Cambodia to protest Thailand over rocket landing.

Posted by Chea Sophal
MC&D - The Cambodian Press Review
Thursday, February 19, 2009 - Edition 1,239

Cambodia to protest Thailand over rocket landing.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation will file an official complaint against the move of Thai soldiers who launched rockets into the Cambodian territory during their military exercises, newspapers report today.

Thai troops fired around eight DK75 and 82 rockets into the eastern region of Ta Krabei temple in Banteay Meanchey province Feb 17 during their military drill in Si Saket province, said Cambodian soldiers, reports Koh Santepheap.

“Many Cambodian soldiers are carrying an investigation on the firing of the Thai soldiers into Cambodian territory,” said Koy Kuong, spokesman of the ministry, writes Khmer Aphivaot Sethakech.

The investigation is launched to identify the reason why the Thai soldiers fired the rockets into Cambodia and what was damaged by the firing, he claimed.

“First, we will begin a probe into the case to collect information on where the Thai soldiers fired the rockets into and how many rockets are exploded and unexploded. After gathering the information, we will make an official complaint to Thailand,” the newspaper quotes him as saying on the phone yesterday.

He told Rasmei Kampuchea that Cambodia sill follows the legal complaint though the Thai military commander stationed in the region made an apology.

Var Kimhong, head of the Cambodian Border Committee, said that the firing completely violated the international law and Cambodia’s sovereignty, reports Koh Santepheap.

“Thailand can take its military practice in its country, but firing the rockets into Cambodia severely violated the law,” he said.

Colonel Worapun Krarurum, assistant director of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Thai-Cambodia Border Security Affairs Division, told The Cambodia Daily on the phone from Bangkok yesterday that she did not know how close to the border the exercises began.