Cambodia-Thai Tensions Rise Ahead Of Peaceful Talks

July 20, 2008
Mayur Pahilajani
AHN News Writer

Phnom Penh, Cambodia (AHN) - Cambodia has reported Thailand's incursions into its territory near an ancient border temple to the United Nations Security Council.

Cambodia's permanent mission in New York submitted a letter informing the U.N. that Thai forces violated its territory near World Heritage Site the Preah Vihear Temple.

"On July 15, 2008, about 50 Thai soldiers crossed into the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda located in Cambodia's territory at about 300 meters from the Temple of Preah Vihear," the letter said, according to Xinhua news.

"By July 16 to 17, 2008,the number of Thai soldiers in the pagoda ground increased to 480," it added.

The temple, which is on a disputed land of 1.8 square mile, was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962.

The temple was listed as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations earlier this month after Cambodia sent an application.

Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said the country is not looking for U.N. intervention; instead Cambodia wants to draw attention to its continuing standoff from the last six days.

Tensions between the countries increased after Cambodia reportedly detained three Thais on Tuesday who entered into the territory, which forced Thailand to increase its number of troops in the region to bring back the hostages.

The neighboring countries have decided to meet on Monday to resolve the tensions related to the disputed region peacefully but the local reports indicated that Thailand and Cambodia are increase the number of soldiers on the border.

Thailand fears escalation of temple row: Poll

Country fears escalation of temple row: Poll

Sunday, July 20, 2008
Bangkok Post

More than half of Thais surveyed by the Suan Dusit Poll believe the row over the ancient temple at Preah Vihear will escalate and turn into a major crisis between Thailand and Cambodia.

Suan Dusit Rajabhat University conducted its nationwide survey from Thursday through Saturday, and found that 54 per cent of the respondents believed that conflicting claims over a disputed area near the temple, and on the Preah Vihear temple itself, could become a more serious problem.

Only 19 per cent of the respondents thought the issue would not blow out of proportion because the temple was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962. However, they worry that the ongoing problem could affect the normally warm relations and investment between the two nations.

Asked about people's confidence in regard to the Thai government's attempts to solve the temple problem, 39.55 per cent said they were uncertain. They reasoned that previous Thai governments had allowed the temple issue to drag on for a long time while former Thai foreign minister Noppadon Pattama had also signed a joint communique with Cambodia supporting its application to list the temple as a World Heritage site.

On attempts by Thai military to help solve the problem, 36 per cent said they did not have much confidence and the problem should be handled by the government.

Their opinions were made as Thailand's Supreme Commander Boonsang Niempradit prepared to meet Cambodian Defence Minister Gen Tea Banh in Thailand's Sa Kaeo province to discuss the confrontation near the temple.

Cambodia informs UN Security Council of Thai incursion into its territory

PHNOM PENH, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has complained to the UN Security Council that Thai forces violated its territory near World Heritage Site the Preah Vihear Temple, where hundreds of troops continued to face off Sunday, said a government press release.

Cambodia's permanent mission in New York has submitted an account of facts, including a letter and maps, for the Security Council in relation to Thai violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia, according to the release.

"On July 15, 2008, about 50 Thai soldiers crossed into the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda located in Cambodia's territory at about 300 meters from the Temple of Preah Vihear. By July 16 to 17, 2008,the number of Thai soldiers in the pagoda ground increased to 480," said the letter signed by Cambodian Ambassador to UN Sea Kosal for chairman of the Security Council and the chairman of the General Assembly.

Meanwhile, Information Minister Khieu Kanharith told reporters that the letter aimed to draw UN's attention to the current situation on the Cambodian-Thai border.

Cambodia is not asking for UN intervention, he said, adding that the government still stick to Prime Minister Hun Sen's instructions to try to solve the problem peacefully between the two sides.

Saturday, under the arrangement of the Cambodian government, representatives from Chinese, U.S., French and Vietnamese embassies flew to Preah Vihear province by helicopter to study the Cambodian-Thai military standoff over their land dispute.

Friday, the government invited a group of domestic and foreign journalists to the region to watch the situation.

Earlier Tuesday, three Thai protesters were arrested for jumping an immigration checkpoint to reach the Preah Vihear Temple. Thai troops then came to fetch them, triggering face off with Cambodian troops there. Military build-up occurred day by day.

The protesters trespassed the border with intention to reclaim the 11-century classic Khmer-style temple, which the International Court of Justice awarded, together with the land it occupies, to Cambodia in 1962. The decision has rankled the Thais ever since.

The temple straddles the Thai-Cambodian border atop the Dangrek Mountain and was listed as a World Heritage Site on July 7 by the UNESCO's World Heritage Committee.

