Border dispute on 2 temples could negotiate bilaterally: Cambodian PM [-Hun Xen blinks first?]

PHNOM PENH, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Wednesday that the border dispute on temples of Ta Mon and Ta Krabei could negotiate bilaterally.

Hun Sen made the remarks at the conference of Cambodian Women Association for Peace and Development on Wednesday.

However, Hun Sen said that as the issue of Preah Vihear temple has been raised to the UNSC and ASEAN, so "We have to respect the role of ASEAN, all the negotiations about the disputed border areas near Preah Vihear temple must be with the participation of the third party."

"But for the disputed areas such as Ta Mon temple and Ta Krabei temple, Cambodia and Thailand can negotiate bilaterally," he said.

He called on Thailand for a cease-fire, saying that "Cambodia doesn't want the conflict to spread further." But at the same time the premier stressed that "Cambodia is small, poor and small armed forces, but don't forget that ants can hurt elephant."

Thailand, Cambodia seek end to quarrels

Leaders hold talks in US on improving relations

24/09/2010
Thanida Tansubhapol
Bangkok Post

NEW YORK : Thailand is hoping for an improvement in its ties with Cambodia and a solution to the Preah Vihear temple dispute after their leaders meet today to settle their differences.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said yesterday that relations had improved after ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra stepped down two months ago from his role as adviser to Cambodia's government.

"It is the responsibility of both countries to move relations forward," the minister said.

"There might be some misunderstanding that we need to talk over."

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is to meet his Cambodian counterpart, Hun Sen, today on the sidelines of the Asean-US summit being held here.

Thai-Cambodian relations took a further turn for the worse in July when Bangkok opposed Phnom Penh's management plan for Preah Vihear during a World Heritage Committee meeting in Brazil because the plan covered overlapping territory. The committee required Phnom Penh to submit the plan after the Hindu temple was listed as a world heritage site in 2008.

Cambodia has called on the international community, including the United Nations and Asean, to mediate the dispute with Thailand. Bangkok insists on settling the dispute bilaterally.

"The two sides will try to find ways to compromise because the management plan has been postponed to next year's WHC meeting in Bahrain," Mr Kasit said.

Washington expressed concern over diplomatic tensions between Thailand and Cambodia during a meeting between Mr Kasit and US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell on Wednesday.

"He [Mr Campbell] wants Bangkok and Phnom Penh to seek a compromise and asked Thailand to exercise restraint," the minister said.

Mr Abhisit arrived in New York yesterday, where he will attend the UN General Assembly, the Asean-US summit and hold talks with US investors.

Thailand, Cambodia reaffirm dialogue as border dispute resolution tool

PHNOM PENH, June 12 (TNA) – Thailand and Cambodia agreed on Friday to adhere to peaceful means to address border problems and to proceed with negotiations under the agreed framework, according to Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Mr. Abhisit on Friday paid a one-day official visit to Cambodia at the invitation of his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen.

During the visit he held bilateral talks with Hun Sen covering a wide range of issues including land and maritime boundaries, cooperation to promote peace and stability in border areas, development and use of land transport networks, energy cooperation, trade promotion, investment and tourism to collectively cope with various challenges resulting from the global financial crisis.

After the one-on-one talks, followed by a full delegation meeting, Mr. Abhisit told reporters that both sides agreed to foster cooperation in all areas, particularly in planning to resolve border problems by peaceful means and adhering to the agreed framework.

More talks would be held at different levels, including both military personnel and government officials, to avoid any future military clashes, he added.

The Thai prime minister said Thailand and Cambodia agreed to cooperate in a road-building project in which Thailand would grant a loan to Cambodia. Both sides would jointly develop the overlapping maritime boundary and also jointly study the Stung Mnam power station project as there were some different opinions over the project.

The two neighbouring countries also agreed to discuss details of an exchange of two prisoners, as there were two Thais imprisoned in Khmer jails while Cambodia also has two inmates serving jail terms in Thailand. Thailand and Cambodia have no extradition treaty.

The two leaders also discussed cooperation on rice as Cambodia is the third largest rice exporter after Thailand and Vietnam and wanted coordination in rice exporting which would be benifit all three countries.

Mr. Abhisit's visit to Cambodia was his first since coming to office late last year.

In addition, the two prime ministers witnessed a ceremony transferring seven pieces of Khmer sculpture from Thailand’s minister of foreign affairs to a representative of the Government of Cambodia.

The historic works of art hold religious and cultural significance for Cambodia and were smuggled into Thailand where they were intercepted and seized by the Thai authorities.

The return represents the application of an agreement between Cambodia and Thailand to counter illicit trafficking and cross-border smuggling of ‘movable cultural property’ —mainly ancient Khmer temple sculptures – and to return such items to the country of origin. The pact was signed nine years ago in 2000.

