Lights, Donations Ease Life for Troops
Entrenched soldiers in the Preah Vihear standoff welcome little comforts. (07 August 2008)
As the Preah Vihear military standoff continued Thursday, Cambodian soldiers said they were happy to have at least a fewcomforts at their posts. Entrenched high on an escarpment overlooking the Preah Vihearplanes, and sometimes just meters away from Thai troops, the soldiers said theywere happy for solar-powered lamps sent by Prime Minister Hun Sen, and fordonations that have come in from Cambodian celebrities and others. Cambodiasoldiers are happy with the lights, and "we can use them for i-com or to chargemobile phones," said Maj. Gen. Srey Doeuk, commander of theintervention unit of Military Division 12, which is securing Preah Viheartemple. The lights have made patrols easier as well, he said. Soldiers received donations every day from the governmentand NGOs, including fresh water, soy sauce and canned fish. Some people haveeven donated tents, he said. The soldiers have enough to eat, he said, and seem to be"strong." No one had a serious illness, though some of the soldiershave headaches and the flu, he said. Sath Samy, an undersecretary at the Ministry of Mines andIndustry, said 30 poles with solar-powered lamps had been installed aroundPreah Vihear temple, but 50 more were needed. The foreign ministers of Thailandand Cambodiaare scheduled for talks Aug. 18 to help resolve the crisis, which began July 15after Preah Vihear temple was granted World Heritage status. Thousands of troops have been posted on the border for thepast three weeks, but no violence has been reported. Two rounds of bilateral talks have so far failed to diffusethe standoff, and Cambodiahas a request for discussion of the crisis at the UN Security Council, pendingthe outcome of this month's talks.