Tensions rise ahead of crisis talks

Cambodian and Thai soldiers rest on the road to Preah Vihear as a military standoff over territory surrounding the temple enters its sixth day (Photo: Vandy Rattana)

Sunday, 20 July 2008
Written by Thet Sambath and Brendan Brady
The Phnom Penh Post

Tensions remain high at Preah Vihear as Cambodian and Thai troops continue to mass along the border ahead of crisis talks Monday that are hoped to defuse the standoff over territory around the 11th century temple.

More than 1,500 soldiers have now been deployed to Preah Vihear, where Cambodia maintains that Thai troops crossed into its territory last week and continue to occupy land near the temple.

"Thai soldiers have violated Cambodian territory ... I am sorry that they will not leave," Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan told reporters over the weekend after making a trip to the area.

"Preah Vihear is internationally recognized as Cambodia's. So when Thais protest about this, they are protesting against the international community."

Cambodia has written a letter to the UN Security Council informing it of the standoff, officials said over the weekend.

Military officials and diplomatic personnel from China, Vietnam, France and the United States have also traveled to Preah Vihear to review the situation.

Bangkok insists that its soldiers are on Thai territory, and has refused to withdraw them despite Thai military commanders saying Friday that they would leave.

Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Thai counterpart, Samak Sundaravej, have each written letters to other claiming the territory and urging the removal of troops ahead of talks to be held in Thailand on Monday. Hun Sen said last week that the worsening situation was "very bad for relations" between the two countries.

"These [Thai] soldiers have encroached on our territory ... and have since increased in number rather than withdrawing," Hun Sen wrote, according to government spokesman Khieu Kanharith.

An area of 4.8 square kilometers around the temple remains in dispute after the World Court ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear belongs to Cambodia. The temple was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 7 after years of resistance from Bangkok to the inscription, further inflaming Thai nationalism.

Cambodian military police commander Sao Sokha, however, said it is unlikely the dispute will erupt in violence, despite the concentration of men and weapons. "Why would we shoot each other? Let our leaders solve this problem ... we are all Buddhists here," he said, urging the Thais to stop sending troops to the area. A senior Cambodian military commander who did not want to be named also said the Thais were massing troops across the border from Anlong Veng in northern Cambodia. "We have also sent our troops to Anlong Veng. We are matching them at all points along the border," he told the Post on Saturday. The crisis began last Tuesday when Cambodia says Thai soldiers crossed the border and took up positions in Cambodian territory following the arrest of three Thais who jumped an international checkpoint to try and protest Preah Vihear's ownership.

The temple has been closed to Thais since last month, when a group of angry demonstrators massed on the Thai side of the border crossing to rally against Cambodia's claim to the temple.

The dispute has caused political turmoil in Thailand, as opposition parties seized on the issue to put pressure on Samak's government.

On July 10, Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama stepped down after the Constitutional Court ruled that he had acted illegally in signing an agreement supporting Cambodia’s bid to have Preah Vihear temple listed as a World Heritage Site without the permission of parliament.

Cambodia: Little hope for Thai talks

By SOPHENG CHEANG

PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia (AP) — A Cambodian general said Sunday that he has little hope that upcoming talks between his government and Thailand will resolve a tense border dispute that has seen hundreds of troops face off around an ancient temple.

Cambodian Brig. Gen. Chea Keo said Thai troops have deployed an artillery piece about half a mile northeast of Preah Vihear temple — the latest escalation ahead of Monday's meeting aimed at averting a military confrontation.

"Regarding the talks tomorrow, we have little hope about the outcome," Chea Keo said.

He said the reason for his pessimism stems from a recent counterclaim by Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej that the area around a Buddhist pagoda near the historic temple belongs to Thailand. Thai troops have been stationed at the pagoda since Tuesday.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen wrote a letter to Samak on Thursday saying relations had been "worsening" since Thai troops "encroached on our territory," and asked him to pull them back.

Responding to his Cambodian counterpart, Samak said the area around the pagoda referred to in the letter "is within the Thai territory," according to a statement Saturday from the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

While urging both sides to exercise restraint, Samak's letter said the settlement of Cambodians in that area constitutes "a continued violation of Thailand's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Despite their pledge to hold talks Monday in Thailand to try to defuse the tensions, both Cambodia and Thailand have massed troops at the site.

"We continue to be on alert at all time. And at the same time, we keep instructing our soldiers to be patient and avoid being blamed for starting a war," Chea Keo said Sunday.

The conflict over territory surrounding Preah Vihear temple escalated when UNESCO recently approved Cambodia's application to have the complex named a World Heritage Site. Thai activists fear the new status will undermine Thailand's claim to nearby land since the border has never been demarcated.

Troops from the opposing forces were on the brink of a shoot-out Thursday night, which was avoided when Cambodians retreated from a site occupied by the Thais.

But opposing commanders and their troops have otherwise tried to defuse tensions, sometimes even sharing meals, snapping photographs and sleeping within easy sight of one another.

