Tuesday, August 26, 2008
US envoy urges Asean to take up temple issue
Phnom Penh (dpa) - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations could play a key role in resolving an ongoing border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand, outgoing US ambassador to Cambodia Joseph Mussomeli said at a press conference Monday.
Mussomeli, who is ending a three-year mission, said the US favoured a bilateral solution between the two neighbours over disputed territory on the northern Cambodian border.
"Cambodia and Thailand are neighbours and they will stay with each other forever," he told reporters. "Thailand needs Cambodia and Cambodia needs Thailand.
"But if bilateral negotiations fail, if after every effort you cannot find a solution, it is time to consider the option of the United Nations Security Council."
He also said one step that had been overlooked in the negotiation process which could help ensure the dispute was solved within Asian parameters was the 10-member Asean, of which both sides are members.
"That is one thing Asean could do to make itself really effective," he said.
Tensions arose last month shortly after UNESCO declared the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple, around 300 kilometres from the capital, a World Heritage site over Thai objections.
Thailand sent troops into what it says is disputed territory near the temple and Cambodia says is sovereign territory.
At the end of July, Cambodia made fresh claims that Thai troops had also moved into the Ta Moan temple complex, 150 kilometres west, but Thailand disputed that, saying it had held the area for years.
Monday, August 18, 2008
RELATIONS WITH CAMBODIA
New round of border demarcation talks starts today
The Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meets today in a new bid to end the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.
It comes after both sides agreed to reduce the number of troops on each side of the border.
The Suranaree Task Force and the Cambodian government confirmed yesterday that the
number of Thai and Cambodian soldiers in the overlapping zone had been reduced in line with the agreement reached last Wednesday in Surin.
The two countries still had 10 soldiers each at the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda near Preah Vihear temple and 45 more around the pagoda's compound for joint patrols, a source at the task force said.
The rest were spread out in the 4.6 square kilometres of land which had not been demarcated, the source said.
Thailand insists the area in dispute is in Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket, while Cambodia argues that it is part of Preah Vihear province.
Both countries finished moving most of their troops from a nearby temple on Saturday, said the source.
Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith and Hang Soth, the director-general of the Preah Vihear National Authority, a Cambodian government agency managing the historic site, confirmed the troop pullout.
''The tension has eased considerably. There is no more confrontation,'' Mr Hang Soth said, calling the troop withdrawals a ''good process giving us hope'' about the new talks.
The reduction of troops came on the eve of the meeting between Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong in Cha-am district of Phetchaburi.
The ministers will hold an informal meeting today followed by the official JBC meeting tomorrow.
The Foreign Ministry said Thailand's main agenda is to find a way to establish sovereignty of the disputed area.
Second Army chief Lt-Gen Sujit Sitthiprapa will join other Thai negotiators in the talks.
Despite the reduction of troops, the source at the task force said the army was not satisfied as another Thai demand had not been met.
Thailand proposed at the Surin meeting that Cambodia replace 1,200 soldiers on top of the temple with police as a gesture of goodwill.
The presence of the Cambodian soldiers at the temple put Thailand at a strategic disadvantage.
On July 28, the nations' foreign ministers agreed on a plan to withdraw their troops from the
disputed area near the temple.
The stand-off started on July 15 after the World Heritage Committee approved Cambodia's application to list the temple as a World Heritage site.
Both countries have long claimed the temple, but the World Court awarded it to Cambodia in 1962.
The Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meets today in a new bid to end the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.
It comes after both sides agreed to reduce the number of troops on each side of the border.
The Suranaree Task Force and the Cambodian government confirmed yesterday that the
number of Thai and Cambodian soldiers in the overlapping zone had been reduced in line with the agreement reached last Wednesday in Surin.
The two countries still had 10 soldiers each at the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda near Preah Vihear temple and 45 more around the pagoda's compound for joint patrols, a source at the task force said.
The rest were spread out in the 4.6 square kilometres of land which had not been demarcated, the source said.
Thailand insists the area in dispute is in Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket, while Cambodia argues that it is part of Preah Vihear province.
Both countries finished moving most of their troops from a nearby temple on Saturday, said the source.
Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith and Hang Soth, the director-general of the Preah Vihear National Authority, a Cambodian government agency managing the historic site, confirmed the troop pullout.
''The tension has eased considerably. There is no more confrontation,'' Mr Hang Soth said, calling the troop withdrawals a ''good process giving us hope'' about the new talks.
The reduction of troops came on the eve of the meeting between Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong in Cha-am district of Phetchaburi.
The ministers will hold an informal meeting today followed by the official JBC meeting tomorrow.
The Foreign Ministry said Thailand's main agenda is to find a way to establish sovereignty of the disputed area.
Second Army chief Lt-Gen Sujit Sitthiprapa will join other Thai negotiators in the talks.
Despite the reduction of troops, the source at the task force said the army was not satisfied as another Thai demand had not been met.
Thailand proposed at the Surin meeting that Cambodia replace 1,200 soldiers on top of the temple with police as a gesture of goodwill.
The presence of the Cambodian soldiers at the temple put Thailand at a strategic disadvantage.
On July 28, the nations' foreign ministers agreed on a plan to withdraw their troops from the
disputed area near the temple.
The stand-off started on July 15 after the World Heritage Committee approved Cambodia's application to list the temple as a World Heritage site.
Both countries have long claimed the temple, but the World Court awarded it to Cambodia in 1962.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Anti-Thai protest set for Sunday in Cambodia
Cambodian union members have been called out for an anti-Thailand protest in Phnom Penh on Sunday, and demand withdrawal of Thai troops from around the Preah Vihear temple.
The Phnom Penh Post said that the Cambodia Confederation of Unions expects hundreds of participants for the peaceful demonstration.
