Cambodian PM Urges Thai Troop Withdrawal from Preah Vihear

2 July 2009
Thai ASEAN News Network

Despite confirmation from authorities for both sides that Thailand and Cambodia will find an amicable solution to the dispute over the ancient Preah Vihear Temple, Cambodian premier Hun Sen is demanding that Thai troops withdraw from the disputed site.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen told the international press that he has been trying to reduce tension at the border and the possibility of a clash between Thai and Cambodian troops.

He has demanded that Thai soldiers withdraw from the Thai-Cambodian border of the conflict site in Si Sa Ket province first and then Cambodian troops will follow. He cautioned that if Thai forces try to trespass onto sovereign Cambodian territory, they will be met with an armed counter attack.

Meanwhile, as for Thailand, the Foreign Minister, Kasit Piromya and the Defence Minister, General Prawit Wongsuwan expressed confidence that there will be no clash between the two forces at the border and insisted that the bilateral relations will remain intact as dialogue towards reconciliation has been continuing at multiple administrative levels.

In this regard, Commander of the Army Region 2, Lieutenant General Viboonsak Neeparn had a meeting with Cambodian Fourth Provincial Army Commander Lieutenant General Chea Mon in Surin province to discuss the possibility of reducing the size of the troops being deployed at the border, in the hope of reducing tension at the Preah Vihear Temple site.

Khmer PM urges Thai troop withdrawal

Thu, July 2, 2009
By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has urged Thailand to withdraw its 30 troops stationed around Preah Vihear Temple, to defuse the stand-off at the border.

Hun Sen said he told Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaug-suban during his visit to Phnom Penh last week that the Thai side must not fly military aircraft over Cambodian territory.

He told Suthep that Cambodian forces had recently been equipped with modern ground-to-air missiles, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Second Army Area commander Lt-General Wiboonsak Neeparn said he contacted his Cambodian counterpart, Lt-General Chea Mon, to consult with him about troop redeployment.

"If we don't talk to each other, there could be a misunderstanding, due to misinformation," he said.

Thailand has no intention of using force to solve the dispute, he said.

Tensions along the border near Preah Vihear have intensified since Thailand maintained its objection to the temple's World Heritage status at the 33rd session of the World Heritage Committee in Spain last month.

The Thai complaint, however, made no difference to the World Heritage Committee, which had decided to list the Khmer sanctuary as a World Heritage Site a year ago.

Its decision issued at its meeting in Spain simply requested that Cambodia submit details of its plan for safeguarding and developing the site by next February 1.

Cambodia was due to submit the details this past February, but Phnom Penh made its first report to the committee in April with some information missing, such as a map delineating the buffer zone around the temple.

However, Natural Resource and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti, who attended the meeting in Spain, told local media the committee decided to delay its decision to list Preah Vihear until next February after his heavy lobbying.

Pongpol Adireksarn, former chairman of Thailand's National World Heritage Committee, accused Suwit of twisting the Spanish meeting's decision.

The committee has agreed to extend the time frame for the site-management plan because Cambodia has not yet submitted sufficient documentation, not because of any objections from Thailand, he said.