The dispute has taken a toll on tourism in the area, with the Thai side closed to visitors. It also is starting to hurt economic relations between the two neighbors.

Associated Press writers Ambika Ahuja in Bangkok, Thailand, and Ker Munthit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, contributed to this report.

A Tense Thai-Cambodian border

Saturday, Jul. 19, 2008
By AP/SOPHENG CHEANG

(PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia) — Cambodia and Thailand continued to reinforce their troops along a disputed border area near an 11th century temple Saturday, even as they prepared for talks to avert a military confrontation.

Some 300 more Cambodian soldiers and 100 Thais were seen by Associated Press reporters arriving near the Preah Vihear temple late Friday, although commanders declined to confirm those numbers.

Earlier, Cambodian Brig. Gen. Chea Keo said Cambodia had about 800 troops as against 400 Thai soldiers in the area as the standoff entered a fifth day.

The countries are to meet Monday in an attempt to defuse the conflict over territory surrounding the ancient temple, which escalated when UNESCO recently approved Cambodia's application to have the complex named a World Heritage Site. Thai activists fear the new status will undermine Thailand's claim to nearby land since the border has never been demarcated.

Chea Keo said troops from the opposing forces were on the brink of a shoot-out Thursday night when Cambodian monks gathered to celebrate Buddhist lent at a pagoda about 220 yards from the ancient temple.

The incident occurred when Thai troops tried to evict about 50 Cambodian soldiers from the compound of the Buddhist pagoda, where they sought to camp for the night to provide security for the monks. The two sides raised their rifles at each other, but the standoff ended with the Cambodians eventually pulling back, Chea Keo said Friday.

A Thai army spokeswoman said she was not aware of any brinksmanship taking place.

Thai soldiers entered the Preah Vihear area Tuesday, staking out positions at a Buddhist temple compound. However, some resident Cambodian monks remained and Cambodian soldiers have continued to visit them.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen wrote a letter to Samak on Thursday saying relations had been "worsening" since Thai troops "encroached on our territory," and asked Samak to pull them back.

Responding to his Cambodian counterpart, Samak said the area around the pagoda referred to in the letter "is within the Thai territory," according to a statement Saturday from the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

While urging both sides to exercise restraint, Samak's letter said that the settlement of Cambodians in that area constitutes "a continued violation of Thailand's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

In an effort to contain the tension, the Cambodian Interior Ministry instructed authorities in border provinces to maintain "good working relations" and avoid "confrontation or violence."

The dispute has taken a toll on tourism in the area, with the Thai side closed to visitors and the U.S. Embassy recommending Friday that American citizens "defer travel to this area until the situation has been resolved."

It also is starting to hurt economic relations between the two neighbors. On Friday, about 200 Thai construction workers returned home from Cambodia, said Capt. Supab Srisuk, an immigration policewoman.

"They wanted to return, fearing for their safety," she said. "They said they would go back to work when the situation returns to normal."

Channel NewsAsia 08-07-19 - Preah Vihear Situation

Thai Supreme Commander confident no border clash between Thai, Cambodia troops

BANGKOK, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Supreme Commander of Royal Thai Armed Forces Boonsrang Niumpraditt Saturday expressed confidence that Thai and Cambodian troops would not clash although the troops have been built up along the disputed border line near Preah Vihear temple.

Speaking on a Bangkok radio station, Boonsrang said there will definitely be no violence.

Boonsrang said the Thai military will not employ violence to solve this problem. Instead, the military would use peaceful means in solving the border crisis.

He said the deployment of troops along the border would not affect the scheduled meeting of the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee on Monday either.

Boonsrang has been assigned by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to lead the Thai delegation to Monday's meeting of the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee at Sa Kaeo on the Thai-Cambodian border to discuss issues concerning the Preah Vihear temple situation with Cambodia.

Both countries have claimed sovereignty over a 4.6 square kilometers area adjacent to the temple, which the International Court of Justice awarded, together with the land it occupies, to Cambodia in 1962. The decision has rankled the Thais ever since.

The security situation around the temple deteriorated after three Thais were briefly detained by Cambodian soldiers after surreptitiously crossing into the disputed border area on Tuesday. The three people were released on the same day.

According to reports, both Thailand and Cambodia have reinforced their troops at and near Preah Vihear Temple, which straddles the Thai-Cambodian border atop the Dangrek Mountain and was listed as a World Heritage Site on July 7 by the UNESCO's World Heritage Committee.

Cambodians buy food for fear of border closure

Saturday, July 19, 2008
TNA

Anxieties regarding an imminent border closure by Thailand over a disputed zone near an ancient temple led to over one thousand Cambodians to cross the border Saturday to stock up on dried foodstuffs and oil from a market in Aranyaprathet district opposite Cambodia's Poi Pet.

