Cambodia Informs UNSC President over Thailand’s Fresh Armed Attacks

Phnom Penh, April 22, 2011

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H.E. Hor Namhong has sent a letter to President of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) H.E. Mr. Néstor Osorio, informing him of Thailand’s fresh armed attacks against Cambodia.

The following is the full letter dated today:

“Excellency,

I would like to draw to your kind attention to the fresh armed attacks by Thailand against Cambodia, as follows:

Today, 22 April 2011, at 06:00, Thailand started a large-scale attack with many types of weapons, including 105 mm, 106 mm and 155 mm artilleries, against Cambodia in the area of TA MONE and TA KRABEY Temples located deep inside Cambodian territory. Thai artilleries fell as far as 21 km inside Cambodia, at Kork Morn village in Uddar Meanchey Province, while Thai airplane violated deep into Cambodia’s airspace. Cambodia has suffered many casualties during this attack.

This fresh act of aggression not only violates all legal instruments as stated in my letter dated 5 February 2011 to the former UNSC President, Her Excellency Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, but also the UNSC Press Statement on 14 February 2011 and Statement of the Chairman of ASEAN following the Informal Meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers on 22 February 2011.

May I recall that, to demonstrate its resentment over the inscription of Cambodia’s TEMPLE OF PREAH VIHEAR on the World Heritage List in July 2008, Thailand attacked Cambodia four times earlier, namely on 15 July 2008, 15 October 2008, 3 April 2009 and 4-7 February 2011 during which cluster munitions were also used by Thailand, as confirmed by the Cluster Munitions Coalition (CMC).

This fresh military attack takes place in spite of intensive regional efforts by Indonesia, Chair of ASEAN, supported by the UNSC to engender a permanent ceasefire and a peaceful solution, after Thailand’s large-scale offensive against Cambodia last February.

This deliberate act of aggression explains why Thailand has until now refused to accept the successive drafts of the Terms of Reference (TOR), proposed by the ASEAN Chair, for the deployment of the Indonesian Observers to monitor the commitment of both sides to avoid further armed clashes, while Cambodia has already given its immediate positive response for the fourth time to the draft TOR after its revision to accommodate Thailand’s position.

This most recent aggression against Cambodia also confirms the reason behind Thailand’s insistence on resolving the conflict ‘bilaterally’, which is a pretext for the use of its larger and materially more sophisticated armed forces against Cambodia.

Cambodia has so far exercised its maximum restraint and demonstrated its goodwill in order to maintain an atmosphere favorable for a peaceful settlement. However, it reserves the rights to self-defense in the face of such deliberate acts of aggression.

Considering the repeated blatant aggressions by Thailand, I would highly appreciate it if Your Excellency could circulate this letter to all members of the United Nations Security Council as an official document.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration and respect.”