]Thai residents evacuate from the Thai-Cambodian border, at Kantharalak in Si Sa Ket province,Thailand, February 7, 2011.



Thai say they have resumed discussions with Cambodia to try to establish a ceasefire in a disputed border area. Military clashes over the weekend left at least seven people dead and sent thousands of villagers fleeing the area.



Thai and Cambodian authorities say there has been no new fighting in their disputed border area for more than a day after four days of heavy shooting.



Thai officials in Si Sa Ket province say the two sides also resumed talks and have agreed to stop the fighting.



Colonel Chinnakaj Rattanajitti is a Thai military spokesman for the area.



He says they had talks and agreed to stop the shooting. To avoid [further] violence, both parties will think twice before taking any actions. Before doing anything, he says, they will consult and coordinate with supervisors at all levels.



Cambodian authorities were not immediately available to confirm any agreement.



Colonel Chinnakaj added despite what he called an oral agreement to stop fighting, there is no formal ceasefire.



Cambodian and Thai soldiers exchanged artillery fire during the weekend in territory surrounding the 900-year-old Hindu temple known as Preah Vihear in Cambodia and Prah Vihar in Thailand.

(1100 years old. Started in 9th century)



At least seven people on both sides were killed and scores injured in the worst fighting there in years. Both sides blamed the other for starting the fighting.



The border line was never settled and both Thailand and Cambodia claim the area around the temple and have soldiers stationed near it, leading to occasional shoot-outs.



Cambodian authorities say the temple, a United Nations World Heritage site, was hit by Thai shells and damaged. The exchange of artillery fire also damaged homes and schools near the border and sent thousands of villagers fleeing for safety.



At the Kantharalak district office a camp is set up for villagers who fled the fighting.



Fifty-eight-year-old Juntee Patthapin says she and her children have been here since Friday when shrapnel rained down on her village, damaging houses and setting a rubber plantation on fire.



She says her husband goes back to the village daily to feed their fish and chickens and guard their home, but she and the children will go back only when Thai authorities say it is safe.



She says it is risky to go back because they do not know when the Cambodian military is going to start shooting.



Like many of the Thai villagers she supports Thailand's claim to the disputed territory, but also wants the fighting to stop.



For now, villagers welcome the uneasy calm and express hope that it will last so they can return to normal life.