The Cambodians bought daily essentials to keep in reserve on worries that the Thai authorities might close the border following military reinforcements and tensions building in Thailand's Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket, where Preah Vihear temple is located.

Tensions in the area have increased in recent days as both countries have reinforced their troops near the disputed temple.

A Cambodian villager who crossed the border and bought food supplies said Cambodians in Poi Pet feared that fighting could break out.

He said Poi Pet residents believed that negotiations between the two neighbours' military leaders, scheduled for Monday and aimed at defusing the tensions, would be fruitless after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had demanded that Thailand withdraw its troops.

Cambodians believe that Thailand would not follow the Cambodian leader's request, said the villager.

Meanwhile, Thai Army soldiers and Rangers have set up a checkpoint at a border outpost in Aranyaprathet and are also patrolling the shared border to prevent Cambodians from entering Thailand illegally.

Cambodian official confirms Thai troops stand down at border

Saturday, July 19, 2008
Phnom Penh (dpa)

A Cambodian official at Preah Vihear temple confirmed Saturday that Thai troops had stood down from a nearby disputed pagoda as a delegation of international military attaches from Vietnam and China flew in by helicopter at Cambodia's request.

A Cambodian government official - speaking on condition of anonymity - confirmed local television reports that Thai troops allegedly stationed at a Cambodian pagoda within a few hundred metres of Preah Vihear temple had moved camp to a jungle clearing.

On Saturday Cambodia's Defence Ministry flew military attaches from China and Vietnam to the temple to view a border dispute first hand, local station CTN said.

The Khmer-language private television station said the delegation was headed by Cambodian armed forces chief Sao Sokha. The official said Thai troops had now moved back.

Thailand has maintained the temple is in a disputed no-man's-land and that a Thai presence in the area was not breaching Cambodian sovereignty. Cambodia disagreed and asked for the tour by international observers.

CTN is viewed as close to the Cambodian government.

Although other international attaches including the US were originally rumoured to be attending, in the end they were supplied by the two Communist nations, which are also closest regional allies.

Tensions have been running high on the border since Cambodia asked UNESCO to list the temple as a World Heritage Site despite there being a dispute over a 4.6-kilometre swathe of land nearby.

UNESCO obliged earlier this month, but tensions spilled over Tuesday when Cambodia briefly detained, then released, three Thais it said had illegally crossed the border, prompting first dozens, and then hundreds of Thai troops to follow in an alleged incursion.

On Friday, Thailand warned the situation was deteriorating but Cambodia has said it is determined to seek a diplomatic solution over the disputed territory around the 11th century Hindu temple.

PREAH VIHEAR: Border tensions rise

Cambodian anti-riot police stand guard yesterday at the Preah Vihear temple near the Thai border in Preah Vihear province. Cambodia and Thailand further increased their forces in the fifth day of a tense standoff on disputed land near an ancient Hindu temple.

July 20, 2008
Sunday Nation

Commerce ceases, residents prepare for evacuation; Army says talks will ease temperatures

Some 60 shop owners have been ordered by the Army to remove their stock and leave their shops around Preah Vihear temple.

Tensions along the Thailand-Cambodian border continue to rise and fears of a military confrontation are increasing.

Shop owners from Mor-e-daeng market were told early yesterday morning to close their shops and remove stock, as the Army set up checkpoints preventing tourists, protesters and local and foreign journalists from getting close to the disputed temple compound.

Evacuation plans for residents have been drawn up and the area can be cleared in 30 minutes, soldiers say.

Shops cleared

A Ranger division was mobilised early yesterday morning and went shop to shop explaining it cannot be responsible for stock left on shelves in any engagement. The Army is checking and recording names of those moving out and others travelling routes in the area.

One Si Sa Ket kamnan, Veerayuth Duangkaew, says armed troops have entered the area and a lot of people have left the vicinity of the temple.

Local residents are fearful clashes with Cambodian troops are imminent. Shop owner Thonglar Cham-song, 43, doesn't expect the situation to improve anytime soon.

Police are on alert and are preparing for an evacuation. Bueng Malu superintendent Lt-Colonel Tippong Tipayakaset is worried about looting during an evacuation. "What's worrying is that in a war, while an evacuation is taking place, there will be looting. We are preparing for that."

Supreme Commander General Boonsrang Niumpradit is confident no clashes will ensue. He says everything will be done to avoid a conflict at tomorrow's bilateral negotiations with Cambodia's General Tea Banh. "Talks will be mostly about military matters and will touch on other subjects later. We already have the General Border Committee, which is composed of representatives from various organisations with the lead from the Defence Ministry.

"[Tea Banh] doesn't want an incident. Neither do we. So I reckon we can talk. The commanders on each side must try to reduce the temperature, because it's easy to lose tempers. We must carefully control that."

