Cambodia to move troops

Withdrawal from temple area would ease tensions

9/07/2012
Bangkok Post

Cambodia is expected to announce the withdrawal of troops from a demilitarised zone near Preah Vihear temple today.

The gesture is timed to coincide with the official start of the 45th Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting in Phnom Penh, military sources said.

The Cambodian troop withdrawal would represent a positive move towards improved relations between the two governments, observers said.

The Preah Vihear temple dispute is the legacy of the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration, and is the only thorny bilateral issue which the current government has had to address, the sources said.

Sporadic border conflicts have erupted over the territory near the Hindu temple since Unesco listed it as a World Heritage site on July 7, 2008.

Press Release Outcome of the First Meeting of the Cambodia-T​hailand Joint Working Group (JWG)

http://www.box.com/s/651762209765de43ccea

Press Release

Outcome of the First Meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Working Group (JWG)

for the implementation of the ICJ’s order for provisional measures dated 18 July 2011

on 03-05 April 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand

The Cambodia Joint Working Group representing the Royal Government of Cambodia, lead by General Neang Phat, Secretary of State, Ministry of National Defense and Chairman of the JWG for the implementation of the ICJ’s order for provisional measures dated 18 July 2011 accompanied by representatives from the Office of the Council of Ministers, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Interior, Border Committee, Governor of Preah Vihear Province, Commander of Military Region 4, Commander of Intervention Division 3, representative from National Police held the first meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Working Group on 04 April 2012 at Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters with the following outcomes:

1. Both sides reaffirm their commitment to implementing the ICJ’s order dated 18 July 2011.
2. The Joint Working Group commits to implement the outcomes of the 8th General Border Committee (GBC) dated 21st December 2011 relating to the principles of redeployment of military personnel from Provisional Demilitarized Zone (PDZ) and invites the Indonesian Observers in line with the principle contained in the draft Terms of Reference (TOR) initiated by Indonesia.
3. Both sides agreed to continue discussion on the principle of redeployment of military personnel from the PDZ and invite the joint observers (Cambodia-Thailand-Indonesia) at the next meeting of JWG in Cambodia.
4. Both sides agreed to appoint the Liaison Officers (LO) for the JWG and encourage the existing mechanism to continue their coordination activities as Cambodia has already established which is the Coordination Team for Indonesian Cease Fire Observer Team (IOT-C).
5. The Joint Working Group represented by the Army of the two countries agreed to jointly identify and determine the points A, B, C and D in respect to ICJ’s Order and at the same time of instructing the respective technical demining teams to work on the technical task.
6. The Cambodia-Thailand Joint Working Group are in line with paragraph 69 (B) (4) of the ICJ’s Order and reaffirm their commitment to maintain and promote long-standing peaceful co-existence between the people of the two countries and to prevent any activities of extremists who use religion or nationalism as a tools to create tensions or confusions in the Provisional Demilitarized Zone (PDZ).
7. Both sides allow each of the Joint Working Group of the respective countries to report the outcomes of the JWG meeting directly to GBC and subsequently for Cambodia will be reported to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for its action to inform the ICJ.
8. Cambodia-Thailand Joint Working Group commits to comply with international law for the principle of long-standing peace, co-existence and security in ASEAN community.

Troop withdrawal still on agenda at P Vihear

Cambodian soldiers at Preah Vihear (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)

Thursday, 05 April 2012
Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post

Government officials yesterday rejected any notion that this week’s meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Working Group had a purpose other than the implementation of the International Court of Justice-ordered troop withdrawal from the Provisional Demilitarized Zone around Preah Vihear temple.

Speaking on the sidelines of Tuesday’s ASEAN summit meeting, Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul told the Bangkok Post Cambodia and Thailand might not have to withdraw troops from Preah Vihear temple if the bilateral talks went well, eliminating the need for Indonesia to send observers as planned.

Lieutenant-General Chhum Socheat, spokesman for Ministry of Defence, told the Post yesterday that although the two-day meeting in Bangkok, which concluded yesterday, had not yet produced an outcome, its sole purpose was to implement the order to withdraw troops from the 17.3-square kilometre area by July 18.

“The meeting has no other meaning besides implementing the ICJ order,” Chhum Socheat said. “Anything [you hear] besides that is not the stance of Cambodia.”

Cambodia, Thailand promise border troop withdrawal

Wed Nov 12, 2008

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia and Thailand pledged on Wednesday to start marking out disputed bits of border next month and withdraw troops in January to avoid a repeat of last month's armed clashes at the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple.

After three days of negotiations by a joint border committee in the Cambodian resort town of Siem Reap, Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornwiwat said "99 percent" of the problems had been resolved.

He did not elaborate other than to say the agreement had to be approved by Thailand's parliament, as required by the constitution.

At a joint press conference broadcast on Cambodian television, Cambodian foreign minister Hor Namhong said the troop withdrawal would make way for joint teams to clear the thousands of landmines that litter much of the jungle-clad border.

"We have decided to plant border pillars in the disputed area first because we are trying not to have a repeat of the conflict," Hor Namhong said.

One Thai and three Cambodian soldiers died in last month's exchange of rifle and rocket fire, which both sides accused the other of starting.

The Hindu temple, which sits on the escarpment that forms the natural border, has been a source of tension for generations.

The International Court of Justice awarded it to Cambodia in 1962, but the ruling did not determine the ownership of 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub next to the ruins, leaving considerable scope for disagreement.