The Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS: With some 4,000 troops massed along the Thai-Cambodian border, United Nations Security Council members say they will try to stop the military standoff from escalating into war.
Diplomats said Wednesday they expect to call a special council session, probably next week, to deal with the latest dispute over land near the ancient temple of Preah Vihear. Cambodia appealed to the U.N. Security Council to intervene, warning that the two sides were at "an imminent state of war."
The conflict focuses on an area less than 2 square miles (5.2 square kilometers) around the temple, that both nations claim as their own. The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but its listing this month as a U.N. World Heritage Site stirred tensions anew.
"We are worried by the situation and by the potential tension due to the situation raising around the temple," French U.N. Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert said Wednesday. "Everybody was in favor of discussing the situation. When exactly? We do not yet."
Ripert said the 15-nation council "should meet as fast as possible" based on Cambodia's request.
"We are in charge of peace and security," he said. "So, if we can diffuse the tensions and if we can prevent any development that could be dramatic for the region and for peace and security, we will do it and we think we have to do it."
Thailand, whose troops killed Cambodian refugees there in 1979, sent troops to the border on July 15 after anti-government demonstrators attacked Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's government for supporting Cambodia's application to UNESCO, the U.N. agency that designates World Heritage Sites. There are now 878 sites on the global list, which helps draw attention to efforts to conserve them.
They claim the temple's new status will undermine Thailand's claim to land around the temple. Cambodia responded with its own deployment. The carved stone temple and buildings from the first half of the 11th century were built by cliffs overlooking mountains.
As the dispute entered its second week Wednesday, Thailand accused Cambodia of eyeing even more of its land and leaflets appeared in the Cambodian capital calling for a boycott of Thai goods. Cambodian police were investigating the leaflets.
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said he had no choice but to appeal to the United Nations after discussions with Thailand on Monday failed to produce a breakthrough in the crisis. He made a similar request to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, but the region's key bloc urged the two countries to continue bilateral negotiations.
In a countermove Wednesday, Thailand's U.N. Ambassador Don Pramudwinai, said Cambodia was bringing the quarrel before the Security Council because "the Cambodian target is not only Preah Vihear but the entire common border." Don told Bangkok's Business Radio that Cambodia was trying to force Thailand to accept a French colonial map that favors Cambodia.
Thailand relies on a different map drawn up later with American technical assistance.
Pramudwinai also told the Security Council in a letter Monday that "the boundary line claimed by Cambodia has no legal status" from the 1962 ruling, because he said that case dealt only with "sovereignty" - the question of who owns the temple.
Cambodia's U.N. Ambassador Sea Kosal wrote the council last Friday that "this Thai military provocation is aimed at creating a de facto 'overlapping area' that legally does not exist on Cambodia soil."
The two nations have built up about 4,000 troops in the area, with both sides insisting they won't resort to force. The atmosphere remained calm Wednesday among Cambodian and Thai troops at the hilltop temple, despite the intense diplomatic rhetoric by the respective governments.
Troops from both sides "continued interacting cordially," said Cambodian Brig. Gen. Chea Keo, without elaborating.
The dispute has also shaken Thailand's domestic political scene. Its national anti-corruption commission has begun investigating the Thai prime minister and other top officials over accusations the government violated Thailand's constitution by not consulting its parliament before supporting Cambodia's application.
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Associated Press writers Ker Munthit and Sopheng Cheang in Cambodia, Ambika Ahuja and Sutin Wannabovorn in Bangkok, Thailand, and Sumeth Panpetch along the Thai-Cambodian border contributed to this report.
Diplomats said Wednesday they expect to call a special council session, probably next week, to deal with the latest dispute over land near the ancient temple of Preah Vihear. Cambodia appealed to the U.N. Security Council to intervene, warning that the two sides were at "an imminent state of war."
The conflict focuses on an area less than 2 square miles (5.2 square kilometers) around the temple, that both nations claim as their own. The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but its listing this month as a U.N. World Heritage Site stirred tensions anew.
"We are worried by the situation and by the potential tension due to the situation raising around the temple," French U.N. Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert said Wednesday. "Everybody was in favor of discussing the situation. When exactly? We do not yet."
Ripert said the 15-nation council "should meet as fast as possible" based on Cambodia's request.
"We are in charge of peace and security," he said. "So, if we can diffuse the tensions and if we can prevent any development that could be dramatic for the region and for peace and security, we will do it and we think we have to do it."
Thailand, whose troops killed Cambodian refugees there in 1979, sent troops to the border on July 15 after anti-government demonstrators attacked Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's government for supporting Cambodia's application to UNESCO, the U.N. agency that designates World Heritage Sites. There are now 878 sites on the global list, which helps draw attention to efforts to conserve them.