More troops on Thai-Cambodian border

By SOPHENG CHEANG

PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia (AP) — The military standoff between Cambodia and Thailand entered its fifth day Saturday as both sides continued to reinforce their troops ahead of scheduled talks over a disputed border area near an 11th century temple.
Some 300 more Cambodian soldiers and 100 Thais were seen arriving near the Preah Vihear temple late Friday, although commanders declined to confirm those numbers.

Earlier, Cambodian Brig. Gen. Chea Keo said Cambodia had about 800 troops as against 400 Thai soldiers in the area.

The countries are to meet Monday in an attempt to defuse the conflict over territory surrounding the ancient temple, which escalated when UNESCO recently approved Cambodia's application to have the complex named a World Heritage Site. Thai activists fear the new status will undermine Thailand's claim to nearby land since the border has never been demarcated.

Chea Keo said troops from the opposing forces were on the brink of a shoot-out Thursday night when Cambodian monks gathered to celebrate Buddhist lent at a pagoda about 220 yards from the ancient temple.

The incident occurred when Thai troops tried to evict about 50 Cambodian soldiers from the compound of the Buddhist pagoda, where they sought to camp for the night to provide security for the monks. The two sides raised their rifles at each other, but the standoff ended with the Cambodians eventually pulling back, Chea Keo said Friday.

A Thai army spokeswoman said she was not aware of any brinksmanship taking place.

Thai soldiers entered the Preah Vihear area Tuesday, staking out positions at a Buddhist temple compound. However, some resident Cambodian monks remained and Cambodian soldiers have continued to visit them.

"The premier is very concerned about the tension," Thai Lt. Gen. Surapon Puenaiyakarn said after a meeting between Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and Thai armed forces commanders Friday. "But he is optimistic that the meeting Monday will provide a positive and peaceful solution."

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen wrote a letter to Samak on Thursday saying relations had been "worsening" since Thai troops "encroached on our territory," and asked Samak to pull them back.

In an effort to contain the tension, the Cambodian interior ministry issued a statement instructing authorities in provinces along the border with Thailand to maintain "good working relations" and avoid "confrontation or violence" with their Thai counterparts.

The dispute has taken a toll on tourism in the area, with the Thai side closed to visitors and the U.S. Embassy recommending Friday that American citizens "defer travel to this area until the situation has been resolved."

It also is starting to hurt economic relations between the two neighbors. On Friday, about 200 Thai construction workers returned home from Cambodia, said Capt. Supab Srisuk, an immigration policewoman.

"They wanted to return, fearing for their safety," she said. "They said they would go back to work when the situation returns to normal."

Associated Press writers Sutin Wannabovorn and Ambika Ahuja in Bangkok, Thailand, and Ker Munthit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, contributed to this report.

Say no to ugly nationalism

Saturday July 19, 2008
Bangkok Post

EDITORIAL

The bloody clash between members of the the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy and a group of local people in Si Sa Ket at the foot of the contentious Preah Vihear temple complex is a sad event. It is a culmination of the relentless building up of nationalist frenzy to the point that it bypasses reason and good judgement.

The touchy issue of Preah Vihear could not have occurred at a worse time for Thai-Cambodian relations, either. An ill-natured election campaign in Cambodia and an equally vengeful government-opposition face-off in Thailand have turned a cultural subject back into a political and nationalist confrontation. The governments on both sides of the border have caved in to the actions of self-styled super-patriots. A border committee meeting scheduled for Monday has to take firm action on both sides of the border to end all threats of violence and ratchet down the ugly voices.

The near-crisis around the temple issue has occurred for a variety of unfortunate reasons. For separate but equal reasons, neither Thai nor Cambodian authorities have been totally in control of events focusing on the ancient treasure. In both countries, extreme nationalists managed to gain the upper hand, leading to an ugly confrontation at the Preah Vihear site.

The priority on both sides of the border must be for the proper authorities to gain total control. There has been neither cause nor justification for the self-styled patriots of either Thailand or Cambodia to challenge the status quo at the temple site. Thais and Cambodians have long inhabited the region around the temple peacefully. Credit is due to both governments and both local military commands at the frontier for dealing peacefully and leniently with the mobs set on "liberating" the temple and the disputed surrounding territory.

It is an unhappy coincidence that both the Thai and Cambodian authorities have had to deal so cautiously with such embarrassing groups. Still, the army should have moved much more forcefully to block extremists in their quest to violate long-established border controls. The brief arrest of three Thais for crossing illegally into Cambodia was embarrassing to Thai forces responsible for border security - and to all Thais who want to see a peaceful resolution to existing disputes around the temple.

Just as in Thailand, the Cambodian political opposition has accused the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen of being soft on Preah Vihear, of negotiating with Thailand instead of seizing the 4.6 square kilometres of overlapping land.

There, as here, the government has had to try to deal with the temple tempest without seeming to be going against the national will.

