DPA
Phnom Penh - Cambodian and Thai armed forces chiefs said 13 months of sometimes-fatal hostilities around the ancient Preah Vihear temple are at an end, local media reported Tuesday.
At least seven soldiers from both sides were killed in occasional clashes around the temple complex since mid-2008 in a tense standoff that has had other members of the ASEAN regional bloc concerned.
At a meeting on Monday between military top brass from both sides in Phnom Penh, General Songkitti Jaggabatra, the Supreme Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, said the dispute would no longer be allowed to damage relations between the two kingdoms.
'I would like to clarify again that there will be no more problems between Thailand and Cambodia. The border will not be the cause of any further disputes,' he said in remarks carried by the Phnom Penh Post newspaper.
His opposite number, General Pol Saroeun, echoed that.
'We have the same view. Our goal is to achieve peace and solidarity with each other as siblings,' Pol Saroeun said.
Their meeting came just days after Prime Minister Hun Sen announced Cambodia would cut the number of troops stationed at Preah Vihear after Thailand reduced its forces to just 30 soldiers.
The 11th-century Hindu temple, which sits on Cambodia's northern border with Thailand, was awarded to Cambodia in 1962 by the World Court. Last year the UN's cultural body UNESCO added Preah Vihear to its World Heritage List, a move that rankled Thai nationalists who still contest the ownership of the site.
Cambodia and Thailand have yet to delineate much of their 804-kilometre long common border.
At least seven soldiers from both sides were killed in occasional clashes around the temple complex since mid-2008 in a tense standoff that has had other members of the ASEAN regional bloc concerned.
At a meeting on Monday between military top brass from both sides in Phnom Penh, General Songkitti Jaggabatra, the Supreme Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, said the dispute would no longer be allowed to damage relations between the two kingdoms.
'I would like to clarify again that there will be no more problems between Thailand and Cambodia. The border will not be the cause of any further disputes,' he said in remarks carried by the Phnom Penh Post newspaper.
His opposite number, General Pol Saroeun, echoed that.
'We have the same view. Our goal is to achieve peace and solidarity with each other as siblings,' Pol Saroeun said.
Their meeting came just days after Prime Minister Hun Sen announced Cambodia would cut the number of troops stationed at Preah Vihear after Thailand reduced its forces to just 30 soldiers.
The 11th-century Hindu temple, which sits on Cambodia's northern border with Thailand, was awarded to Cambodia in 1962 by the World Court. Last year the UN's cultural body UNESCO added Preah Vihear to its World Heritage List, a move that rankled Thai nationalists who still contest the ownership of the site.
Cambodia and Thailand have yet to delineate much of their 804-kilometre long common border.
5 comments:
I hope the two Kingdoms live as brothers and in peace forever so that they can stop Vietnam's expanding influence. And like to give "a tip for Thais: To curb VN's influence, be sure to get loyalty from Khmer top brass. KhOpen,
Still can't trust neighbors 100%! Khmer should be more careful, we had a bad lessons from them already! sign by hand erase by foot! that's how neighbors country doing business with cambodia....
Flip flop Neighbors! just be more alert, and use our heads more....don't be too peaceful and too relax!!
We always hear from Hun Sen about borders dispute with Thailand and how about with Vietnam? We have never heard Hun Sen said anything about Vietnam. Does this means that Vietnam respect our borders? Come on Mr. PM, tell people the truth. If we, khmers, are going to defend khmer land we do it for Khmers and not to be turned over khmer land to Vietnam eventually.
nothing is over yet, until it is all on paper in black and white and spelled out!
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