DPA
Phnom Penh - A meeting between the Thai and Cambodian foreign ministers over an ongoing border dispute led to pledges for further meetings but a warning from Cambodia that its patience was finite, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said Monday. Hor Namhong and his Thai counterpart Sompong Amornviwat met for several hours but achieved little more than a promise of a joint border task force meeting for late October, the Cambodian side said.
However, Hor Namhong said he had warned Sompong that although Cambodia understood Thailand's ongoing internal strife, the issue must be quickly resolved or Cambodia would abandon bilateral talks and go to a mediator such as the International Court in The Hague.
"We asked the Thai government to solve the border dispute completely and in appropriate time. I again and again urged the Thai government not to delay," Hor Namhong told a press conference.
Cambodia closed the border at the 11th century Preah Vihear temple in June ahead of its own national elections as anti-Thai government protesters gathered on the Thai side of the border.
Shortly after the temple was declared a Cambodian World Heritage site by UNESCO in July over Thai objections, Thai troops entered what they claim is disputed territory and Cambodia says is sovereign. The dispute later spread to two more border temples.
At least one Cambodian soldier and two Thai troops were wounded when units exchanged gunfire during a brief clash on October 3 near Preah Vihear temple and two more Thai soldiers were also seriously injured last week after stepping on a landmine near the ruins.
Talks to discuss withdrawing troops from around Preah Vihear were postponed in late August amid political turmoil in Thailand but Hor Namhong said the two sides had reached an agreement in principal to withdraw troops Monday, although nothing was signed.
Sompong, who is scheduled to pay a courtesy visit to King Norodom Sihamoni and Prime Minister Hun Sen before his return to Bangkok Monday evening declined to comment to reporters after the meeting.
However, Hor Namhong said he had warned Sompong that although Cambodia understood Thailand's ongoing internal strife, the issue must be quickly resolved or Cambodia would abandon bilateral talks and go to a mediator such as the International Court in The Hague.
"We asked the Thai government to solve the border dispute completely and in appropriate time. I again and again urged the Thai government not to delay," Hor Namhong told a press conference.
Cambodia closed the border at the 11th century Preah Vihear temple in June ahead of its own national elections as anti-Thai government protesters gathered on the Thai side of the border.
Shortly after the temple was declared a Cambodian World Heritage site by UNESCO in July over Thai objections, Thai troops entered what they claim is disputed territory and Cambodia says is sovereign. The dispute later spread to two more border temples.
At least one Cambodian soldier and two Thai troops were wounded when units exchanged gunfire during a brief clash on October 3 near Preah Vihear temple and two more Thai soldiers were also seriously injured last week after stepping on a landmine near the ruins.
Talks to discuss withdrawing troops from around Preah Vihear were postponed in late August amid political turmoil in Thailand but Hor Namhong said the two sides had reached an agreement in principal to withdraw troops Monday, although nothing was signed.
Sompong, who is scheduled to pay a courtesy visit to King Norodom Sihamoni and Prime Minister Hun Sen before his return to Bangkok Monday evening declined to comment to reporters after the meeting.
12 comments:
Come on my compatriot, be ready to fight!!!...The Siam won't go back coz they dig their own graves already..
Let them run into the mine field they will help to demine at least 80 more...
It should be the time to go to the international courte. The patience should be thin since the Thai troop shoot Cambodian because of entering Thailand illegaly last time.
Ask third party to help rather than talking with the brainless Thai.
KOUN KHMER
Bring the case to the ICJ in the Hague and ask the UN to intervene, why wait, the Thais will never give up grabbing our land. They want more and more, even the whole Cambodia, because the land, temples and everything are yummy for them. Do the utmost we can and put more troops to the border and bring the case to the attention of International community to show that Thais are the invaders, we just defend what we have got left from what they stole in the past. Enough is enough. Kaun khmer
Not only involve Hague court but Japan and France as well.Both had a lot to do with Siam expansionism then.
Cambodia needs to issue a warning declaration to ASEAN that Cambodia is seeking necessary legal and international intervention to avoid protest Thailand violation its territory since July.
Meanwhile it is a prority for Thailand to remove its occupying force that endagers Khmer security.
The 4th Indochina war will start soon. We thai will advance our forces as quick as possible to control our old territories back from 1902.
LOL, dream on you stupid theives!
I don't think THAI can pass BATTAMBANG or PAILIN.
Once we started the war, Khmer will take our Krung Bangkak back and advance to our former frontier near Burma.
HUN SEN,
What a dream?
Mr. Hun Sen, I have never supported you. But now you are taking a right action. I now support you 100%.
May God bless you, Khmer troups and people.
Khmer California
When we are afraid of dying to defend our country, we do not any more deserve to live as a free individual.
When we are afraid of waging war to defend our country, we are good to live as slave.
To 1:16 AM
I think you have a dream. You and your people of Thai should wake up by now.
To a stupid siem's theif 1:16am:
Here is your lesson of 1987
" When came the Vang Tao incident of July 2000, the Vientiane administration gleefully jumped at the opportunity to seize more territory. Having lost almost 6,000 men in 1987 in fight with communist Lao over a strip of less than 5 square kilometer, Thailand is reluctant to provoke a full-scale military conflict".
Is this your dream. You should ask Chavalit first before you open your stinky mouth.
To a stupid siem's theif 1:16am:
Here is your lesson of 1987
" When came the Vang Tao incident of July 2000, the Vientiane administration gleefully jumped at the opportunity to seize more territory. Having lost almost 6,000 men in 1987 in fight with communist Lao over a strip of less than 5 square kilometer, Thailand is reluctant to provoke a full-scale military conflict".
Is this your dream. You should ask Chavalit first before you open your stinky mouth.
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