Thai authorities have invited Cambodian counterparts to Sa Kaeo province on Monday for a special meeting of the General Border Committee. Thankfully, officials of both countries have stayed calm. There is no reason for any cross-border confrontation on the issue.

It might be wise to close the area for a short time to let tempers cool. Thai and Cambodian troops should agree to jointly patrol the area and prevent any civilians or nationalist groups from violating the border.

Because of the temple's unique geographical location, discussions should be held on jointly caring for the grounds around the Cambodia-owned temple. In addition, authorities must agree to begin talks and surveys to settle ownership of the disputed patch of land around Preah Vihear. Both the temple and bilateral relations are too important to let ultra-nationalists gain the upper hand with violence.

Cambodia and Thailand further increase troops in border standoff

PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia (AFP) — Cambodia and Thailand further increased their forces in the fifth day of a tense standoff on disputed land near an ancient Hindu temple on the border, officials said on Saturday.

More than 500 Thai troops and well over 1,000 Cambodian soldiers are stationed around a small Buddhist pagoda on the slope of a mountain leading to the ruins of 11th century Preah Vihear temple.

"Now there are nearly 400 Thai troops stationed in the pagoda. I'm not sure how many are stationed in the jungle," said Brigadier Chea Keo, commander of Cambodian forces in the area.

Cambodian officials declined to give the number of their forces at the border, however hundreds of anti-riot police began reinforcing more than 1,000 troops in the area Friday while more than 100 Thai troops joined 400 soldiers already at the scene.

Officials said the situation was "stable" Saturday but the mood among Cambodians became tense Friday evening when they got word of a letter from Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen, saying the addition of Cambodian troops had caused the situation to "deteriorate".

In the letter calling for a peaceful solution to the standoff, Samak said Cambodia had violated a pre-existing agreement not to build in disputed territory, according to a statement by the Thai foreign ministry.

"The establishment of the Cambodian community, including construction of a temple and houses, and the stationing of the Cambodian military personnel in the area constitute a continued violation of Thailand's sovereignty and territorial integrity," said the Thai foreign ministry.

Asked about the Thai premier's claims, Brigadier Chea Keo answered: "On the map, it is our territory."

The standoff nearly erupted into violence late Thursday, when witnesses said troops twice pointed their guns at each other during 10 tense minutes at the pagoda when 50 Cambodian troops entered the pagoda compound to protect food supplies for dozens of monks.

Officials from both countries plan to meet Monday to resolve the standoff. But Premier Hun Sen and told his Thai counterpart in a letter Thursday that the dispute was worsening and harming their relations.

Forces 'raise rifles' over temple dispute

Saturday, July 19, 2008
ABC Radio Australia

A Cambodian general says a dispute with Thailand over the area surrounding the Preah Vihear temple nearly erupted into a shootout.

The border standoff intensified Friday after both sides deployed reinforcements to the site.

The row intensified when the two sides raised their rifles at each other after the Thai soldiers moved to evict the Cambodian troops.

To avoid military action, both countries have agreed to talks in Thailand on Monday.

Thailand reiterated its intent to resolve the situation by peaceful means in a letter sent by Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej in reply to Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen's letter to him on Thursday.

The dispute first began when UNESCO approved Cambodia's application for World Heritage Site status for the site.

Thailand and Cambodia teeter on edge of conflict at cliff-top temple

July 19, 2008
Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor
Times Online (UK)

With its friezes of kings, gods and elephants, its ancient buildings and its location at the top of a beetling cliff, the temple of Preah Vihear is one of the most spectacular and historic sites in South-East Asia. Now it is threatening to make history for a different reason, as the first World Heritage Site to become a battleground.

Thai and Cambodian troops pulled guns on one another in a tense stand-off in the 1,100-year-old Hindu temple, after several days of increasing military tension. Stoked by a build-up of soldiers, accusations of corruption and a developing political crisis in Thailand, Preah Vihear has emerged as Asia’s newest flashpoint.

About 400 Thai and 200 Cambodian troops have moved into the temple area since Tuesday, after three Thai activists were detained briefly for entering the temple to assert Bangkok’s claim to the land. Yesterday a Cambodian general reported that soldiers from both sides levelled weapons at one another on Thursday night, after the Thais drove Cambodian forces out of one of the temple buildings. “We exercised patience to prevent weapons from being fired,” Brigadier-General Chea Keo said. He said that the Cambodian troops had been escorting monks and nuns, but withdrew after the encounter.

Perched on the top of a 1,600ft (488m) cliff, Preah Vihear is far more accessible from Thailand than from Cambodia. The territory was awarded to Cambodia in a ruling by the International Court of Justice in 1962, after legal arguments about the validity of maps produced during Cambodia’s French colonial period. Its inaccessible position made it a natural fortress — it was the last hold-out of the forces of the Lon Nol regime, driven out by the genocidal Khmer Rouge in 1975.