A letter informing the government of the protest "stated that at least 300 people would gather at the former National Assembly building and march through the city" on Sunday, the newspaper said.
Union leaders intend to demand the government press the UN Security Council to intervene in "an invasion by Thailand".
While nationalistic fervour over the controversial Cambodian temple and dispute grounds has eased in Thailand, anti-Thai protests and economic boycotts have increased in Cambodia.
Temple pullback
Tension along the Thai-Cambodian border began to ease on Saturday as troops from the two country began to pull out from disputed area around Preah Vihear temple, Cambodian officials said.
Hang Soth, director-general of the Preah Vihear National Authority, a government agency managing the historic site, said that troops started putting away from the temple on Friday and the move was continuing on Saturday.
The pullout is expected to be done before sunset on Saturday, according to Cambodian Lieutenant-Colonel Sar Thavy.
The move ends a month-long standoff around an ancient border temple, where about 1,000 troops from Thailand and Cambodia have been facing off as the two countries claim the ownership of the temple.
Under the terms of an agreement reached between army officers on Wednesday, each side will leave just 10 soldiers at a Buddhist pagoda on the disputed territory, about 5 square kilometres of scrub that sits on a jungle-clad escarpment dividing the two countries.
Hang Soth, director-general of the Preah Vihear National Authority, a government agency managing the historic site, said that troops started putting away from the temple on Friday and the move was continuing on Saturday.
The pullout is expected to be done before sunset on Saturday, according to Cambodian Lieutenant-Colonel Sar Thavy.
The move ends a month-long standoff around an ancient border temple, where about 1,000 troops from Thailand and Cambodia have been facing off as the two countries claim the ownership of the temple.
Under the terms of an agreement reached between army officers on Wednesday, each side will leave just 10 soldiers at a Buddhist pagoda on the disputed territory, about 5 square kilometres of scrub that sits on a jungle-clad escarpment dividing the two countries.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
PREAH VIHEAR TEMPLE ROW
Troop levels to be cut sharply
Thailand and Cambodia agreed yesterday to sharply reduce troop levels near the controversial Preah Vihear temple to ease tensions at the border.
The two countries will have only 10 soldiers each stationed at the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda near the ruins and 45 more within around a one sq km area of the pagoda, a source said.
They will patrol the pagoda and its surroundings to ensure there are no violations of the deal, the source added.
The pagoda is located within the 4.6 sq km area which the two countries claim ownership of. Thailand and Cambodia have sent about 500-600 soldiers to the disputed zone between Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket and the Cambodian province of Preah Vihear after tensions rose early last month.
The agreement was reached in talks in Surin. Second Army commander Lt-Gen Suchit Sitthiprapa and Suranaree Task Force commander Maj-Gen Kanok Netrakawesana acted for Thailand. Deputy Defence Minister Gen Neang Paht and Fourth Army commander Lt-Gen Chea Mon represented Cambodia.
Thailand requested Cambodia to reduce its forces atop Preah Vihear to no more than 500 and replace soldiers with police as a gesture of goodwill, the source, who attended the meeting, said.
The two countries will leave the issue of the number of back-up forces inside their territory untouched.
Lt-Gen Suchit and Gen Neang Paht said after the meeting that the aim of the talks was to defuse the tensions over the Preah Vihear temple, avoid military confrontation and solve the thorny problem through a peaceful approach.
The reduction in troops would be a show of bilateral commitment and mutual trust, they added.
Lt-Gen Suchit said Thailand acted according to the Foreign Ministry's suggestion that troop numbers should be adjusted when necessary and they should be sufficient to defend Thai sovereignty.
After the morning talks, the Thai and Cambodian delegation heads visited Ta Moan Thom temple, a second disputed ancient site, in Phanom Dong Rak district in Surin in the afternoon.
Gen Neang Paht said Thailand and Cambodia agreed to open the border gate at 8am today when Thai people would be allowed to visit Ban Jan temple in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province, around one kilometre away from the border.
The two countries agreed to cut troop numbers in a meeting of the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) in Siem Reap on July 28 in talks between Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong.
The next meeting is set for next Monday and Tuesday in Cha-am district of Phetchaburi.
The source said the forthcoming talks would focus on attempts to demarcate the border line near Preah Vihear.
Attempts to solve the border dispute were boosted after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said last Wednesday to resolve the issue peacefully through existing bilateral mechanisms.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
THIA-CAMBODIAN TIES
Hun Sen says it's time to end row over Preah Vihear
REUTERS and BANGKOK POST
Hun Sen: Must stay as good neighbours
Thailand and Cambodia must bury the hatchet in their dispute over the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said yesterday, further easing fears the spat would escalate into military confrontation.
''We must not bring our countries to war just because of disputes on our border,'' Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge guerrilla who won re-election last month, said in a live TV broadcast.
''We need to stay together as good neighbours for tens of thousands of years to come. We need to narrow our disputes and maximise bilateral cooperation, including trade,'' he said, striking a very different tone from the nationalist rhetoric of his campaign trail last month.
Both countries have sent soldiers and artillery to lay claim to 4.6 square kilometres of scrub near the temple, which sits on the jungle-clad escarpment that separates the two countries.
The disputed area is between Kanthadhralak district in Si Sa Ket and Preah Vihear, the Cambodian province.
Talks between the countries' two foreign ministers the day after Cambodia's July 27 general election yielded pledges to sort out the spat peacefully, but both sides have been reluctant to be the first to withdraw troops for fear of being painted as weak.
Hun Sen said he hoped another meeting between the two foreign ministers in Thailand on Aug 18 would help narrow the differences.
He referred to the meeting of the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC).
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong will also pay a courtesy call on His Majesty the King, Hun Sen said.
