Cambodians clash with Thais

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33869, 14 June 1975, Page 15

Cambodians clash with Thais

* 1 pr< < 4ss»»ctaffO*i— i.upyright» BANGKOK. June 13. A Thai gunboat, pursuing Khmer Rouge vessels that had seized a Thai fishing boat, sank a Cambodian x essel during a one-hour fight in the Gulf of Siam yesterday, a witness said today. Police authorities in Bangkok said that naval reinforcements were sent into the disputed waters off 1 hailand s southern coast.

\ marine police private. \ ichien Nekon. who was wounded in the fighting. said that his gunboat the Chasaen closed in on two small Cambodian vessels that were forcing the Thai fishing boat into (Lambodian waters when the Khmer Rouge opened tire with rocket-pro pel led grenades and automatic weapons. There were about 30 Khmer Rouge on the two boats, he said.

"Their shots hit the left side of our ship. My companions then returned the fire by using rifles and carbines.

"One of the Khmer Rouge boats was sunk, hut I don’t know how many people it had on board.” Mr Vichien said at a Bangkok hospital. He and police authorities said the fishing vessel was not recaptured.

The incident, which wat reported to have left si? Thai Marine policemer wounded, occurred off Thai land’s Trat Province. 20( miles south-east of Bangkok in water claimed by botl countries. The disputed water form; a 50-degree wedge that runs seawards from the lane boundary of the two coun tries. Thai authorities claim thai both the seizing of the fishing boat and the fighting occurred inside Thai territorial waters. the fight for Poulo Wai Island came six weeks aftet the end of the Indo-China war. which saw Communist forces topple U.S.-backed governments in South Vietnam and Cambodia. The North Vietnamese gave strong support to the Khmer Rouge during the five-year effort by the Cambodian insurgents to gain control of their country. However, there have been traditional differences between the Vietnamese and Cambodian peoples. and some U.S. officials think these may be surfacing again. Apart from this, officials >ay that the possibility of oil beneath the Gulf‘of Siam has intensified disputes over islands and seaward boundaries. Cambodia is quarrelling

with Thailand about theiri j common boundary, and U.S.I . officials say that the issue' lof offshore rights is also in-! volved in that dispute. Intelligence specialists say i

| that the Cambodians have I seized a number of Thai fishing boats within their claimed 12-mile coastal; waters since the Mayaguezi incident.