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| A Cambodian solider looks across at the Thai border from the ancient Preah Vihear temple in this file picture. |
Thu December 22, 2011
By the CNN Wire Staff
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Thailand and Cambodia agree to implement a court order on a disputed temple
- The deal follows clashes that displaced thousands and killed at least 20
- The International Court of Justice order calls for both sides to withdraw troops
- The countries differ on whether territory around the temple is part of Thailand or Cambodia
(CNN) -- Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to withdraw their troops from the area surrounding a disputed border temple, the official Thai news agency MCOT reported.
The two countries reached a deal to implement an order by the International Court of Justice to put in place a "provisional demilitarized zone" around the Preah Vihear temple, MCOT cited Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh as saying at a news conference on Wednesday.
Thai and Cambodian troops had clashed in the area around the temple earlier this year, displacing thousands of people on both sides and causing at least 20 deaths.
A joint working group will be set up to discuss the rules governing the demilitarized zone, Banh said after meeting with the Thai defense minister, General Yutthasak Sasiprapa, in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.
The troop withdrawals, to be carried out as soon as possible, will be supervised by observers from Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Banh said.
Cambodia had asked the International Court of Justice, the United Nation's highest court, to intervene and order Thai troops out of the area.
The court, instead, ruled in July that both sides must withdraw their troops to avoid more casualties.
The 11th century temple sits atop a cliff on Cambodian soil but has its most accessible entrance on the Thai side. The two countries differ on whether some territory around the temple forms part of Thailand or Cambodia.
The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962. Thailand claims, however, that the 1.8 square mile (4.6 sq. km) area around it was never fully demarcated.
Thailand says the dispute arose from the fact that the Cambodian government used a map drawn during the French occupation of Cambodia -- a map that places the temple and surrounding area in Cambodian territory.
In 2008, the United Nations approved Cambodia's application to have the temple listed as a World Heritage Site -- a place the U.N. says has outstanding universal value.
The decision re-ignited tensions, with some in Thailand fearing it will make it difficult for their country to lay claim to disputed land around the temple.
Why do western medias keep saying the temple can only be accessible through Thailand? I was there in August, I can tell you, the road to Preah Vihear is wide and nice. It's almost complete. Once done, it will be much more accessible than the previous Thai entrant. Beside, our soldiers closed the gate from accessing through the Thai side.
ReplyDeleteI hope we will not manage the temple and the pagoda jointly with the Siem. If we do, once they sees weakness in our government, they will take over and chase us out for good. Don't trust the Siem or Viet.
Thailand, Thai troop MUST withdraw, Khmer troop must stay there, becasue it is in Cambodia territory. If Khmer troop pull out, must be full of shit, considering low value class of Khmer people.
ReplyDeleteLook beyond the obvious thing. Why this problem occurs?
ReplyDeleteThe puppet government's defiance of the 1991 Paris Peace Accord and its adoption of the bilateral treaties with Vietnam encouraged Thailand to do something that is conformed to those bilateral treaties, using a new unilateral map.
To resolve this problem, the puppet government must abrogate those bilateral treaties, then adopt and implement the 1991 Paris Accord.
Hun Shit must free himself from Vietnam's slave. He is old now. He should die as Khmer hero, not as Vietnam's slave and the biggest traitor in Khmer history beside Sdach Lob Si Ach Nouk
Remember one very very old saying about Khmer:
ReplyDeleteពីព្រឹកត្បកក្បាលចឹន ល្ងាចមឹនទាន់ ចឹនដាក់ខ្នោះ!
Unofficially:
At dawn, knuckle the Chink in the head, by sunset the Chink got you handcuffed...(Sihanouk's time).
and pretty soon if not already, it reads:
At dawn you get a run-in with the Viet, immediately after that, you are dead because of Sen-Sihanouk-Sinahmoni VIET'S SLAVE!!!
You-kow-who-I-am-already
The Siem thuggish leaders always forward their argument that the temple can only be accessible through Thailand as if the temple already belongs to them! In fact the Temple can be accessed from all direction including by helicopter! ahhahahhaha
ReplyDeleteThe other argument is the Siem thuggish leaders always disagree with the French map when Cambodia became French Protectorate! The issue of the map is the issue between the Siem thuggish leaders and the French leaders! Cambodian leaders did not draw the map! So for the Siem thuggish leaders to disagree about the use of map with Cambodian leaders is baseless! Because if the Siem thuggish leaders have any disagreement with the fucken map and they should have the fucken disagreement with the French leaders long time ago but why now! So now what! These fucken Siem thuggish leaders choose to use military mean over political mean to invade Cambodia to have what they want? Fuck them for being a bully!
If Uncle SAM withdraw Ameican troop from Thailand and the Siem thuggish leaders will soften their stand on the border conflict with Cambodia.
ReplyDelete