He also said Phnom Penh was ready to withdraw its troops, echoing a Thai cabinet decision on Tuesday to assign a regional military commander to discuss troop ''redeployment'' to calm tensions.
The spat erupted last month when protest groups trying to overthrow the Thai government attacked Bangkok's backing of Cambodia's bid to list the Preah Vihear temple as a United Nations World Heritage site.
Preah Vihear has been claimed by both sides for decades, but was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962, a ruling that has rankled in Thailand ever since.
The row spread at the weekend to Ta Moan Thom, a second ancient temple, on the border between Phanom Dong Rak district in Surin and Odday Meanchey in Cambodia.
Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat reaffirmed that the temple is on Thai soil and Cambodia mistook this as part of its territory due to a missing border marker.
Thailand protested to Cambodia on March 7 after seeing Cambodian tourist information claiming it was a group of ruins in Cambodia, he added. The information was based on a map made by Thailand and France, he added.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Border meeting
Phnom Penh - Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag will host his Cambodian counterpart Foreign Minister Hor Namhong in another effort to settle the potentially explosive border dispute, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Wednesday.
In a speech broadcast on state radio, Hun Sen said talks between Hor Namhong and Bunnag would be held in Hua Hin, where His Majesty the King of Thailand has a seaside palace.
"Hor Namhong will meet his Thai counterpart ... on Aug 18. Hor Namhong will then" have an audience with His Majesty, Hun Sen said at a rice farming ceremony in the southwestern province of Kampong Speu, 40 kilometres west of the capital.
Cambodia had earlier said no further talks on disputed territory around the World Heritage-listed border temple of Preah Vihear and the Ta Moan Thom temple would be held until a new government was formed, probably in September.
However, with Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party's efforts to form a coalition appearing to go more smoothly than after any previous election, talks had been moved forward.
Hun Sen said Cambodia sought to take the situation back to how it had been before July 15, when Thai troops moved into overlapping territory surrounding the temple, eight days after Preah Vihear was granted its World Heritage status by Unesco.
"At the pagoda we ask only Buddhist nuns, laymen and Buddhist monks stay - not troops from either side," Hun Sen said.
"I would like to respectfully inform the Thai king that if any other Cambodian except Hun Sen was prime minister, there would be war on the border since July 15 ... but not me."
"I would like to appeal to everybody to please, not expand the dispute but reduce it ... I am strong enough to lead a war. I was a soldier ... but the best resolution is not to fight. How many die?"
"Fighting is easy - it's ending the fight that is difficult," Hun Sen said. (dpa)
PREAH VIHEAR STANDOFF Tej (Thai FM): Let army negotiate redeployment
WASSANA NANUAM
Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag yesterday proposed the military be authorised to discuss with Cambodia the reduction in the number of soldiers deployed in the Preah Vihear standoff, said a source at Government House.
However, the source said Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej told the cabinet meeting yesterday he preferred the term ''redeployment'' to partial withdrawal of troops.
The source added that troop reduction was proposed to ease tensions between the countries.
In his one-page report to the cabinet, Mr Tej also suggested that the troop readjustment be made before the third week of August, when the foreign affairs ministers of the two countries are to meet again to discuss the border dispute.
He said the Thai military should maintain as many soldiers as necessary to protect Thai sovereignty and to ease tensions at Wat Keo Sikha Kiri Svara and the area around the Preah Vihear temple.
Mr Tej's report follows his meeting with his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong last week in Siem Reap.
The source said Mr Samak told the cabinet that care was needed in the wording used by Thailand in suggesting the troop readjustment, so as not to further aggravate the border dispute.
He also insisted that any readjustment of troops should be carried out simultaneously by both sides.
Meanwhile, army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda maintained yesterday that the Ta Moan Thom temple is located on Thai soil and Thai soldiers have been guarding the area for years.
He said the army has urged Cambodian authorities not to send troops into the area, as it would create tensions unnecessarily and disrupt ongoing border demarcation activities.
Gen Anupong said the situation at Ta Moan Thom was under control.
He declined to comment on speculation that Cambodia tried to further complicate border conflicts with Thailand in the wake of the Preah Vihear row.
''It is a sensitive matter. I am a security officer and not in a position to criticise. But we have been trying to prevent any confrontations and to promote understanding,'' he said.
The Ta Moan Thom temple came into the spotlight after Thailand barred Cambodian troops from visiting the area last weekend.
Army deputy spokeswoman Col Sirichan Nga-thong said the presence of Thai soldiers at Ta Moan Thom is routine and operations are limited to within accepted Thai territory.
She also said army activities in the area are carried out to protect Thai sovereignty and to sustain bilateral relations between the two countries.
Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag yesterday proposed the military be authorised to discuss with Cambodia the reduction in the number of soldiers deployed in the Preah Vihear standoff, said a source at Government House.
However, the source said Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej told the cabinet meeting yesterday he preferred the term ''redeployment'' to partial withdrawal of troops.
The source added that troop reduction was proposed to ease tensions between the countries.
In his one-page report to the cabinet, Mr Tej also suggested that the troop readjustment be made before the third week of August, when the foreign affairs ministers of the two countries are to meet again to discuss the border dispute.
He said the Thai military should maintain as many soldiers as necessary to protect Thai sovereignty and to ease tensions at Wat Keo Sikha Kiri Svara and the area around the Preah Vihear temple.
Mr Tej's report follows his meeting with his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong last week in Siem Reap.
The source said Mr Samak told the cabinet that care was needed in the wording used by Thailand in suggesting the troop readjustment, so as not to further aggravate the border dispute.
He also insisted that any readjustment of troops should be carried out simultaneously by both sides.
Meanwhile, army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda maintained yesterday that the Ta Moan Thom temple is located on Thai soil and Thai soldiers have been guarding the area for years.
