PHNOM PENH, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej is scheduled to visit the area near the Preah Vihear Temple in the eponymous Cambodian province, English-Khmer language newspaper the Cambodia Daily Friday quoted official as saying.
"He has a plan to visit the Preah Vihear area, not the Preah Vihear Temple," said Cambodian Information Minister and government spokesman Khieu Kanharith, adding that specifics on the visit are yet unavailable.
"We will welcome (Samak) if he visits there," he said.
Meanwhile, Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Cambodian Council of Ministers, said that Samak needs to inform the Cambodian government before visiting the disputed area near the temple.
He dismissed the possibility of the visit on Saturday, because Samak is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.
Cambodia and Thailand will hold the second foreign ministers' meeting in Thailand on Aug. 18 to seek peaceful solution to the 25-day-long military standoff over border dispute.
On July 15, Thai troops went into the border area to fetch three trespassers who had intended to claim Thai sovereignty over the Preah Vihear Temple. The troops stationed there ever since, thus triggering the military stalemate.
In the following days, both sides gradually increased their military personnel to a thousand-strong at the border area to showoff their determination for territorial sovereignty.
During the time, Thai troops occupied one pagoda and one temple that the Cambodian government claimed should belong to its kingdom.
The Preah Vihear Temple straddles the Cambodian-Thai border atop the Dangrek Mountain and was listed as a World Heritage Site on July 7 by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice decided that the 11-century temple and the land around belongs to Cambodia, which rankled the Thais and has led to continuous disputes in late years.
"He has a plan to visit the Preah Vihear area, not the Preah Vihear Temple," said Cambodian Information Minister and government spokesman Khieu Kanharith, adding that specifics on the visit are yet unavailable.
"We will welcome (Samak) if he visits there," he said.
Meanwhile, Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Cambodian Council of Ministers, said that Samak needs to inform the Cambodian government before visiting the disputed area near the temple.
He dismissed the possibility of the visit on Saturday, because Samak is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.
Cambodia and Thailand will hold the second foreign ministers' meeting in Thailand on Aug. 18 to seek peaceful solution to the 25-day-long military standoff over border dispute.
On July 15, Thai troops went into the border area to fetch three trespassers who had intended to claim Thai sovereignty over the Preah Vihear Temple. The troops stationed there ever since, thus triggering the military stalemate.
In the following days, both sides gradually increased their military personnel to a thousand-strong at the border area to showoff their determination for territorial sovereignty.
During the time, Thai troops occupied one pagoda and one temple that the Cambodian government claimed should belong to its kingdom.
The Preah Vihear Temple straddles the Cambodian-Thai border atop the Dangrek Mountain and was listed as a World Heritage Site on July 7 by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice decided that the 11-century temple and the land around belongs to Cambodia, which rankled the Thais and has led to continuous disputes in late years.
5 comments:
Pls do not allow him to visit the Temple, we'are affraid if he is spy... to .........
I think he should go back with his army. Cambodia should not have to talk with this kind of thief any more. Thief is thai's culture.
People in the world are in the best interest of investicating these two country resolution esp Thai PM who sent the troops to Cambodian soil. People know Preah Vihear temple is belong to Cambodia since 1962. I know this from my School. I think cambodian is kind enought to let them occupying its own soil more than 20 days, if it is in France your troops already kneeled god in the heaven. I will fully support if cambodian stop any negotiation and file the complaint to UNSC. Any way hope Cambodian good luck and finish its dispute with thai.
Roperto- France
Oh good, does HUN SEN have his snipers ready to aim at this Thai leader?
Lets one shot him!
I am speaking on behalf of all Khmer people from the bottom of my heart that Cambodia MUST say "NO" to "joint development."
We must not succumb to foreign pressure – and more importantly – we should not sell our ancestral estate for the sake of business interests to benefit the business and political and robber baron elite. Instead, the Cambodian government should show a major repudiation of the incoming meeting on border spat, and – again, should not kowtow to foreign pressure.
Cambodian sovereignty and territorial integrity must be PROTECTED at all costs.
May the Lord Buddha protect Khmer people and her motherland!
Khmer farmer
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