Cambodian military towns spring up on Thai border
Updated
Cambodia is reinforcing its border with Thailand, establishing new villages full of soldiers, building roads and buying new equipment. The strengthened military presence is part of an ongoing dispute over land surrounding the Preah Vihear temple on their shared border, a dispute that has erupted in sporadic clashes.
Presenter: Liam Cochrane
Speakers: Tan Setha, Preah Vihear program officer, Wildlife Conservation Society; Heng Ratana, director, Mine Action Center
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COCHRANE: Cambodia is digging in, with the Ministry of Defence announcing a border reinforcement program saying it's necessary for national protection. Protection that is, from Thailand, which has well-equiped troops stationed on its side of the disputed border. Cambodia says the military buildup is part of a five-year plan, with work already underway on five new villages that will be populated with soldiers. Tan Setha, is the Preah Vihear program officer for the Wildlife Conservation Society and has witnessed the flurry of new construction activity.
TAN SETHA: At the moment I can see the government establish some new village for the army family along the border.
COCHRANE: It's believed a total of 14 new villages will eventually be established at a cost of hundreds of millions of US dollars. A multi-ministerial committee, headed by former Phnom Penh governor and long-time Preah Vihear supporter, Chea Sophara, is driving the development. It's a long-term plan, with land along the heavily-mined border being cleared for new infrastructure to sustain the permanent relocation of soldiers and their familes. Heng Ratana, is the director of the Cambodian Mine Action Center.
HENG RATANA: In Preah Vihear province we deploy more than 300 deminers there to support demining activity which tasks prioritised by local community and provincial commity there. So our team clears a number of areas for supporting their development activity there, such as building new schools, new roads, irrigation system and so on.
COCHRANE: The plan comes amid ongoing tension between Cambodia and Thailand over who owns 4.6 square kilometres of land surrounding the 12th Century ruins of Preah Vihear. Since July 2008 there have been several deadly clashes on the border and troops from both sides are prepared for a long standoff. The paved road that leads from the Thai side to the foot of the temple, gives Thailand a distinct military advantage over Cambodia where dirt roads are full of pot holes, making the movement of troops and equipment difficult. But that looks set to change, with this major investment to boost the number of Cambodian troops in the area and to enhance their capacity to respond to any future incidents. The diplomatic sparks between the countries have been recently inflamed by Cambodia appointing former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra as an economic advisor. It's udnerstood Mr Thaksin will make his next visit to Cambodia later this month.