He said the army has urged Cambodian authorities not to send troops into the area, as it would create tensions unnecessarily and disrupt ongoing border demarcation activities.
Gen Anupong said the situation at Ta Moan Thom was under control.
He declined to comment on speculation that Cambodia tried to further complicate border conflicts with Thailand in the wake of the Preah Vihear row.
''It is a sensitive matter. I am a security officer and not in a position to criticise. But we have been trying to prevent any confrontations and to promote understanding,'' he said.
The Ta Moan Thom temple came into the spotlight after Thailand barred Cambodian troops from visiting the area last weekend.
Army deputy spokeswoman Col Sirichan Nga-thong said the presence of Thai soldiers at Ta Moan Thom is routine and operations are limited to within accepted Thai territory.
She also said army activities in the area are carried out to protect Thai sovereignty and to sustain bilateral relations between the two countries.
Pullback approved (of Thai and Cambodian troops)
The cabinet on Tuesday endorsed a Thai military withdrawal from the front lines at Preah Vihear temple, as Cambodia demanded that Thai forces also pull back from Ta Moan Thom temple in Surin province.
The cabinet meeting only rubber-stamped an agreement between Cambodia and Thailand to pull back from their confrontation at the disputed area around Preah Vihear. It did not mention specific numbers or dates for the withdrawal.
Cambodia has demanded Thailand "go first" in stepping back at Preah Vihear, where even an accident could trigger military action by about 1,000 troops on each side. On Tuesday, it also demanded that Thai forces get away from the second temple, Ta Moan Thom, where there has been no change in military deployment in several years.
But the two countries did manage to agree in diplomatic discussions not to dispatch new troops into the area in order to ease tensions along the border.
Official Thai News Agency reported the agreement was reached following a closed-door, 30-minute meeting between Maj-Gen Kanok Netrakawesana, commander of Suranaree Task Force, and San Wanna, deputy governor of Cambodia's Uddor Meanchey province, at the Task Force headquarters in Kap Choeng border district of Surin province.
Government spokesman Wichainchot Sukchotrat said the cabinet had backed the joint withdrawal at Preah Vihear, but added that details would be discussed later by Cambodian and Thai military officials.
"The adjustment will be made in appropriate numbers in order to lower tension. Enough troops will be left to protect our sovereignty and integrity," he told a press conference.
After military officials agree on the details, the foreign ministers will meet on Aug 18 and 19 at Hua Hin, an army officer said. It was not clear there would be such a meeting, however. Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said on Monday there would be new talks with Thailand until a new government takes office in Phnom Penh following elections last month.
The Preah Vihear feud got even hotter on Sunday as Cambodian politicians stoked the increasingly nasty anti-Thai feelings in the country. They alleged Thai troops were occupying the second temple, 130 kilometres west of Preah Vihear and not involved in the original dispute.
Army commander Anupong Paojindasaid insisted on Tuesday that the temple and Thai troops are within "Thai territory."
Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh, however, said the temple "is clearly under our sovereignty, and we have to demand it back."
"Our position is to try to talk to them (Thai troops) and get them to withdraw to where they came from," Cambodia's Tea Banh told reporters.
About 50 Cambodian soldiers have long been stationed near the Thai troops at Ta Moan Thom, with another 200 deployed about 300 metres from the temple site. The 13th century temple was built during the Khmer Empier as a rest stop for travellers between Angkor Wat and towns which today are in the Northeast region of Thailand.
Lt Gen Niphat Thonglek, chief of the Border Affairs Department, said Tuesday that Cambodian troops had long been allowed at Ta Moan Thom because they came in small groups and were unarmed.
"Over the weekend, about 40 to 50 of them came and they were armed, so the Thai troops did not allow them in," he said.
The cabinet meeting only rubber-stamped an agreement between Cambodia and Thailand to pull back from their confrontation at the disputed area around Preah Vihear. It did not mention specific numbers or dates for the withdrawal.
Cambodia has demanded Thailand "go first" in stepping back at Preah Vihear, where even an accident could trigger military action by about 1,000 troops on each side. On Tuesday, it also demanded that Thai forces get away from the second temple, Ta Moan Thom, where there has been no change in military deployment in several years.
But the two countries did manage to agree in diplomatic discussions not to dispatch new troops into the area in order to ease tensions along the border.
Official Thai News Agency reported the agreement was reached following a closed-door, 30-minute meeting between Maj-Gen Kanok Netrakawesana, commander of Suranaree Task Force, and San Wanna, deputy governor of Cambodia's Uddor Meanchey province, at the Task Force headquarters in Kap Choeng border district of Surin province.
Government spokesman Wichainchot Sukchotrat said the cabinet had backed the joint withdrawal at Preah Vihear, but added that details would be discussed later by Cambodian and Thai military officials.
"The adjustment will be made in appropriate numbers in order to lower tension. Enough troops will be left to protect our sovereignty and integrity," he told a press conference.
After military officials agree on the details, the foreign ministers will meet on Aug 18 and 19 at Hua Hin, an army officer said. It was not clear there would be such a meeting, however. Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said on Monday there would be new talks with Thailand until a new government takes office in Phnom Penh following elections last month.
The Preah Vihear feud got even hotter on Sunday as Cambodian politicians stoked the increasingly nasty anti-Thai feelings in the country. They alleged Thai troops were occupying the second temple, 130 kilometres west of Preah Vihear and not involved in the original dispute.
Army commander Anupong Paojindasaid insisted on Tuesday that the temple and Thai troops are within "Thai territory."
Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh, however, said the temple "is clearly under our sovereignty, and we have to demand it back."
"Our position is to try to talk to them (Thai troops) and get them to withdraw to where they came from," Cambodia's Tea Banh told reporters.
