Story Highlights
- Cambodia: Letter to Security Council meant to 'draw attention to crisis'
- The two countries agreed to meet Monday to defuse tensions
- Both Cambodia and Thailand lay claim to 11th century Preah Vihear temple
- The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (CNN) -- Cambodia has sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council to call attention to its continuing standoff with Thailand over an ancient border temple on disputed land.
The country is not asking for U.N. intervention, said Information Minister Kheu Kanharith. Rather, the letter that Cambodia's permanent mission in New York submitted to the chairmen of the Security Council and the General Assembly is meant to draw attention to a crisis that entered its sixth day Sunday.
The two countries agreed to meet Monday to defuse tensions -- even as each side continued to amass more troops to the site of the Preah Vihear temple
Both Cambodia and Thailand lay claim to the 11th century temple, which sits atop a cliff on Cambodian soil but has its most accessible entrance on the Thai side.
The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962. Thailand claims, however, that the 1.8 square mile (4.6 sq. km) area around it was never fully demarcated.
Thailand further says that the dispute arose from the fact that the Cambodian government used a map drawn during the French occupation of Cambodia that places both the temple and the surrounding area in that country's territory.
Earlier this month, the United Nations approved Cambodia's application to have the temple listed as a World Heritage Site -- places the U.N. says have outstanding universal value.
The decision re-ignited tensions, with some in Thailand fearing it will make it difficult for their country to lay claim to disputed land around the temple.
Opposition parties in Thailand used the issue to attack the government, which initially backed the heritage listing.
A Thai court overturned the pact, prompting the resignation of Thailand's foreign minister, Noppadon Pattama. He had endorsed the application.
Cambodia, meanwhile, is preparing for general elections on July 27. And Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has been in power since the mid-1980s, has portrayed the U.N. recognition as a national triumph.
The current flare-up began Tuesday, when Cambodian guards briefly detained three Thais who crossed into the area. Once they were let go, the three refused to leave the territory.
Cambodia claims Thailand sent troops to retrieve the trio and gradually built up their numbers.
Thailand denies the charge, saying its troops are deployed in Thai territory. Each side has asked its troops to withhold fire unless they are fired upon.
So far, the only casualty has been a Thai soldier who was injured Tuesday by a landmine -- possibly left over from the time the Khmer Rouge occupied the area.
The Khmer Rouge, a radical communist movement that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, won power through a guerrilla war. It is remembered for the deaths of as many as 1.5 million Cambodians.
-- Journalist Soeum Yin contributed to this report
The country is not asking for U.N. intervention, said Information Minister Kheu Kanharith. Rather, the letter that Cambodia's permanent mission in New York submitted to the chairmen of the Security Council and the General Assembly is meant to draw attention to a crisis that entered its sixth day Sunday.
The two countries agreed to meet Monday to defuse tensions -- even as each side continued to amass more troops to the site of the Preah Vihear temple
Both Cambodia and Thailand lay claim to the 11th century temple, which sits atop a cliff on Cambodian soil but has its most accessible entrance on the Thai side.
The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962. Thailand claims, however, that the 1.8 square mile (4.6 sq. km) area around it was never fully demarcated.
Thailand further says that the dispute arose from the fact that the Cambodian government used a map drawn during the French occupation of Cambodia that places both the temple and the surrounding area in that country's territory.
Earlier this month, the United Nations approved Cambodia's application to have the temple listed as a World Heritage Site -- places the U.N. says have outstanding universal value.
The decision re-ignited tensions, with some in Thailand fearing it will make it difficult for their country to lay claim to disputed land around the temple.
Opposition parties in Thailand used the issue to attack the government, which initially backed the heritage listing.
A Thai court overturned the pact, prompting the resignation of Thailand's foreign minister, Noppadon Pattama. He had endorsed the application.
Cambodia, meanwhile, is preparing for general elections on July 27. And Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has been in power since the mid-1980s, has portrayed the U.N. recognition as a national triumph.
