Crazy History, Crazy people

[Harry Lee]

This thread is started to enable us to have a look at little known facts in political and military history. Knowledge of these actually shed light on the background to today's politics and conflicts.....

There was reportedly shelling at the Thai-Cambodian border as I type these words. The story below shows Thai attitudes towards their neighbours ... they have not changed their spots :(

Thailand attacked French forces in Cambodia in Nov 1940 - Jan 1941

The Victory Monument in Bangkok consists of an obelisk ringed by six statues representing the army, navy, air force, police and civilians.

These were to remember the casualties in the Franco-Thai War from November 1940 – January 1941, over the disputed provinces of Battambang and Siem Reap, in what is presently Cambodia and territories to the west of the Mekong River along the Thai-Laos border.

In 1940 after the defeat of the Vichy government in France by Nazi Germany, Thailand under Phibun Songkhram tried to reclaim border territories lost in 1893 when the French navy blockaded the Chao Phraya.

In November 1940, Thai troops advanced into the area west of the Mekong River opposite Luang Prabang and Champasak in Laos and Battambang and Siem Reap in Cambodia.

At sea, there was also a naval engagement between the Thai and French navies near Koh Chang or Elephant Island in the Gulf of Thailand near the Thai-Cambodian border. Historical accounts differ as to the actual events in this naval battle.

Thai accounts claimed a French cruiser and six other vessels from Saigon launched a surprise attack on Thai ships anchored off Koh Chang. Three Thai ships were sunk with a loss of 60 sailors. Thai airplanes bombed and chased the French navy back to Saigon.

French records however maintained that there was an engagement between five Thai ships and seven French vessels. Three Thai ships were sunk with one badly damaged.

The French navy returned unscathed to Saigon in spite of being pursued and bombed by Thai airplanes.

What can't be disputed is that the Thai navy suffered a serious blow.


Japan, already in North Vietnam at that time, intervened and forced a ceasefire in January 1941. A treaty was signed in March 1941 allowing Thailand to retain the disputed territories.

After World War II, Thailand had to return Siem Reap and Battambang to France as part of the reparations for its wartime collaboration with Japan.

The names of the 656 fallen servicemen and civilians are inscribed around the base of the monument..

 

[Harry Lee]

30 Cambodians killed by Thai troops in 2009/2010

http://www.khmerarticle.com/search/label/Thai Cruelty

Two Cambodians, a mother and daughter, were killed when Thai soldiers indiscriminately shot at a group of 20 Cambodians who tried to cross the border to find work in Thailand on Thursday 30th September.

The two killed, 59 year-old Mourn Saroeuth and and 15 year-old Soeun Chatra, from O'Dombang village in Battambang province, were crossing the border at Robieng Checkpoint in a pick up truck heading to Aranyaprathet. About 10 kilometres into Thai territory, a group of Thai soldiers tried to stop the vehicle but the driver sped off. The Thai soldiers to shot at the vehicle, killing the mother and daughter. Six of the travellers returned to Cambodia by foot, 2 arrested by Thai soldiers while others escaped.

In the last two years, more than 30 Cambodians workers and loggers have been killed by Thai border troops when they sought work in Thailand.

 

[Harry Lee]

Thai army operations against Malay Muslim rebels

Army vehicle ambushed. Casualties on ground...

Suspect shot dead...

Victim of a bomb blast

Dead trooper carried out of Humvee

Another suspect shot dead...... but where is the weapon?

Ah......This militant got a gun ...... at last...

Those who live by the gun will die by the gun.....

 

[Harry Lee]

More pics from Thai military ops in the South

Victims of Jihad

Body of Jihad victim burnt......

Thai school teacher shot and his body burnt by Jihad rebels...

6 villagers killed by insurgents 2010 April

Dead trooper.... sorry... I can't tell if he was a bomb victim.... or...

9 Buddhist passengers in this van were executed by insurgents...I think the driver, a Muslim, was spared.... March 2007

An the war will go on and on........:(

 

[Harry Lee]

The Many faces of the Cambodian Army

The professionals......of Battalion 70

Battalion 70 guarding old ruins

The not so good looking.... of 43 Brigade

Cambodian trooper of 43 Brigade in the front. The black uniformed guy looks like a Thai Border Guard...

43 Brigade trooper at Temple ruins

Cambodian UN Contingent

Onward Christian Soldier........ with High Explosive Anti-Tank projectile...(HEAT)

Overdressed, I think....

Underdressed, I think

Training with Indonesia's Koppasus..... I think they should train with their own Khmer Rouge.....

This one is an enigma........

Many faces of the Cambodian Army........All in the same lorry......

 

[Ramseth]

Based on population, Thailand to Cambodia is roughly about Malaysia to Singapore, about 6:1 to 7:1. However, can that translate into military certainty?

 

[Harry Lee]

Mr Ram... the Cambodians got a big brother who also supplied them with these "Dong Feng" trucks.....

And these toys...

To thank big brother, the big brothr's flag is flown over the gifts....
I wonder which big brother this is....

 

[libsg]

It's amazing what distributing a simple weapon such as the AK-47 can do to third world countries.

 

[Harry Lee]

Boy who fled Cambodia's 'Killing Fields' returns as US naval commander
by Ian MacKinnon 28 Nov 2010

As a boy in Cambodia Michael Misiewicz fled the civil war with the Khmer Rouge. Now 37 years later he is about to return to the country of his birth as commander of US warship.