About 50 Cambodian soldiers have long been stationed near the Thai troops at Ta Moan Thom, with another 200 deployed about 300 metres from the temple site. The 13th century temple was built during the Khmer Empier as a rest stop for travellers between Angkor Wat and towns which today are in the Northeast region of Thailand.
Lt Gen Niphat Thonglek, chief of the Border Affairs Department, said Tuesday that Cambodian troops had long been allowed at Ta Moan Thom because they came in small groups and were unarmed.
"Over the weekend, about 40 to 50 of them came and they were armed, so the Thai troops did not allow them in," he said.
Troop redeployment near Preah Vihear to be done in 3rd week of August
Troop redeployment in the area near Preah Vihear would be finished in third week of this month before the second ministerial meeting with Cambodia on border stand off, government spokesman Wichianchot Sukchotrat said Tuesday.Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag reported an agreement he made with his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong last week the cabinet meeting that both sides agreed to deploy troops from Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda area near the Preah Vihear to ease tension.Cambodia deployed more than 1000 troops at the area while Thailand has some 400 soldiers nearby.Both sides would maintain number of armed forces necessary for protection of respective national sovereignty, the spokesman said.The Nation
Troops to pull back from Preah Vihear
By Piyanart SrivaloWijit Chunhakijkhajorn
The NationPublished on August 6, 2008
Troops will be redeployed from the area near Preah Vihear by the third week of this month, before the second ministerial meeting with Cambodia on the border stand-off, government spokesman Wichianchot Sukchotrat said yesterday. But troops at Ta Muen Thom temple in Surin would remain, as the temple was believed to be on Thai territory, Army chief Anupong Paochinda said.
Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag told Cabinet yesterday he and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong agreed last week that both sides would move troops from the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda area near Preah Vihear to ease tension.
Cambodia has had more than 1,000 troops in the area while Thailand has some 400 soldiers nearby.
Both sides would maintain a number of personnel necessary for the protection of their respective national sovereignty, the spokesman said.
The two sides would discuss details and complete the redeployment by the third week of August, he said.
Meanwhile, the dispute over Ta Muen Thom temple in Surin province continues as both sides insist on sovereignty over the area.
A meeting yesterday between Suranaree Task Force Commander Kanok Nettaraka-waysana with Cambodia's Odor Meanchey deputy governor San Vanna failed to reach any agreement.
Cambodia's request to have its troops protect the area with Thai troops was rejected, an official said.
San Vanna said Cambodia would not deploy troops to the area in order to maintain peace and good relations with Thailand.
However, a military source said Cambodia's Fourth Army Region Deputy Commander Maj General Po Heng led some 100 troops to an area 2km from Ta Muen Thom temple.
Army chief Gen Anupong declined to comment on a report that Cambodia tried to send armed troops across the border with the intention of remaining there.
Thai troops were there to protect sovereignty as the temple was on Thai soil, he said.
"We have told our troops there not to use force or instigate any confrontation at the border," Anupong said.
The Thai side had repeatedly told Cambodians in the area to allow demarcation officials to do their jobs by not deploying troops there, the Army chief said.
Ownership of Prasat Ta Muen Thom is the latest border row following the Preah Vihear dispute.
Last week, armed Cambodian troops tried to cross the border at Surin to visit the temple, only to be turned back at the border.
Ta Muen Thom is part of the Thai-Cambodia border that has yet to be demarcated and agreed on by both countries.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Prasat Ta Muen Thom is in Thai soil: Army chief (Thai)
By The Nation
Thai troops have been stationing at Prasat Ta Muen Thom in Surin province for years, meaning it is in the Thai territory, Army Commander in Chief Gen Anupong Paojinda said Tuesday.
Our map clearly showed that it is in our soil, he said.
However he declined to comment a report that Cambodia tried to send its armed troops across the border to the place with an intention to station there.
"We have told our troops there not to use forces or instigate any confrontations at the border," the general said.
The Thai side has repeatedly told the Khmer side at the area to allow demarcation officials do there jobs by not deploy troops there, he said.
Ownership of Prasat Ta Muen Thom became the latest border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia following Preah Vihear Temple. Last week, armed Khmer troops tried to cross the border at Surin to visit the place, only to be rejected at the border.
The Thai-Cambodia border have not yet been demarcated.
.
Thai troops have been stationing at Prasat Ta Muen Thom in Surin province for years, meaning it is in the Thai territory, Army Commander in Chief Gen Anupong Paojinda said Tuesday.
Our map clearly showed that it is in our soil, he said.
However he declined to comment a report that Cambodia tried to send its armed troops across the border to the place with an intention to station there.
"We have told our troops there not to use forces or instigate any confrontations at the border," the general said.
The Thai side has repeatedly told the Khmer side at the area to allow demarcation officials do there jobs by not deploy troops there, he said.
Ownership of Prasat Ta Muen Thom became the latest border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia following Preah Vihear Temple. Last week, armed Khmer troops tried to cross the border at Surin to visit the place, only to be rejected at the border.
The Thai-Cambodia border have not yet been demarcated.
.
Cambodia warned to 'back off'
Ta Moan Thom temple new border flashpoint
BANGKOK POST AND AGENCIES
Boonsrang: Foreign troops turned back
Supreme Commander Gen Boonsrang Niempradit yesterday told Cambodia to stay away from Ta Moan Thom after the 13th-century temple became the latest hot spot between the two countries.
The army has informed its Cambodian counterpart of the Thai position, Gen Boonsrang said, adding that if Cambodian soldiers come to the area, they will be pushed back.
Lt-Gen Niphat Thonglek, chief of the Border Affairs Department, said Cambodian troops would be barred from entering the area, as Thailand and Cambodia have not settled the dispute over land surrounding the Preah Vihear temple.