Cambodian, Thai border talks end with no agreement [-Another useless talk with Thailand]

Thursday, April 30, 2009

SIEM REAP, Cambodia (AFP) — Cambodian and Thai defence ministers on Wednesday concluded border talks but said they could not agree to pull back troops from a tense territorial dispute near an ancient temple.

At least seven Thai and Cambodian troops have been killed in recent months in sporadic clashes between the neighbouring countries on disputed land around the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple.

Cambodian defence minister Tea Banh and his Thai counterpart Prawit Wongsuwan began this week's talks by playing a round of golf in the northwestern tourist hub of Siem Reap on Tuesday.

The pair hailed progress by border negotiators from both countries, but Thailand's Prawit told reporters after talks finished Wednesday that troops would remain in place until the border was demarcated.

"The issue of troop pullback... from the area near Preah Vihear temple depends on the negotiation related to border demarcation that has not been agreed yet," Prawit told reporters in a joint press conference.

Tea Banh added that both countries were using all means possible to resolve the border dispute.

Troops from the two countries have been in a border standoff since tensions flared last July, when the cliff-top temple was awarded United Nations World Heritage status.

Ownership of the temple was awarded to Cambodia in 1962 but the two countries are in dispute over five square kilometres (two square miles) of land around it that has yet to be officially demarcated.

Cambodia, Thai defense chiefs to meet on border cooperation

PHNOM PENH, April 28 (AP) - (Kyodo)—Cambodian and Thai defense ministers met Tuesday in Cambodia's northern province of Siem Reap in an attempt to ease border tensions between the two nations, a senior Cambodian defense official said.

Nem Sowath, chief of staff for Cambodia's defense minister, told Kyodo News by telephone that technical teams from the two countries also met Tuesday to pave the way for further discussions by the defense chiefs on Wednesday.

Nem Sowath said issues of border and military cooperation are on the agenda and both governments are committed to avoiding military clashes.

Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh and his Thai counterpart Prawit Wongsuwon jointly chair the General Border Commission between Cambodia and Thailand.

The commission holds annual meetings alternately in Cambodia and Thailand. Last year's meeting was held in Thailand.

Cambodian and Thai troops began confronting each other near Cambodia's ancient temple of Preah Vihear in July last year. There have been several gun battles and numerous soldiers from both sides have been killed or injured.

The confrontation covers an area of 4.6 square kilometers of territory disputed by the two countries. Both sides have refused for nearly 10 months to back away from their positions.

Thai Defence Minister leads military chiefs to Cambodian border session

BANGKOK, April 28 (TNA) - Defence Minister Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan on Tuesday led Thailand’s military chiefs to participate the 6th Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) in Siam Reap through Wednesday.

Supreme Commander Gen. Songkitti Jaggabatara and the Royal Thai Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs accompanied the defence minister to also attend the meeting.

Gen. Prawit said before leaving for Cambodia that 17 general border issues relating to the two countries would be raised at the meeting including trade and public health.

Channels to lead to the peaceful everyday living on the part of the peoples of both countries will be discussed at the meeting, he said.

However, the defence minister said, the border disputes themselves are not be on the agenda of the bilateral talks on Tuesday and Wednesday as there is another Thai-Cambodian joint committee to tackle the problem.

"If there is any problem, I can make direct telephone call to Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh," he said.

He added that the talks on the two countries’ border disputes will continue as the two countries still have different maps on the disputed area.

Gen. Prawit also added that he is not assigned to discuss with the Cambodian delegation regarding the status of convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who reportedly holds a Cambodian passport.

The issue was the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he said, adding that, the defence ministry would find the ways for the two countries' people to live peacefully and support cross-border trade at the border checkpoints.

Ministers' 'golf diplomacy'

Cambodian and Thai defence ministers on Tuesday teed off in a spot of golf diplomacy ahead of talks aimed at resolving a deadly territorial dispute. (PHOTO: AFP)

April 28, 2009
AFP

PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIAN and Thai defence ministers on Tuesday teed off in a spot of golf diplomacy ahead of talks aimed at resolving a deadly territorial dispute, officials said.

Cambodia's defence minister Tea Banh and his Thai counterpart Prawit Wongsuwan played a round in the northwestern tourist hub of Siem Reap with other military officials ahead of their Wednesday border negotiations.

'We are playing golf with the Thai delegation now,' General Neang Phat told AFP by telephone, declining to give more details about the planned discussions.

Var Kimhong, the chairman of Cambodia's border committee, said the meeting would focus on general matters surrounding their long-running border feud.

'We will talk about the border issue,' said Var Kimhong, who will also attend the meeting.