Even after their own defeat, Khmer Rouge forces held out in the temple until 1998.

Ill-feeling was defused because Thai locals and tourists were allowed to visit the temple freely from Thailand without a visa, and the dispute was largely forgotten until this month when the UN cultural organisation, Unesco, granted an application for Preah Vihear to receive World Heritage status. The decision would do much to promote tourism to Preah Vihear and bring business to both sides. When it turned out that the Thai Government had supported the application, there was an uproar in Bangkok.

Since its election victory last December, the Government of the Prime Minister, Samak Sundaravej, has been under increasing pressure from protesters who accuse it of being the puppet of the country’s deposed leader, Thaksin Shinawatra. The Preah Vihear debacle has enabled them to portray Mr Samak and his ministers as self-seeking cynics who have sold out Thai territory, allegedly in return for concessions for the tourist industry.

Thailand’s constitutional court ruled earlier this month that endorsing the Unesco application was illegal; Mr Samak’s foreign minister resigned as a result. It is unclear why Thai troops have entered the temple area. They may have gone at the behest of a government anxious to demonstrate its nationalist potential. Or they may have been sent at the initiative of military officers, as a warning to Mr Samak whose friend, Mr Thaksin, was himself ousted in a military coup.

Political Cartoon: The Bomb?

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

Media invited to Preah Vihear to see Cambodian-Thai military standoff

Cambodian minister Phay Siphan shows a map while standing next to a pagoda close to the Thai border. Thailand sent more military reinforcements to a disputed part of the Cambodian border Friday, after the tense four-day standoff nearly erupted into gunfire during the night. (AFP/Tang Chhin Sothy)

PREAH VIHEAR, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Under the arrangement of the Cambodian government, representatives from foreign and domestic news media came here Friday to watch the real situation of the four-day-long Cambodian-Thai military standoff over a land dispute.

"We want the foreign media agencies and local media organizations to see what is on earth happening here," Phan Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers of Cambodia, told the reporters in front of the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda (namely the Preah Vihear Pagoda), 200 meters away from near the Preah Vihear Temple.

Each side deployed some 50 soldiers inside the pagoda. The overall Thai and Cambodian troops within the area were estimated at around 500 for each side.

The Cambodian authority refused to give the exact number, fearing that it may lead to new buildup.

News agencies reported Friday that both troops came close to shoot-out and the situation was very tense.

However, at the scene, Thai and Cambodian troops were seen sitting in small groups next to each other in the forestry and along the street near the Preah Vihear Temple. They were equipped with long rifles and bombs.

Some were chatting with and smiling to each other and it looked like there was no military tension at all.

When asked why they did not attack each other, they said they were waiting for order from their bosses.

"Our bosses are on the way to discuss next Monday and now we can't do anything," they added.

Siphan said that "I hope that the top-level meeting next Monday between the senior officials from Cambodian and Thai governments will help avoid war between the two countries."

The meeting will be held Monday in Thai province of Sa Keaw near the border. Thai Supreme Commander of Royal Thai Armed Forces Boonsrang Niumpraditt will lead the Thai delegation, while Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Tea Banh will lead the Cambodian team.

On Friday's mission, 20 reporters were transported from Phnom Penh by a military helicopter to the Preah Vihear Temple.

During the press tour, some soldiers from both sides were also seen putting their fingers on gun triggers, looking serious, and not passing through the other side's blocks.

Siphan said that the two countries are neighbors and used to have good, traditional and friendly relations.

"Both sides don't want to see blood at war battle, because we are brothers and sisters," he said.

"We want to see the situation like before July 15 and the Thai troops have to move back to their stations," he added.

Thai military colonel Chayan Huay Soong Nern told reporter through interpreter inside the pagoda that "we are concerned that more Thai protesters will appear around the Perah Vihear Temple. Therefore, we deploy troops here."

Earlier Tuesday, three Thai protesters were arrested for jumping an immigration checkpoint to reach the Preah Vihear Temple. Thai troops then came to fetch them, thus triggering face off with Cambodian military there.

The protesters trespassed the border with intention to reclaim the 11-century classic Khmer-style temple, which the International Court of Justice awarded, together with the land it occupies, to Cambodia in 1962. The decision has rankled the Thais ever since.

The temple straddles the Thai-Cambodian border atop the Dangrek Mountain and was listed as a World Heritage Site on July 7 by the UNESCO's World Heritage Committee.

