Bangkok Post report denied

21 Dec 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Soch

On Tuesday, government official rejected a report published by The Bangkok Post claiming that Hun Xen will allow the opening of the border post at Preah Vihear temple after the New Year. Tith Sothea, mouthpiece of the Press and Quick Reaction Unit of the Council of Ministers, told The Cambodia Daily that Hun Xen did not raise this issue. Eang Sophallet, Hun Xen’s aid, said that he did not know that Hun Xen allowed the opening of the border gate sometime after the New Year during the latter’s meeting with Thai General Prayuth-ocha, the Thai army chief. Hang Soth, the chairman of the Preah Vihear National Authority, said yesterday that he did not receive any order to open the temple. He said that his organization did not hear anything concerning this issue.

Thai soldiers close entrance to Preah Vichear Temple

01 July 2007
By Sav Yuth
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Cambodian border troop officials stationed on the top of the Preah Vihear temple mountain, located in Preah Vihear province, said that the black-clad Thai soldiers are closing the entrance gate providing access to the Preah Vihear temple, and that they do not allow the passage of tourists or Thai and Cambodian people from crossing into Cambodia. The border closing took place after a dispute occurred between local border troops from the two countries.

Colonel Pho Kruy, the commander of the Cambodian border troop based in Preah Vihear temple, said on Sunday 01 July morning that Thai black-clad soldiers from Sisaket province closed the border gate since Saturday after the Cambodian border troop called in Thai soldiers to let them know about the temple access restriction by uniformed Thai soldiers.

Colonel Pho Kruy said: “They want us to provide an answer about their plan to (have us) provide the access to two to three uniformed soldiers as if it is normal.”

According to Cambodian border gate officials, on 28 June, Cambodian border troops invited the Thai border commander for a meeting on the mountain of Preah Vihear temple. The Cambodian troop told their Thai counterparts that a new restriction has been imposed by because they may frighten tourists visiting the temple. However, Cambodia which no longer allows the access to the temple by uniformed Thai soldiersthis new restriction displeased the Thai border guards.

Meas Saroeun, the Preah Vihear deputy provincial governor, said that based on information reported by Cambodian border guards, in addition to the closing of the border entrance, Thai black-clad soldiers also posted signs all along the border.

Meas Saroeun said: “My subordinates reported that the Thai posted signs all over, but our authority went and remove all these signs and they destroyed them.”

On Sunday, no clarification can be obtained from the Thai border troop, and the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh cannot be reached either.

Var Kim Hong, president of the Cambodian government committee for border resolution, said that he did not receive any report regarding this issue from Cambodian border guards yet. “There’s no problem. The local authority, the Preah Vihear provincial authority, and our people based there, including the police and the army, they shouldn’t have any problem, let them bring their issues for us to help resolve together,” Var Kim Hong said.

Cambodian border guards stationed in Preah Vihear temple mountain said that the dispute between Cambodian and Thai border guards always happened, and on each occasion, the border gate was closed (by the Thai side). Nevertheless, the tension along the border was eased when the border defense troops from the two sides looked and found a common ground for understanding each other.