They claim the temple's new status will undermine Thailand's claim to land around the temple. Cambodia responded with its own deployment. The carved stone temple and buildings from the first half of the 11th century were built by cliffs overlooking mountains.
As the dispute entered its second week Wednesday, Thailand accused Cambodia of eyeing even more of its land and leaflets appeared in the Cambodian capital calling for a boycott of Thai goods. Cambodian police were investigating the leaflets.
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said he had no choice but to appeal to the United Nations after discussions with Thailand on Monday failed to produce a breakthrough in the crisis. He made a similar request to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, but the region's key bloc urged the two countries to continue bilateral negotiations.
In a countermove Wednesday, Thailand's U.N. Ambassador Don Pramudwinai, said Cambodia was bringing the quarrel before the Security Council because "the Cambodian target is not only Preah Vihear but the entire common border." Don told Bangkok's Business Radio that Cambodia was trying to force Thailand to accept a French colonial map that favors Cambodia.
Thailand relies on a different map drawn up later with American technical assistance.
Pramudwinai also told the Security Council in a letter Monday that "the boundary line claimed by Cambodia has no legal status" from the 1962 ruling, because he said that case dealt only with "sovereignty" - the question of who owns the temple.
Cambodia's U.N. Ambassador Sea Kosal wrote the council last Friday that "this Thai military provocation is aimed at creating a de facto 'overlapping area' that legally does not exist on Cambodia soil."
The two nations have built up about 4,000 troops in the area, with both sides insisting they won't resort to force. The atmosphere remained calm Wednesday among Cambodian and Thai troops at the hilltop temple, despite the intense diplomatic rhetoric by the respective governments.
Troops from both sides "continued interacting cordially," said Cambodian Brig. Gen. Chea Keo, without elaborating.
The dispute has also shaken Thailand's domestic political scene. Its national anti-corruption commission has begun investigating the Thai prime minister and other top officials over accusations the government violated Thailand's constitution by not consulting its parliament before supporting Cambodia's application.
___
Associated Press writers Ker Munthit and Sopheng Cheang in Cambodia, Ambika Ahuja and Sutin Wannabovorn in Bangkok, Thailand, and Sumeth Panpetch along the Thai-Cambodian border contributed to this report.
12 comments:
." Don told Bangkok's Business Radio that Cambodia was trying to force Thailand to accept a French colonial map that favors Cambodia."
We are not forcing you to accept this border line but actually your King did reconigned it.
It's another successful deplomatic deffencive of Cambodia over Thailand who always blocks this conflict to regional and international communities. It's more suffer for Thailand if it still keep its dirty greed to Cambodia.
15-Nation council should meet as fas as posible.
They are responsible for the peace and security..
I hope the UN will do it carefully and We Cambodia will wine by the depomate way..
We Cambodian thanks to all of 15 members who is working with high responsible and quickly sold the proble...please please and please have a meeting quickly...
Thais have never been Hindu they were always robbed Khmer land including Khmer cultures.
I have never seen such a nation like Thailand has no shame like this.
Pramudwinai also told the Security Council in a letter Monday that "the boundary line claimed by Cambodia has no legal status" from the 1962 ruling, because he said that case dealt only with "sovereignty" - the question of who owns the temple.
Hee eeee in thiland there are great lawyer haha the ruling did not legally binded to the map because the case deal only with the sovergihty. So funnyyyyyyy. The court ruling has direect effect on the map annexed.
In 1979 Thia troops forced 50,000.00 cambodian refugees off the Preah vihera mountain, if they too sick to get down and turn around , the troops shot and killed them. This is the policies of the fake king. the fake king and siam claims that they are buddist but they tried to kill 50,000.00 innocent khmers refugees just tried to live by forced them to get down from the cliff and step on the landmines die like the animal.
"Disputed area" my asss.siam king invaded cambodian teritory by trying to take over the entrance, so we cambodian can not drive up to the temple.As soon as they claim the area is theirs they take the temple too.
Bhumibol is evil fake Buddhist.
Temple and Land grabbers deserve what they get, 11:45. What more can you asked for?
Through the French map which international map will force the Thaicong to give up any land was stolen from Cambodia!
The GPS will plot and measure every square inch of Cambodia base on the French map and the Thaicong can't get away for steal Khmer land!
The Thaicong aggression will be condemned according to international law base on international map which recognize by international community!
International community will not forced anyone to abide by the Nazi-French colonial map or treaty. This is year 2008, not pre-Year-Zero (1962).
How can you let big fish negotiate with small fish? If that is the case, big fish will eat small fish!
Outside intervention is necessary. Thailand is a deceptive country and will use all its means to fool the world. The present chair of ASEAN is a Thai (Surin Pitsuwan). ASEAN wants nothing to do with the conflict. Only international law of the UN is deemed necessary to safeguard law and order. It must act fast to prevent a war.
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