[Thai] PM vows to solve border dispute

5/04/2009
BangkokPost.com

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Sunday that he was sorry about the clash between Thai and Cambodian troops near Preah Vihear temple, and vowed to quickly work out the ongoing border dispute between the two countries.

He expressed condolence to families of the two soldiers who died after Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged fire on the disputed border area on Friday.

He said the border dispute had prolonged, since both sides had different views on the line of demarcation.

The prime minister said he respected the ruling of the International Court, after it awarded the ruins to Cambodia in 1962.

However, he admitted that the situation had intensified after Cambodia applied to list Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site and asked Thailand for approval.

Troops from both sides then gathered near the ancient temple. Until recently, a Thai soldier stepped on a landmine, and the two countries claimed that the land belonged to them.

Mr Abhisit said the government had discussed this with Cambodian high-ranking officials, and he and Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen both agreed that the Joint Border Committee to continue negotiations.

He said Deputy Prime Minister overseeing security affairs Suthep Thaugsuban and Defence Minister Pravit Wongsuwan were continually coordinating with Cambodian authorities.

The Thai government will do its best to protect the country's territorial sovereignty, and this issue will be raised at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Plus Three and Plus Six summit, scheduled to be held in Pattaya this month.

[Thai] PM vows to solve border dispute

5/04/2009
BangkokPost.com

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Sunday that he was sorry about the clash between Thai and Cambodian troops near Preah Vihear temple, and vowed to quickly work out the ongoing border dispute between the two countries.

He expressed condolence to families of the two soldiers who died after Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged fire on the disputed border area on Friday.

He said the border dispute had prolonged, since both sides had different views on the line of demarcation.

The prime minister said he respected the ruling of the International Court, after it awarded the ruins to Cambodia in 1962.

However, he admitted that the situation had intensified after Cambodia applied to list Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site and asked Thailand for approval.

Troops from both sides then gathered near the ancient temple. Until recently, a Thai soldier stepped on a landmine, and the two countries claimed that the land belonged to them.

Mr Abhisit said the government had discussed this with Cambodian high-ranking officials, and he and Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen both agreed that the Joint Border Committee to continue negotiations.

He said Deputy Prime Minister overseeing security affairs Suthep Thaugsuban and Defence Minister Pravit Wongsuwan were continually coordinating with Cambodian authorities.

The Thai government will do its best to protect the country's territorial sovereignty, and this issue will be raised at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Plus Three and Plus Six summit, scheduled to be held in Pattaya this month.

[Thai] PM vows to solve border dispute

5/04/2009
BangkokPost.com

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Sunday that he was sorry about the clash between Thai and Cambodian troops near Preah Vihear temple, and vowed to quickly work out the ongoing border dispute between the two countries.

He expressed condolence to families of the two soldiers who died after Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged fire on the disputed border area on Friday.

He said the border dispute had prolonged, since both sides had different views on the line of demarcation.

The prime minister said he respected the ruling of the International Court, after it awarded the ruins to Cambodia in 1962.

However, he admitted that the situation had intensified after Cambodia applied to list Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site and asked Thailand for approval.

Troops from both sides then gathered near the ancient temple. Until recently, a Thai soldier stepped on a landmine, and the two countries claimed that the land belonged to them.

Mr Abhisit said the government had discussed this with Cambodian high-ranking officials, and he and Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen both agreed that the Joint Border Committee to continue negotiations.

He said Deputy Prime Minister overseeing security affairs Suthep Thaugsuban and Defence Minister Pravit Wongsuwan were continually coordinating with Cambodian authorities.

The Thai government will do its best to protect the country's territorial sovereignty, and this issue will be raised at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Plus Three and Plus Six summit, scheduled to be held in Pattaya this month.

[Thai] PM vows to solve border dispute

5/04/2009
BangkokPost.com

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Sunday that he was sorry about the clash between Thai and Cambodian troops near Preah Vihear temple, and vowed to quickly work out the ongoing border dispute between the two countries.

He expressed condolence to families of the two soldiers who died after Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged fire on the disputed border area on Friday.

He said the border dispute had prolonged, since both sides had different views on the line of demarcation.

The prime minister said he respected the ruling of the International Court, after it awarded the ruins to Cambodia in 1962.

However, he admitted that the situation had intensified after Cambodia applied to list Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site and asked Thailand for approval.

Troops from both sides then gathered near the ancient temple. Until recently, a Thai soldier stepped on a landmine, and the two countries claimed that the land belonged to them.

Mr Abhisit said the government had discussed this with Cambodian high-ranking officials, and he and Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen both agreed that the Joint Border Committee to continue negotiations.

He said Deputy Prime Minister overseeing security affairs Suthep Thaugsuban and Defence Minister Pravit Wongsuwan were continually coordinating with Cambodian authorities.

The Thai government will do its best to protect the country's territorial sovereignty, and this issue will be raised at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Plus Three and Plus Six summit, scheduled to be held in Pattaya this month.

Pit bulls kill owner in mill attack

NAKHON SAWAN : Three pit bulls mauled a 37-year-old woman to death and injured three other people, including a 20-month-old toddler, at a rice mill in Nakhon Sawan yesterday.

(bangkokpost)

KILLER: One of three pit bulls which mauled their owner to death.

Raksina Tejwattanabamrungkij was found dead near an office of the Rong See Fai Tha Khao Taweeporn Co in Tha Tako district. Her bloodied body was covered with dog bites.

A Thai dog, Jack, lay nearby with serious wounds apparently caused by fighting with the pit bulls as it tried to save the woman.

Charoensri Lorlertrat, 53, the victim's mother-in-law and the rice mill owner, said her family raised the three pit bulls, two males and one female, and another eight Thai dogs, to guard the rice mill.