The current flare-up began Tuesday, when Cambodian guards briefly detained three Thais who crossed into the area. Once they were let go, the three refused to leave the territory.
Cambodia claims Thailand sent troops to retrieve the trio and gradually built up their numbers.
Thailand denies the charge, saying its troops are deployed in Thai territory. Each side has asked its troops to withhold fire unless they are fired upon.
So far, the only casualty has been a Thai soldier who was injured Tuesday by a landmine -- possibly left over from the time the Khmer Rouge occupied the area.
The Khmer Rouge, a radical communist movement that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, won power through a guerrilla war. It is remembered for the deaths of as many as 1.5 million Cambodians.
-- Journalist Soeum Yin contributed to this report
3 comments:
Mc Donald trio is good but Thai trio give me diarrhea.
Now you want to play this political card? Ok so here's the scenario: Perhaps you know you will gain some part of the territory coz you have
know that based on the ICJ'S VERDICT AND THE FRANCO-A SIAM BASTARD-TREATY, YOU MORON STUPID THAIS WILL NVER HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE. Or coz you base your invasion on any treaties signed by FOOLISH AND CORRUPTED POEPLE IN CAMBODIA GOVERNMENT, SO THAT'S WHY YOU ARE SO SURE TO WIN THE CASE. OR YOU WILL RELEASE THE SECRET THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF CAM DOES NOT WANT THE PUBLIC TO HEAR AS FOR YOUR WINNING TOOLS? OR TO PROVE THAT SAMAK GOVERNMENT HAS MADE WRONG DECISION WITH THE PREAH VIHEAR TEMPLE AND TOPPLE THE GOVERNMENT?
Now WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY AH THAI CHKOUT?
KHMER EMPIRE
How to settle Preah Vihear Dispute ?
No Problem with Preah Vihear issue-- we will win-win
Because-
1. We have much more Army Generals than Thailand has( we have a lot of Generals from 1 stars to 4 Top Gold stars
2. We have more Excellencies than Thailand has
3. We have more Samdachs, Oknha, Bandits (Phd.), Prime ministers (in 1995), Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Deputy Prime Ministers, provincial Governors.... that Thailand has/ or than other counties world wide...
4. We have a lot of Military equipment such as Military trucks which are used to Transport illegal Loggings and Military Vehicles used countrywide to anywhere such as to restaurants and Bars...... We have a lot of Guns/pistols which are used every day in the cities and county sides to fire on people in ladies affairs disputes.
5. We have much more Luxury Cars-Lexus Landcruisers with Army & Police Plate Numbers that represent Our Top Generals and Excellency countrywide.....
6. The best way to settle such a problem is to send some hundreds of Cambodian Generals to the Disputed Borders.....Thais will be afraid of our numerous Multi-Generals which increase from day to day.
7. Send the so-called Development Army (the main Army troop playing Roles in Land dispute in Kampong Speu to Preah Vihear... they have experiences in illegally Occupying people's Land ... now let them to occupy our Preah Vihear.
8. But is the National Embarrassment that our Army (Royal Cambodian Armed Forces) have used a lot of forces to fight with Local unarmed-Cambodians in Land grabbling... so our Armed forces (Army, Police Economy Police, and military Police-PM) may be too weakened now...
9. It is a National Embarrassment that most of our Generals just attack in the Cities and with Local Cambodians in Land disputes, small Disputes in Night Clubs, Traffic Accidents, Karaoke and any unnecessary Fire shots.
Note: when I saw the Cambodians army in Dispute with Thai Army ..It reminds me about the Royal Cambodian Army disputing with Unarmed People in Land Disputes in Cambodia; They can protect their land But for Preah Vihear how will it be going on....?
"Thai uses the same Trick as Cambodia uses in Land dispute with Local Khmer People-- as of when the empowered men deploy army to illegally occupy people's land... ".
From Excellency Phd. Bandit, General 7 Diamond Stars, Oknha Achar Knoy
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