DPA
Siem Reap, Cambodia - After 12 hours of tense talks, Cambodia and Thailand agreed to withdraw thousands of troops from a disputed area around a northern Cambodian border temple, but no timeline was set, the foreign ministers of both nations said Monday.
'It was a successful meeting,' Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told a press conference, saying discussions between the ministers were cordial. 'We are not angry, not speaking force, but trying to solve the problem peacefully.
'We have agreed to establish a task force and report our governments in preparation to recall troops around the temple. When exactly this will happen the two sides did not establish.
'This agreement should be without prejudice against the rights of both sides,' he said, but declined to comment on which of the disputed border maps, of which more than one exists over the last century and is at the heart of the conflict, would be accepted.
Thailand earlier said troop withdrawals must be equal and reports said troops buildups continued even during the meeting.
Hor Namhong said more discussions were needed over the borders.
He asked that questions be directed to him only in Khmer during the press conference and newly appointed Thai Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag said little, but did pledge to report on the meeting with the Thai cabinet on his return home, expected Tuesday.
Earlier, a senior Cambodian diplomatic source said neither side had achieved their desired objectives during the meeting.
'Cambodia is not happy. Neither side is happy,' the Cambodian diplomat said. 'On the Thai side, the new foreign minister has not enough capacity to talk with the veteran Cambodian Foreign Minister.'
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong has held the post for decades. A seasoned diplomat, he is not known for giving ground.
Shortly after the Preah Vihear temple was made a World Heritage Site by UNESCO this month, Thailand moved troops into what it calls a disputed area that Cambodia maintains is its territory.
The 11th-century temple is sacred to Thais and Cambodians but only easily accessible from Thailand and Thailand had objected to the temple's listing despite a 1962 International Court ruling that it was Cambodian. Cambodia closed the border in June after Thai rallies.
Both sides have said they would not back down on the issue, which has voter nationalism running high.
Cambodia held national elections Sunday, returning the current government with an increased majority, but the Thai government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej remains under pressure.
The Cambodians have said they will stick to diplomatic channels to solve the problem and the next step will be mediation at the United Nations if bilateral talks fail. A total alcohol ban is in force around the temple to ensure calm.
In 2003 an angry mob torched the Thai embassy and some businesses over a false rumour that a Thai actress had claimed another temple, Angkor Wat, was Thai, but Cambodian officials have said they are determined that such a diplomatic disaster will not be repeated.
'It was a successful meeting,' Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told a press conference, saying discussions between the ministers were cordial. 'We are not angry, not speaking force, but trying to solve the problem peacefully.
'We have agreed to establish a task force and report our governments in preparation to recall troops around the temple. When exactly this will happen the two sides did not establish.
'This agreement should be without prejudice against the rights of both sides,' he said, but declined to comment on which of the disputed border maps, of which more than one exists over the last century and is at the heart of the conflict, would be accepted.
Thailand earlier said troop withdrawals must be equal and reports said troops buildups continued even during the meeting.
Hor Namhong said more discussions were needed over the borders.
He asked that questions be directed to him only in Khmer during the press conference and newly appointed Thai Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag said little, but did pledge to report on the meeting with the Thai cabinet on his return home, expected Tuesday.
Earlier, a senior Cambodian diplomatic source said neither side had achieved their desired objectives during the meeting.
'Cambodia is not happy. Neither side is happy,' the Cambodian diplomat said. 'On the Thai side, the new foreign minister has not enough capacity to talk with the veteran Cambodian Foreign Minister.'
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong has held the post for decades. A seasoned diplomat, he is not known for giving ground.
Shortly after the Preah Vihear temple was made a World Heritage Site by UNESCO this month, Thailand moved troops into what it calls a disputed area that Cambodia maintains is its territory.
The 11th-century temple is sacred to Thais and Cambodians but only easily accessible from Thailand and Thailand had objected to the temple's listing despite a 1962 International Court ruling that it was Cambodian. Cambodia closed the border in June after Thai rallies.
Both sides have said they would not back down on the issue, which has voter nationalism running high.
Cambodia held national elections Sunday, returning the current government with an increased majority, but the Thai government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej remains under pressure.
The Cambodians have said they will stick to diplomatic channels to solve the problem and the next step will be mediation at the United Nations if bilateral talks fail. A total alcohol ban is in force around the temple to ensure calm.
In 2003 an angry mob torched the Thai embassy and some businesses over a false rumour that a Thai actress had claimed another temple, Angkor Wat, was Thai, but Cambodian officials have said they are determined that such a diplomatic disaster will not be repeated.
5 comments:
As i expected, CPP lie us again with the preah vihear's case.
We don't know much about the agreement that CPP and Thai have sign before going to the UNCESCO.
And now, They do like nothing happen.
It's only of the examples that CPP do to blind us about the Youns enter to vote in Cambodia.
Khmer Canadian
Now, It happen just as Thai has predicted, Few more rounds of Talk. This is the 2nd times that Cambodian fall back from Initial .
Beware.
It seems to me, that We go Wild and Violent against the Thai. And they come back to Us as Mature and Adult. Is it a Strategy, Tactic or What. Help me
As I forecasted before election, after election resdult every thai proposal will be agrred by Khmers side....
.. Demining is unecesdsary right now, in disputed time every thing should remein unchanmged... why Demining ??????
Excellency General Oknha Achar Knoy...
Can we all KHMER consider yesterday siemreap talk a success????? I don't understand why our KHMER troop will have to withdraw from that conflict area which earlier the cambodian government confirm that is cambodian territory. What can we do????
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