A plan to reduce the number of Thai soldiers in the overlapping zone between Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket and Cambodia's Preah Vihear province will be tabled during a cabinet meeting today.
The agreement was reached in the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting in Siem Reap on July 28 by Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong. The two countries also agreed to hold more talks to settle the dispute.
But Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said further talks between their foreign ministers will not take place until Cambodia forms a new government in late September.
"There will be no more meetings until the new government is formed," he said in Phnom Penh.
The Ta Moan Thom temple was thrust into the spotlight on Sunday when Cambodia accused Thai troops of staying in the area it claimed to be part of Cambodian soil.
It is part of a group of the Ta Moan temples in the same area. Two other temples in the group are located on Thai soil, outside the disputed area.
The Cambodian complaint came after its soldiers were barred from visiting the temple on Saturday.
Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh said Cambodian soldiers and civilians were usually allowed to enter the Ta Moan Thom ruins for religious ceremonies, but over the weekend Thai soldiers blocked their way.
"They did not allow our troops to enter. That's why the dispute arose," he said. "Now we want the troops to stay where they are for a while."
Gen Tea Banh, confirming the Cambodian troops were still stationed nearby, said the two sides were "working on this issue".
After the weekend more border rangers from the Suranaree Task Force were mobilised to guard the temple and nearby historical sites.
A border ranger said there was no tension between Thai and Cambodian troops near the area, and discussions were conducted in a friendly manner.
Task force commander Maj-Gen Kanok Netrakawesana said Thai soldiers have been stationed around the temple for years.
The temple is in another location which has not been demarcated. Officials of the two countries had already surveyed the area to gather evidence for the JBC to decide where the borderline should be.
Cambodian Senior Minister Var Kimhong, who is in charge of border issues, said there was no legal doubt Ta Moan Thom was Cambodian. But Thailand is equally confident it is in Phanom Dong Rak district in Surin, opposite Oddar Meanchey province in Cambodia.
Fine Arts Department chief Kriengkrai Sampatchalit insisted the department has long taken care of the temple as Thailand's national heritage, while Cambodia has never shown an interest in maintaining the site.
The department registered Ta Moan Thom as a national heritage site years ago. Phnom Penh has never opposed the registration, the official added.
Mr Kriengkrai said demarcation in the area by the Thai-Cambodian panel would settle the dispute.
Historian Thepmontri Limpapayom said Ta Moan Thom belonged to Thailand, and he believed the new dispute over the temple was a ploy by Phnom Penh to divert Thailand's attention from the 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area near the Preah Vihear temple.
Historian M.L. Walwipa Charoonroj of Thammasat University said academics had warned government agencies that the Ta Moan Thom temple could be the subject of a serious dispute.
BANGKOK POST AND AGENCIES
Boonsrang: Foreign troops turned back
Supreme Commander Gen Boonsrang Niempradit yesterday told Cambodia to stay away from Ta Moan Thom after the 13th-century temple became the latest hot spot between the two countries.
The army has informed its Cambodian counterpart of the Thai position, Gen Boonsrang said, adding that if Cambodian soldiers come to the area, they will be pushed back.
Lt-Gen Niphat Thonglek, chief of the Border Affairs Department, said Cambodian troops would be barred from entering the area, as Thailand and Cambodia have not settled the dispute over land surrounding the Preah Vihear temple.
A plan to reduce the number of Thai soldiers in the overlapping zone between Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket and Cambodia's Preah Vihear province will be tabled during a cabinet meeting today.
The agreement was reached in the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting in Siem Reap on July 28 by Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong. The two countries also agreed to hold more talks to settle the dispute.
But Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said further talks between their foreign ministers will not take place until Cambodia forms a new government in late September.
"There will be no more meetings until the new government is formed," he said in Phnom Penh.
The Ta Moan Thom temple was thrust into the spotlight on Sunday when Cambodia accused Thai troops of staying in the area it claimed to be part of Cambodian soil.
It is part of a group of the Ta Moan temples in the same area. Two other temples in the group are located on Thai soil, outside the disputed area.
The Cambodian complaint came after its soldiers were barred from visiting the temple on Saturday.
Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh said Cambodian soldiers and civilians were usually allowed to enter the Ta Moan Thom ruins for religious ceremonies, but over the weekend Thai soldiers blocked their way.
"They did not allow our troops to enter. That's why the dispute arose," he said. "Now we want the troops to stay where they are for a while."
Gen Tea Banh, confirming the Cambodian troops were still stationed nearby, said the two sides were "working on this issue".
After the weekend more border rangers from the Suranaree Task Force were mobilised to guard the temple and nearby historical sites.
A border ranger said there was no tension between Thai and Cambodian troops near the area, and discussions were conducted in a friendly manner.
Task force commander Maj-Gen Kanok Netrakawesana said Thai soldiers have been stationed around the temple for years.
The temple is in another location which has not been demarcated. Officials of the two countries had already surveyed the area to gather evidence for the JBC to decide where the borderline should be.
Cambodian Senior Minister Var Kimhong, who is in charge of border issues, said there was no legal doubt Ta Moan Thom was Cambodian. But Thailand is equally confident it is in Phanom Dong Rak district in Surin, opposite Oddar Meanchey province in Cambodia.
Fine Arts Department chief Kriengkrai Sampatchalit insisted the department has long taken care of the temple as Thailand's national heritage, while Cambodia has never shown an interest in maintaining the site.
The department registered Ta Moan Thom as a national heritage site years ago. Phnom Penh has never opposed the registration, the official added.
Mr Kriengkrai said demarcation in the area by the Thai-Cambodian panel would settle the dispute.
Historian Thepmontri Limpapayom said Ta Moan Thom belonged to Thailand, and he believed the new dispute over the temple was a ploy by Phnom Penh to divert Thailand's attention from the 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area near the Preah Vihear temple.