It will be the first time Commander Misiewicz, 43, has set foot on home soil since he left in 1973.

"I have been fighting a lot of emotions about coming back to my native country," he said by ship-to-shore telephone. "To know that I have relatives there who have wanted to see me for decades . . . I don't know if I will be able to hold back the tears." Commander Misiewicz, who was born in Vannak Khem, left Cambodia as the fighting between the Khmer Rouge and the US backed regime of Lon Nol intensified.

His father had arranged for him to be adopted by a woman at the US embassy who was leaving for home as the situation in Cambodia grew more perilous.

While studying at naval college he began to learn more to of the atrocities committed by the ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge when an estimated 1.7 million Cambodians perished in the "Killing Fields", of torture, starvation or disease.

He had heard nothing from his parents or four siblings since he had bid his mother a tearful goodbye and assumed the worst about their fate under the murderous Khmer Rouge.

What he did not realise was that his mother and four siblings had managed to escape Cambodia in 1983, four years after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, and had settled in Texas.

Years of searching by the rest of the family finally bore fruit when he received a telephone call from his brother out of the blue.

But the joyous reunion was tinged with sadness with the news that his father was executed by the Khmer Rouge in 1977 and an infant sister had died, probably from malnutrition.

 

[jim007jimmyboy]

nice post

any more crazy history ?

 

[Balls2U]

nice post

any more crazy history ?

 

[Rogue Trader]

After World War II, Thailand had to return Siem Reap and Battambang to France as part of the reparations for its wartime collaboration with Japan.

Funny.. weren't the Vichy French Nazi collaborators?

Why did jap collaborators have to compensate Nazi collaborators?

 

[chinchai]

Onward Christian Soldier........ with High Explosive Anti-Tank projectile...(HEAT)

What country is the Onward Christian Soldier?

 

[Harry Lee]

Cambodian special forces....... 911 Battalion

The 911 Para-Commando Battalion is a Royal Cambodian Army special forces unit based west of Phnom Penh. Most of the battalion graduated from the Indonesian army's special force, Kopassus, so the 911 is very similar to the Kopassus Battalion. In order to graduate from the school, all cadets have to pass the test set. On passing, cadets receive their own red beret and a badge wing. The Battalion has multiple units, including snipers, naval units, and an anti-terrorist division.

 

[Harry Lee]

In 1975, Cambodia fell to the communists, and a reign of terror started...

see execution scene of NS man : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIOYcYBGEA8

Must see- What happened to Cambodia when the country went mad in 1975 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hy3nmHH6Lho

The country was plunged into Civil War after the Vietnamese invasion.


Singapore's involvement in training commandos during Cambodian Civil War

Starting in 1983 the Special Air Service of the United Kingdom secretly provided training to a 250-man KPNLAF (non-communist rebels) commando battalion. Commandos were trained to operate independently in enemy territory in six-man units that attacked bridges, railways, trains, office buildings, artillery, power lines, transformers, and radar stations, using small group tactics, booby-traps, landmines and improvised explosive devices manufactured from commercial products or conventional ordnance.

Students were also trained in tactics, weapons, navigation, first aid, radio communications, and unarmed combat. At least six training courses of six to ten weeks were conducted between 1986 and 1989. The training was provided in Thailand at a Thai military facility near the Burmese border, and in Singapore.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_People's_National_Liberation_Armed_Forces

Australian parliamentary Report on nations supporting Cambodian armed forces 1994

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...JFuHNs&sig=AHIEtbT_REZthwZYF3jT1fnYEXP3o2jRZg

 

[exSINgaporean]

What country is the Onward Christian Soldier?

SAF should send all the Rangers and Commandos and armoured and even airforce to fight alongside the Thai as SAF has already troops in there for training.....well as least follow the Thai soldiers as "obsevers"....but carry arms and ready to defence if need be.....for 1 to 3 months.

At least they get the experience of real battle.

 

[QXD]

Vichy France was not recognised as the legitimate government of France but a puppet set up by the Nazis.

The territory was conceded to Thailand by Vichy France as Thailand was then a Japanese Ally until 1944.

Funny.. weren't the Vichy French Nazi collaborators?

Why did jap collaborators have to compensate Nazi collaborators?

 

[GoldenDragon]

SAF should send all the Rangers and Commandos and armoured and even airforce to fight alongside the Thai as SAF has already troops in there for training.....well as least follow the Thai soldiers as "obsevers"....but carry arms and ready to defence if need be.....for 1 to 3 months.

At least they get the experience of real battle.

I suggest we send the BGs and MGs there first. If they last more than a week in the war zone, they deserve all the stars and more. If not, we just collect their bodies. Aren't they supposed to lead us in time of war? This presents them a good chance to test themselves.

 

[spotter542]

SAF should send all the Rangers and Commandos and armoured and even airforce to fight alongside the Thai as SAF has already troops in there for training.....well as least follow the Thai soldiers as "obsevers"....but carry arms and ready to defence if need be.....for 1 to 3 months.

At least they get the experience of real battle.

Better not

 

[GoldenDragon]

Better not

Why not, bro? They will disgrace all of us in S'pore?