Raksina left the house at midnight to inspect the compound and release the pit bulls from where they were confined, Mrs Charoensri said.

As Raksina was away for an unusually long time and her daughter, Taweephan, was crying for her, Mrs Charoensri decided to look for her at the office. She found the three pit bulls attacking her.

Mrs Charoensri, carrying Taweephan in her arms, tried in vain to stop the angry pit bulls.

The dogs then turned on her and Taweephan. So she quickly put the baby on a pick-up truck and cried out for help until her husband, Seksuk, came out and shot dead two of the pit bulls with his .38 pistol. The other dog ran away.

Mrs Charoensri suffered serious wounds to the head, left ear and arms, while the toddler was only slightly injured on the head.

Raksina's younger brother was also bitten on his left arm and ankles. They were rushed to Tha Tako hospital.

Police suspect the pit bulls were suffering from stress as they had been locked up for too long.

Pit bulls kill owner in mill attack

NAKHON SAWAN : Three pit bulls mauled a 37-year-old woman to death and injured three other people, including a 20-month-old toddler, at a rice mill in Nakhon Sawan yesterday.

(bangkokpost)

KILLER: One of three pit bulls which mauled their owner to death.

Raksina Tejwattanabamrungkij was found dead near an office of the Rong See Fai Tha Khao Taweeporn Co in Tha Tako district. Her bloodied body was covered with dog bites.

A Thai dog, Jack, lay nearby with serious wounds apparently caused by fighting with the pit bulls as it tried to save the woman.

Charoensri Lorlertrat, 53, the victim's mother-in-law and the rice mill owner, said her family raised the three pit bulls, two males and one female, and another eight Thai dogs, to guard the rice mill.

Raksina left the house at midnight to inspect the compound and release the pit bulls from where they were confined, Mrs Charoensri said.

As Raksina was away for an unusually long time and her daughter, Taweephan, was crying for her, Mrs Charoensri decided to look for her at the office. She found the three pit bulls attacking her.

Mrs Charoensri, carrying Taweephan in her arms, tried in vain to stop the angry pit bulls.

The dogs then turned on her and Taweephan. So she quickly put the baby on a pick-up truck and cried out for help until her husband, Seksuk, came out and shot dead two of the pit bulls with his .38 pistol. The other dog ran away.

Mrs Charoensri suffered serious wounds to the head, left ear and arms, while the toddler was only slightly injured on the head.

Raksina's younger brother was also bitten on his left arm and ankles. They were rushed to Tha Tako hospital.

Police suspect the pit bulls were suffering from stress as they had been locked up for too long.

North Korea pauses launch of 'dangerous' missile

The first window in North Korea's five-day satellite launch plan has passed but Pyongyang seems determined ot launch its Taepodong-2 missile despite strong warnings that the rocket itself is highly dangerous.

Thailand is well within reach of the Taepodong-2 missile if anything goes wrong.

A South Korean expert said conditions in the launch area were not ideal, with "somewhat strong" winds and cloud.

Neighbouring states suspect the launch of the rocket is a cover for a long-range missile test and have urged North Korea not to go ahead.

Experts are worried the rocket poses a danger every step of the launch, particularly after it takes off from North Korea.

"The Taepodong-2 is a danger to the region," said an Asian scientist. "With its obsolete design, there is substantial danger that the North Koreans will be unable to control it after launch and may not be able to destroy it if it goes astray."

The Taepodong-2 was designed as a ballistic missile from old Russian rocket designs. Unable to obtain access to the latest technology, North Korean rocket teams have attempted to make the outdated Soviet designs more powerful by strapping together multiple units.

But this makes the rocket more unreliable than ever, according to missile experts.

The last attempt to launch a Taepodong-2 in 2006 failed shortly after launch, as did an unsuccessful attempt to boost a satellite into orbit in 1998.

The highly volatile missile is likely to pass over or near Japanese airspace, putting that country at risk. If it goes off course during launch, however, there is no way to predict where it will go, or even whether the North Koreans will be able to destroy a rogue craft.

Regional powers deployed warships and trained satellites on the communist country to monitor what they suspect will be a long-range missile test.

Preparations for launching "an experimental communications satellite" were complete, state-run media said in a dispatch on Saturday morning, adding: "The satellite will be launched soon."

However, the day's stated 11am to 4pm timeframe passed without any report of a launch, possibly due to relatively strong winds reported in the area around the northeastern North Korean launch pad in Musudan-ri.

North Korea has announced its intention to send a satellite into space sometime between Saturday and Wednesday during daytime hours.

In a meeting on Friday, Chinese President Hu Jintao agreed with his South Korean counterpart, Lee Myung-Bak, that the "rocket launch would negatively affect peace and stability in Northeast Asia and there should be a discussion among related countries" after it takes place, Mr Lee's office said.

Billboard in Pyongyang touts the Taepodong-2 missile.

UN Security Council diplomats, anticipating a weekend emergency session, said a draft resolution was circulating that could reaffirm and tighten enforcement of the demands and sanctions of a resolution passed in October 2006 after a North Korean nuclear test. Resolution 1718 banned North Korea from ballistic missile activity.

But Washington, Seoul and Tokyo suspect North Korea's real motive is to test its long-range missile technology - a worrying development because North Korea has acknowledged it has nuclear weapons and has repeatedly broken promises to shelve its nuclear programme or halt rocket tests.

President Barack Obama said on Friday that a launch would be "provocative" and prompted the US to "take appropriate steps to let North Korea know that it can't threaten the safety and security of other countries with impunity".

"Respective nations made efforts to urge North Korea to refrain from the launch. But if North Korea really plans to launch, it is very regrettable," Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone told reporters on Saturday. (Compiled by BangkokPost.com from agency reports.)