Historian M.L. Walwipa Charoonroj of Thammasat University said academics had warned government agencies that the Ta Moan Thom temple could be the subject of a serious dispute.
End of discussion (between Thailand and Cambodia)
Source: Bangkokpost.com
Phnom Penh - Talks between the foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand are over for now - at least until Cambodia forms a new government, expected in late September, government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said Monday. Supreme Commander Boonsrang Niumpradit suggested Cambodia pull back its troops from a second disputed temple area.
"There will be no more meetings. Wait until the new government is formed," Kanharith said at a press conference for the visit of Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
Instead, discussions would be left to the border committees on both sides for now, he said. The tensions on the northern border auger badly for pending negotiations over disputed sea borders which hold potentially rich oil fields in the balance.
Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said on Monday that Phnom Penh is committed to avoiding a shooting conflict. "The situation along the border has not yet reached emergency state," he told reporters.
In Bangkok, official Thai News Agency reported that Gen Boonsrang had asked his Border Affairs Department to pass a message to Cambodian Defence Minster Tea Banh:
"We ask Cambodia to move their soldiers, who are near the Ta Muen Thom temple," he said. "I have not received the response yet."
Reports on Sunday that a second temple on the Thai- Cambodian border has been occupied by Thai troops has drawn an angry reaction from the public. Click here for earlier Bangkok Post report.
Gen Boonsrang said a small group of Cambodian soldiers advanced on Sunday or Monday towards the temple.
Ta Muen Thom ruin sits in the Thai border district of Phanom Dong Rak in the northeastern province of Surin, but Cambodia claims that the ruin is in Cambodia's northern Banteay Meanchey. The demarcation between the two countries has not yet been settled by the Thailand-Cambodia General Border Committee (GBC).
Gen Boonsrang denied that Thailand had increased the number of troops stationed at Ta Muen Thom, and he declined to comment on ownership of the ruin.
"I don't want to answer other questions, otherwise it will escalate," he said.
Cambodia has said it will take the border dispute surrounding ancient temples the United Nations Security Council if bilateral talks fail.
Tensions flared on July 15 when Cambodia detained briefly three Thai protestors it said had strayed into Cambodian land after Preah Vihear temple was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site against Thai wishes. Thailand retaliated by sending in troops.
Sunday the dispute spread to Ta Muen Thom temple, hundreds of kilometres to the west, further straining relations.
Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti prime minister had some poignant words for Cambodia Monday during his 3-day official visit, Kanharith said.
"He told us once Kuwait was invaded by Iraq but now it has an embassy in Iraq," Kanharith said, referring to the 1991 Gulf War.
"Kuwait wants to solve problems by peaceful means ... not fighting." (dpa)
Phnom Penh - Talks between the foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand are over for now - at least until Cambodia forms a new government, expected in late September, government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said Monday. Supreme Commander Boonsrang Niumpradit suggested Cambodia pull back its troops from a second disputed temple area.
"There will be no more meetings. Wait until the new government is formed," Kanharith said at a press conference for the visit of Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
Instead, discussions would be left to the border committees on both sides for now, he said. The tensions on the northern border auger badly for pending negotiations over disputed sea borders which hold potentially rich oil fields in the balance.
Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said on Monday that Phnom Penh is committed to avoiding a shooting conflict. "The situation along the border has not yet reached emergency state," he told reporters.
In Bangkok, official Thai News Agency reported that Gen Boonsrang had asked his Border Affairs Department to pass a message to Cambodian Defence Minster Tea Banh:
"We ask Cambodia to move their soldiers, who are near the Ta Muen Thom temple," he said. "I have not received the response yet."
Reports on Sunday that a second temple on the Thai- Cambodian border has been occupied by Thai troops has drawn an angry reaction from the public. Click here for earlier Bangkok Post report.
Gen Boonsrang said a small group of Cambodian soldiers advanced on Sunday or Monday towards the temple.
Ta Muen Thom ruin sits in the Thai border district of Phanom Dong Rak in the northeastern province of Surin, but Cambodia claims that the ruin is in Cambodia's northern Banteay Meanchey. The demarcation between the two countries has not yet been settled by the Thailand-Cambodia General Border Committee (GBC).
Gen Boonsrang denied that Thailand had increased the number of troops stationed at Ta Muen Thom, and he declined to comment on ownership of the ruin.
"I don't want to answer other questions, otherwise it will escalate," he said.
Cambodia has said it will take the border dispute surrounding ancient temples the United Nations Security Council if bilateral talks fail.
Tensions flared on July 15 when Cambodia detained briefly three Thai protestors it said had strayed into Cambodian land after Preah Vihear temple was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site against Thai wishes. Thailand retaliated by sending in troops.
Sunday the dispute spread to Ta Muen Thom temple, hundreds of kilometres to the west, further straining relations.
Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti prime minister had some poignant words for Cambodia Monday during his 3-day official visit, Kanharith said.
"He told us once Kuwait was invaded by Iraq but now it has an embassy in Iraq," Kanharith said, referring to the 1991 Gulf War.
"Kuwait wants to solve problems by peaceful means ... not fighting." (dpa)
Monday, August 4, 2008
Thailand nominates Prasat Ta Muen Thom as World Heritage site
Thailand has nominated Prasat Ta Muen Thom, which becomes the latest border dispute with Cambodia, to be listed as a Unesco World Heritage site, Fine Arts Department director general Kriengkrai Sampatchalit said Monday.
The Unesco is scheduled to consider the Thai nomination of the Prasat Ta Muen Thom and other Prasats in Surin, Buri Ram and Nakhon Ratchasima under "the Khmer Civilisation Route," in its meeting next year, he said.
