BANGKOK, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Thailand and Cambodia on Wednesday agreed to reduce the number of their military personnel guarding the disputed border temple of Ta Moan Thom after a bilateral defense meeting in Thailand's northeastern province Surin.
The agreement was reached following a meeting between Lt-Gen. Suchit Sitthiprapa, Thailand's Second Army commander, responsible for security affairs in northeastern Thailand, and Cambodian Deputy Defense Minister Gen. Neang Paht at a hotel in Surin province bordering Cambodia, according to a report by Thai News Agency.
Both sides agreed at the meeting to reduce the number of armed forces personnel guarding the Ta Moan Thom, 13-century Khmer-styletemple ruin which is located between Surin's Phanom Dong Rak district and Cambodian province of Uddor Meanchey.
Thailand and Cambodia also agreed to open the barbed wire installed at the ruin early Thursday so that military and residents of both countries could communicate with each other and visit the temple. Thais will also be allowed to visit another ruin about a km deeper inside Cambodia.
Tensions in the area heightened after Thailand's Supreme Commander Gen. Boonsang Niempradit, on Aug. 4 asked Cambodia to withdraw its soldiers from the environs of the temple.
A Thai foreign ministry spokesman has said the Ta Moan Thom ruin is only one of a number of sites along the yet-to-be-demarcated boundary between the two countries.
Both countries have agreed to hold another meeting next Monday in the Thai central resort town of Hua Hin.
On Monday and Tuesday, foreign ministers from both countries will also hold their second-round talks regarding the long-disputed border area around the Preah Vihear Temple.
The 11th-century Preah Vihear Temple was awarded a World Heritage site honor after the UNESCO last month approved Cambodia's application, which has sparked nationalist sentiment in Thailand amid its recent domestic political turmoil.
Thai and Cambodian military have beefed up military presence along the disputed border since July 15 after three Thais including a monk was briefly detained by Cambodian soldiers for breaking into the temple, which had been closed for public by Cambodian authorities to public as border tension rose.
The agreement was reached following a meeting between Lt-Gen. Suchit Sitthiprapa, Thailand's Second Army commander, responsible for security affairs in northeastern Thailand, and Cambodian Deputy Defense Minister Gen. Neang Paht at a hotel in Surin province bordering Cambodia, according to a report by Thai News Agency.
Both sides agreed at the meeting to reduce the number of armed forces personnel guarding the Ta Moan Thom, 13-century Khmer-styletemple ruin which is located between Surin's Phanom Dong Rak district and Cambodian province of Uddor Meanchey.
Thailand and Cambodia also agreed to open the barbed wire installed at the ruin early Thursday so that military and residents of both countries could communicate with each other and visit the temple. Thais will also be allowed to visit another ruin about a km deeper inside Cambodia.
Tensions in the area heightened after Thailand's Supreme Commander Gen. Boonsang Niempradit, on Aug. 4 asked Cambodia to withdraw its soldiers from the environs of the temple.
A Thai foreign ministry spokesman has said the Ta Moan Thom ruin is only one of a number of sites along the yet-to-be-demarcated boundary between the two countries.
Both countries have agreed to hold another meeting next Monday in the Thai central resort town of Hua Hin.
On Monday and Tuesday, foreign ministers from both countries will also hold their second-round talks regarding the long-disputed border area around the Preah Vihear Temple.
The 11th-century Preah Vihear Temple was awarded a World Heritage site honor after the UNESCO last month approved Cambodia's application, which has sparked nationalist sentiment in Thailand amid its recent domestic political turmoil.
Thai and Cambodian military have beefed up military presence along the disputed border since July 15 after three Thais including a monk was briefly detained by Cambodian soldiers for breaking into the temple, which had been closed for public by Cambodian authorities to public as border tension rose.
3 comments:
Every time I read the newspaper written by Bangkok and the Nation staff, they always mentioned Khmer made temples as Khmer style temples or Hindu temples. This is wrong because these temples were built by Khmer ancestors. Therefore, they must be called the Khmer temples. Khmer styles to me mean they were not built by Khmers but a copy of Khmer style built by non Khmers. Thai media plays a big part in instigating its public to think that their ancestors who built the temples.
Never trust Thai. Their words worth less than cow dung.
Cambodia need more development to convince its both neightbors who always try to swallow our soil. I think now is not in time to make our country collapsed. We need to show that we are only one to push thai army back from our country. We also want to show this strengt to Vietname. We need peace and we need more investor to boost our country economic toward.
Our GDP: if comparing to other country in region (asean) in 2007 we only can do better than Burma. Income per capita (per person) Cambodia is only $521/year, Lao more than $600/ year, Vietname is about $800/year, Thailand is more than $3000/year. As forcus of our economist maybe we can reach to about $700 this year.
I am not a politician, and I am cambodian. I have never voted for CPP, SRS...ect. I just vote for small party which can not effert to win. I don't want my eyes to be blind just because of politics.
What i am concern is: Pls. think about NATION, 14 MILLIONS PEOPLE as your priority at first not for your selve.
Hope you understand clearly where we are, and what we are doing.
Finally wish you good luck. DON'T FORGET THAI ARMY AT OUR SOIL NOW.
All the best
Independent Economist.
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