Military officials from the two countries also golfed together in Siem Reap last October after four Thai and Cambodian soldiers were killed in fighting on disputed land around 11th-century Preah Vihear temple.

However that did not defuse tensions enough to prevent further border gunbattles, which killed three Thai soldiers early this month.

Troops from the two countries have been in a border standoff since tensions flared last July, when the cliff-top temple was awarded United Nations World Heritage status.

Ownership of the temple was awarded to Cambodia in 1962 but the two countries are in dispute over five square kilometres of land around the temple which has yet to be officially demarcated.

Prawit visits Cambodia, not talk about Thaksin's passport

April 28, 2009
The Nation

Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan left for an official visit to Cambodia Tuesday morning.

Speaking to reporters before leaving, Prawit said that during the talk with the Cambodian government, he would not mention reports that Cambodia had issued a passport for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Prawit said the talk would focus on Thai-Cambodian disputes.

Thais to seek reduction in soldiers at Preah Vihear

28/04/2009
By WASSANA NANUAM and MANOP THIP-OSOD
Bangkok Post

Thailand will propose a further cut in troop numbers in the disputed area near the Preah Vihear temple in talks starting today with Cambodian military leaders.

Second Army chief Wibulsak Neepal said the move was needed to reduce the risk of clashes between Thai and Cambodian soldiers in the 4.6 sq km area claimed by the two countries.

"The reduction should be done step by step, starting at Wat Kaew Khiri Sikha Sawara before expanding to other areas in the overlapping zone," Lt Gen Wibulsak said.

Thailand will ask Cambodia to stop the building of a road to the 11th century temple as it passes through land where sovereignty has not been settled.

An army source said Thailand had about 2,000 soldiers in the disputed area and Cambodia had up to 4,000 troops. Thailand claims the area is part of Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket and Cambodia insists it belongs to Preah Vihear province.

The issue will be discussed at the two-day General Border Committee (GBC) meeting in Siem Reap. The Thai side is led by Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh leads the Cambodian delegation. All Thai armed forces leaders and the supreme commander will accompany Gen Prawit to the meeting.

Thailand will seek cooperation from Cambodia in keeping an eye out for convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra after reports he had been staying in Koh Kong and Phnom Penh.

Thai intelligence reports claim Thaksin flew in his private jet to Phnom Penh and stayed at the home of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. The former premier also led Arab businessmen to explore business opportunities in Koh Kong.

The GBC meeting was earlier postponed due to border clashes and the need for parliament's approval on the framework for the military leaders to hold discussions with their Cambodian counterparts.

The MPs and senators yesterday approved the framework for negotiations with 295 parliament members supporting it and two opposing.

A parliamentary source said the framework covered three main areas: border demarcation, security cooperation along the border with Cambodia and other collaboration such as tourism, trade and health.

The source said the meeting was concerned about the delay in settling the disputed area and overlapping waters in the Gulf of Thailand because they were linked to political problems in Thailand.

Preah Vihear: two days of Cambodian-Thai talks, but no agreement over name

08-04-2009
By Ros Dina
Ka-set

Preah Vihear or Phra Viharn? After a two-day meeting of the Joint Border Committee of Cambodia and Thailand (JBC) on April 6th and 7th, Cambodians and Thais did not manage to reach an agreement over that question, which, according to diplomats from both Kingdoms, is but the last stumbling block between Cambodia and Thailand with a view to solve peacefully a conflict which was revived due to an exchange of gunfire along the border they share.

At the end of the second day of talks which finished at 7pm at the newly-inaugurated Council of Ministers in Phnom Penh, Var Kim Hong, the co-chairman of the Cambodian side of the Committee and his Thai counterpart Vasin Teeravechyan presented the result of the last three rounds of talks meant to put an end to the border dispute which started dividing both countries in July 2008 and went through a violent twist on Friday April 3rd as Thai and Cambodian soldiers faced each other near the Khmer temple of Preah Vihear.

Above all, these two days of negotiations allowed the validation of documents prepared during the first meeting: thus, the agreement reached in November 2008 at the special meeting in Siem Reap and the agreement obtained in Bangkok in February 2009 were revised and signed together with texts about the process of border delimitation, defined at the beginning of this week.

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Cambodian, Thai PMs to meet on border disputes

PHNOM PENH, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen will meet with his Thai counterpart Abhisit Vejjajiva in order to solve both sides' border disputes and avoid further armed clash, a Cambodian spokesman said here on Tuesday.

"They will meet for bilateral talks during the ASEAN summits from April 10 to 12 in Thailand," said Phay Siphan, secretary of state and spokesman of the Council of Ministers.

Cambodia welcomes talks anywhere and anytime to avoid further armed clash between Thai and Cambodia troops in the areas near the Preah Vihear temple, he said.