"It is true that the Prasat is located just about 100 metres from the border in the Thai soil. The Fine Arts Department has found and registered as one our Thai ancient items since 1935, or about 73 years ago," he said.
The Thai side has since then renovated it and opened it for public long time ago, he said, adding the Cambodian government has acknowledged the renovation and all activities related to the place.
Kriengkrai also responded to a latest report last week that the Khmer troops tried to cross the border to visit the place, but the Thai army declined their attempt. The Khmer troops reportedly intended to station there.
He said Prasat Ta Muen Thom has usually welcomed all visitors but the Thai army stepped in to take care of the Khmer visit because they came in uniform and were armed with weapons.
The Unesco is scheduled to consider the Thai nomination of the Prasat Ta Muen Thom and other Prasats in Surin, Buri Ram and Nakhon Ratchasima under "the Khmer Civilisation Route," in its meeting next year, he said.
"It is true that the Prasat is located just about 100 metres from the border in the Thai soil. The Fine Arts Department has found and registered as one our Thai ancient items since 1935, or about 73 years ago," he said.
The Thai side has since then renovated it and opened it for public long time ago, he said, adding the Cambodian government has acknowledged the renovation and all activities related to the place.
Kriengkrai also responded to a latest report last week that the Khmer troops tried to cross the border to visit the place, but the Thai army declined their attempt. The Khmer troops reportedly intended to station there.
He said Prasat Ta Muen Thom has usually welcomed all visitors but the Thai army stepped in to take care of the Khmer visit because they came in uniform and were armed with weapons.
Boonsang: land at Ta Moan Thom belongs to us (Thai General says)
(BangkokPost.com) - The Supreme Commander, Gen Boonsang Niampradit, said he handed a letter to the Cambodian authority, stating that the land at the 13th century Ta Moan Thom temple belongs to Thailand. Cambodia has accused Thai troops of occupying a second sacred temple on the Thai-Cambodian border.
Gen Boonsang said the Thai army and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will have to discuss and work out the dispute involving the 11th century Preah Vihear temple. He said the army is providing relevant information for the Foreign Ministry for consideration before negotiating with the Cambodian counterpart.
The Supreme Commander said the decision to lessen or withdraw Thai soldiers from the ancient temples will have to be discussed, as the matter is sensitive, complex, and would affect the stability of both nations.
The Foreign Ministry can assess the situation better than the army, Gen Boonsang claimed.
New temple uproar (Thais continue invasion)
Phnom Penh - Reports that a second sacred temple on the Thai- Cambodian border has been occupied by Thai troops has drawn an angry reaction from the public, Cambodian media reported Sunday.
Cambodia starts squabble over second temple: Click here
Thai Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag said no troops have moved into the area.
Ta Muen Thom temple, at the border of Surin province and Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey, has been manned by Thai troops for more than five years, the chairman of the government's border committee, Var Kimhong, told locally broadcast Radio France Internationale (RFI).
However the nation's largest selling newspaper, Rasmei Kampuchea, as well as the French-funded RFI and US-funded Radio Free Asia began running reports of its alleged occupation Sunday.
Kimhong said there was no legal doubt Ta Muen Thom was Cambodian.
Public outrage has grown steadily since areas around Preah Vihear temple, which Cambodia says are sovereign and Thailand says are disputed, were occupied by Thai troops on July 15, days after it was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site against Thai wishes.
At a press conference held just before national elections last month, Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith declined to answer a question on whether troop build-ups had also occurred on the Thai border with Banteay Meanchey.
The Cambodian government has tried to dampen the nationalist sentiment sweeping the country and urged the public to allow bilateral diplomacy to work, or, failing that, UN mediation.
In 2003 an angry mob torched the Thai embassy and several businesses over a false story a Thai actress had claimed the nation's icon, Angkor Wat temple, was Thai - a serious setback for trade and diplomatic relations.
Claims published in the Thai media accusing Cambodia's First Lady Bun Rany, wife of Prime Minister Hun Sen, of leading a black magic ritual when she hosted a Buddhist ceremony attended by more than 1,000 people at Preah Vihear Friday have not helped.
To be accused of sorcery is regarded as a terrible insult by Cambodians, who regularly kill those accused of it. (dpa)
Cambodia starts squabble over second temple: Click here
Thai Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag said no troops have moved into the area.
Ta Muen Thom temple, at the border of Surin province and Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey, has been manned by Thai troops for more than five years, the chairman of the government's border committee, Var Kimhong, told locally broadcast Radio France Internationale (RFI).
However the nation's largest selling newspaper, Rasmei Kampuchea, as well as the French-funded RFI and US-funded Radio Free Asia began running reports of its alleged occupation Sunday.
Kimhong said there was no legal doubt Ta Muen Thom was Cambodian.
Public outrage has grown steadily since areas around Preah Vihear temple, which Cambodia says are sovereign and Thailand says are disputed, were occupied by Thai troops on July 15, days after it was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site against Thai wishes.
At a press conference held just before national elections last month, Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith declined to answer a question on whether troop build-ups had also occurred on the Thai border with Banteay Meanchey.
The Cambodian government has tried to dampen the nationalist sentiment sweeping the country and urged the public to allow bilateral diplomacy to work, or, failing that, UN mediation.
In 2003 an angry mob torched the Thai embassy and several businesses over a false story a Thai actress had claimed the nation's icon, Angkor Wat temple, was Thai - a serious setback for trade and diplomatic relations.
Claims published in the Thai media accusing Cambodia's First Lady Bun Rany, wife of Prime Minister Hun Sen, of leading a black magic ritual when she hosted a Buddhist ceremony attended by more than 1,000 people at Preah Vihear Friday have not helped.
To be accused of sorcery is regarded as a terrible insult by Cambodians, who regularly kill those accused of it. (dpa)
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