With regard to the situation along the Thai-Cambodian border on 27-29 April 2011, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to state the following:
1. On 27 April 2011 from 20.40-21.10 hours, the Cambodian troops started launching attacks into the area around Ta Kwai Temple in Panom Dongrak District, Surin Province, Thailand, using small arms, mortars, artilleries, rocket propelled grenades and hand grenades. The exchange of fires expanded into the area around Ta Muen Temples, Surin Province. The unprovoked armed attack by Cambodian troops resumed from 23.30 hours until 00.50 hours of the next day (28 April 2011).
2. On 28 April 2011 from 04.00-08.30 hours, the Cambodian troops renewed the armed attack using small arms, mortars and artilleries into the area around Ta Kwai Temple and Ta Muen Temples, as well as Karb Cheang District hospital in Surin Province. The attacks resulted in the death of one Thai soldier and injuries of eleven Thai soldiers and six civilians.
At 10.30 hours, the Commander of the Second Army Area of Thailand and the Commander of the Fourth Military Region of Cambodia met at the border to discuss measures to be taken to reduce tensions. The mutual understanding resulting from the said meeting included the avoidance of armed clashes of both sides. However, at 21.00 hours, the Cambodian troops resumed firing rifles and launching hand grenades into the area of Ta Muen Temples, Chong Krang Pass and Ta Kwai Temple, in Surin Province, constituting a breach of aforementioned understanding.
3. On 29 April 2011 from 03.00-06.00 hours, the unprovoked armed attack by Cambodia started again in the area around Ta Kwai Temple, with the use of small arms, rifles, hand grenades and mortars. The result of this round of attack caused one death of Thai soldier and injuries of six Thai soldiers.
4. Thailand exercised its utmost restraint. Nevertheless, the repetition of these provocative acts of aggression left the Thai troops with no choice but to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as in protection of the Thai civilians in the area, by using proportionate means with necessity, under international law, and strictly directed at only military targets.
Nonetheless, the Thai troops chose not to react to the armed attack by Cambodia on several occasions when the civilian population could be at risk of danger. One such occasion was on 26 April 2011 when the Cambodian troops fired BM 21 rockets from the O Samet Village, O Samet District, Udon Meechai Province in Cambodia into the area around Ta Kwai Temple and Ta Muen Temples in Thailand. Thailand has tried to avoid causing losses to civilians as much as possible and, in exercising utmost restraint, decided not to respond to the said armed attack by Cambodia. However, the series of armed attack by Cambodia on that day resulted in the death of one Thai civilian and injuries of two Thai civilians.
5. Thailand therefore protests in a strongest term that the repeated unprovoked armed attacks by Cambodia, and the use of civilians including children and women as “human shield” are in clear violation of international law. Thailand condemns Cambodia’s acts of aggression which have put the lives of civilians at risks. Thailand also deplores the breach of understanding on avoidance of armed clashes by Cambodian troops which underlines the insincerity of Cambodia to resolve the dispute in a peaceful manner.
6. Thailand hereby demands that such provocative conducts by Cambodia be ceased immediately and calls on the Cambodian side to resolve disputes through peaceful dialogue under existing bilateral mechanisms.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th