Cambodian mob storms Thai embassy
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (CNN) --Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has threatened to send in a commando unit to break up a violent siege at the Thai embassy in Cambodia. Speaking to reporters, Shinawatra gave his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen an ultimatum to resolve the situation "otherwise Thailand will send a commando unit to Cambodia to rescue Thai nationals and to protect Thai sovereignty. A mob of about 1,000 people laid siege on Wednesday to the Royal Thai embassy in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh and set fire to a section of the complex as well as the ambassador's residence. The protesters were demonstrating remarks attributed to a Thai TV star who was quoted as saying Cambodia stole the famous Angkor Wat temple from Thailand. The actress has denied making the comments. The mob, armed with sticks and rocks, stormed through the embassy gates, easily overpowering about 50 policemen, and forced their way into the main building. The ambassador and his staff managed to flee the premises through a back door and are reportedly uninjured. A Thai C130 military aircraft was on standby for evacuations, Thaksin said, adding that the siege had caused Thai-Cambodian relations to sink to their worst ever level. "This is the most terrible thing that can happen in a friendly country if Thai people have to escape from the backdoor of an embassy," Thaksin said. The Thai foreign minister has advised Thai nationals living in Cambodia to prepare for possible evacuations. The actress targeted in the protest, Suwanan Kongying, has denied making any remarks about the famous temple or Cambodia. The alleged remarks, which were reportedly based on rumor or taken from dialogue from one of Kongying's characters, were reported in the Cambodian media over the past week. The situation intensified when Hun Sen banned a Thai made television serial starring the actress earlier this week. The Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia's north is the country's national symbol and formed the capital of the Khmer empire. Historically, relations between Thailand and Cambodia have been rocky but have strengthened in recent years. |
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