Thailand boosts troops in tense border standoff with Cambodia

A fresh group of Thai soldiers walk from the border to a Cambodian Buddhist temple complex where their colleagues have occupied a temple near Preah Vihear temple, in Preah Vihear province, Cambodia, Friday, July 18, 2008. A Cambodian general said a border standoff between his soldiers and Thai troops came close to a shoot-out overnight as the confrontation over disputed territory surrounding Preah Vihear temple entered its fourth day Friday. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

By Suy Se

"We all love peace. We are here, we don't want anything. We came to offer protection in case Thai protestors come here ... We came to help Cambodian troops and their people. I don't think that we will stay here much longer" (sic!) - Invading Thai army Colonel Chay Huay Soongnern

PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia (AFP) - Thailand sent more military reinforcements to a disputed part of the Cambodian border Friday, after the tense four-day standoff nearly erupted into gunfire during the night.

Cambodian official Hang Soth told reporters 109 troops had arrived Friday, joining some 400 Thai soldiers already stationed across from more than 800 Cambodians.

Both sides have set up around a small Buddhist pagoda on the slope of a mountain leading to the ruins of 11th century Preah Vihear temple, which is the epicentre of a territorial dispute over the surrounding land.

Thai army Colonel Chay Huay Soongnern insisted that the soldiers were there to turn away any Thai nationalist protesters, after about 4,000 tried to march to the disputed zone on Thursday.

"We all love peace. We are here, we don't want anything. We came to offer protection in case Thai protestors come here," he said.

"We came to help Cambodian troops and their people. I don't think that we will stay here much longer," he added.

Khan Yorn, the pagoda's abbott, asked Cambodian and Thai troops to leave the grounds.

"There cannot be armed forces inside the pagoda. We keep the pagoda a quiet place for the people to celebrate ceremonies. So please all troops move out," he told them in front of reporters.

The standoff nearly erupted into violence late Thursday, when witnesses said troops twice pointed their guns at each other during 10 tense minutes at the pagoda when 50 Cambodian troops entered the pagoda compound to protect food supplies for dozens of monks.

"Our troops and Thai troops pointed their guns at each other. They were on alert," said Brigadier Chea Keo, commander-in-chief of the Cambodian army at Preah Vihear.

"After that Cambodian military commanders and Thai commanders held talks for approximately one hour. We solved our problems after talks with Thai commanders," he said. "The situation is stable now."

He said Cambodian troops agreed to stay outside the pagoda during the night to avoid confrontations.

The mood appeared less tense Friday morning as Cambodian soldiers went back inside the pagoda and were seen chatting and smiling with Thais.

But Cambodian Premier Hun Sen told his Thai counterpart Samak Sundaravej in a letter Thursday that the row was worsening and harming their relations.

"Prime Minister Hun Sen doesn't want to see any Thai blood or Cambodian blood on the land because of this misunderstanding," Phay Sithan, spokesman for the Cambodian cabinet, told reporters at the scene Friday.

Top officials from both countries plan to meet Monday to resolve the stand-off. Samak was holding talks with top defence officials Friday to prepare for the talks.

The troops are deployed in a small area claimed by both countries near the Preah Vihear temple.

Thai troops arrived after three Thai protesters illegally broke across on Tuesday vowing to reclaim the temple, which they say rightly belongs to them.

The World Court in 1962 determined the Preah Vihear ruins belong to Cambodia, even though the most accessible entrance lies in Thailand.

The issue has taken on national importance in both countries.

Cambodia is preparing for general elections on July 27, while Thailand has recently been rattled by anti-government protests, driven in part over the handling of the land dispute.

Tensions Escalate Over Temple at Thai-Cambodian Border

Cambodian soldiers stand guard at Preah Vihear temple near Thai border in Preah Vihear province, 17 Jul 2008 (Photo: AFP)

By VOA News
18 July 2008

Thai and Cambodian troops deployed at a disputed area along their shared border have pointed their guns at one another for the first time since a standoff began earlier this week.

Cambodian Brigadier General Chea Keo says tensions flared Thursday when several of his troops entered the compound of the ancient Preah Vihear temple. The incident lasted 10 minutes before the Cambodian troops left.

Earlier Thursday, Thai villagers and police blocked protesters from reaching the ancient temple. They shouted at protesters and told them to "go home" and stop making trouble. Local residents are worried about the escalation of tensions between the Asian neighbors. Most of the Cambodian villagers living nearby have fled their homes.

At least 10 people were injured in the clash.

The standoff began Tuesday when Thai soldiers crossed the border after Cambodian authorities arrested three activists for entering the country illegally to reach the ancient temple. The activists have since been released to Thai authorities.

The dispute over the temple intensified earlier this month when the United Nations' cultural organization the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO designated the temple a World Heritage Site. The Thai government last month agreed to support Cambodia's bid to win World Heritage status for the ruins, but then retracted it under pressure from nationalist critics.

The International Court of Justice granted sovereignty of the temple to Cambodia in 1962. But many Thai nationalists rejected the ICJ ruling, which also left ownership of land surrounding the temple in dispute.

Senior officials of the two countries have agreed to meet in the next few days to discuss the issue.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.