RTA denies plan to seize Prasat Ta Kwai by force
RTA denies Cambodian claims that Second Army commander plans to use force to seize Prasat Ta Kwai, saying remarks were misinterpreted.
The Royal Thai Army (RTA) on Monday denied that the Second Army Area commander intended to violate the ceasefire by deploying troops to seize Prasat Ta Kwai in Surin by force.
Col Winthai Suvaree, the RTA spokesman, rejected allegations from Cambodian Defence Ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata, saying she had misinterpreted remarks made by Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang, commander of the Second Army Area.
At 8:31 am on Monday, the Phnom Penh Post published a clip of Socheata accusing Boonsin of planning to breach the ceasefire. Her comments were based on an interview Boonsin gave on Saturday.
During that interview, Boonsin said:
“We operated for four days in 11 targeted areas. Now, our troops are about 30 metres away from Prasat Ta Kwai. But their base is next to Prasat Ta Kwai and they have an advantage on the position.
"But I affirm Prasat Ta Kwai is within our territory so we must seize it back.”
The Phnom Penh Post reported that Socheata took this as evidence of Boonsin’s intention to encroach on Cambodian territory before his retirement at the end of September.
Winthai: statement was misinterpreted
Winthai stressed that Boonsin did not talk about deploying troops to encroach on Cambodian territory.
He explained that Boonsin’s comments were a reference to the fact that Prasat Ta Kwai lies within Thai territory and that, during four days of border clashes, Thai troops had attempted to regain it from Cambodian forces occupying it.
Boonsin recounted that the operation to reclaim the temple had not yet succeeded, with Thai troops still positioned about 30 metres away.
Winthai said Boonsin only meant that Thailand would use appropriate measures to restore control over the site.
Issue to be raised at upcoming meeting
Winthai added that Boonsin planned to raise the matter during the Regional Border Committee meeting in about two weeks, and had simply stated that Thailand would not withdraw from its current position outside Prasat Ta Kwai.
“I hereby affirm that the Second Army Area commander did not talk about using force to seize the temple. He was not trying to provoke further clashes and did not plan to use military action to take Prasat Ta Kwai, as claimed by Cambodia,” Winthai said.