Two rounds of armed confrontations took place last Friday after Thai troops with weapons intruded on Cambodian land near the 900-year-old temple, and resulted in death and casualty on the Thai side, according to a statement issued by the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Since July 2008, troops from both sides have stationed near the Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and two armed confrontations last year sparked brief concerns of war.

The two neighboring countries have never fully demarcated their disputed border, mainly due to different interpretations of historical maps, as well as the landmines left over from decades of civil war in Cambodia.

Cambodians, Thais talk after fighting

Monday, April 06, 2009
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Cambodian and Thai officials have held talks to prevent more fighting on their border after months of tensions over land near an ancient temple flared up into deadly gunbattles.

A third Thai soldier died in hospital following Friday's clashes, which plunged relations between the neighbors to a new low.

Military officials from both sides met over lunch in disputed territory near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple yesterday, while Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was arranging to meet Thai officials in Phnom Penh.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he would raise the issue with Hun Sen at a Southeast Asian summit in Thailand this week.

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Khmer-Siem Peace Talk

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

Thailand, Cambodia resume temple dispute talks

03 February 2009
AFP

BANGKOK: Negotiators from Thailand and Cambodia on Tuesday resumed talks aimed at resolving a border stand-off which last year boiled over into a military clash, a Thai official said.

The last meeting of the Joint Boundary Commission in Cambodia's tourist hub Siem Reap ended in November with the two neighbours failing to reach agreement on any of the key points.

Since then, a new government has come to power in Thailand, inheriting the long-standing territorial dispute over the land surrounding Cambodia's ancient Preah Vihear temple, where troops clashed in October, leaving four dead.

"This meeting is expected to further discuss the topics that we failed to reach agreement on at the last meeting, involving the name of the temple, troop deployment and demarcation," a military official told AFP.

Thailand's new Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya last month made his first official visit to Cambodia. At the time, his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong said the two ministers agreed to begin demarcating their disputed border.

Thai and Cambodian officials on the commission agreed in principle last November to reduce the number of troops at the disputed border and to form a border task force, but there has been no concrete progress since then.

Thailand's defence minister is expected to visit Cambodia on Friday to discuss withdrawing troops from territory around the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, which sits on Cambodian land just on the border.

The Cambodia-Thailand border has never been fully demarcated, in part because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of civil war in Cambodia.

Tensions between the neighbours flared last July when the cliff-top temple was awarded United Nations World Heritage status, rekindling the long-running disagreement.

Cambodia, Thailand to reopen talks on border dispute

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 6 (AP) - (Kyodo)—Cambodia and Thailand will reopen talks on their border dispute when Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya pays an official visit to Cambodia later this month, a senior Cambodian official said Tuesday.

Koy Kuong, an undersecretary of state and a spokesman for the Cambodian Foreign Ministry, told Kyodo News that Thailand has notified Cambodia that Kasit plans to visit Cambodia on Jan. 25-26.

Kasit is expected to meet with Prime Minister Hun Sen and hold bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, who is also deputy prime minister.

While describing Kasit's visit as routine by a senior official of an ASEAN member state, Koy Kuong said the border dispute between the two countries is an important issue and the two foreign ministers "will resume discussions on the matter."

The meeting between Kasit and Hor Namhong would be the fourth round of talks at the foreign minister's level since the border conflict erupted in July last year.

The area around Preah Vihear Temple, which was inscribed as a World Heritage Site on July 7 last year, has since been the scene of a tense standoff between the Cambodian and Thai armed forces.

The Cambodian government insists Thai troops have deployed on Cambodian soil, while Thailand says its troops are only in the disputed zone.

The territorial dispute stems partly from the use of different border maps.

Border talks to continue

Dec 30, 2008
AFP

PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIAN Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said on Tuesday that his new Thai counterpart had telephoned him to say that he will visit soon for talks on a border dispute between the two countries.

Mr Hor Namhong said Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, who was appointed earlier this month after a new government came to power, had called to convey his best wishes for the new year.

Troops from Cambodia and Thailand clashed on Oct 15 on disputed land near an 11th century Khmer temple, leaving four people dead.

'He (Kasit) said he has planned to visit Cambodia and he will continue negotiations to find a resolution peacefully and amicably with Cambodia on the border issue,' Mr Hor Namhong told reporters.

There was no immediate confirmation from Thailand's foreign ministry.

Thai and Cambodian officials agreed in principle in a meeting earlier this month to reduce troops at the disputed border and to form a border task force.

They also plan to meet again in January to resolve their border spat.

But former Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornviwat has said that the country's parliament must first approve the agreements before any activity starts.

Mr Hor Namhong admitted that a raging political crisis in Thailand had slowed down the negotiations, but said Cambodia is still showing 'patience.'

Mr Kasit was one of the most controversial appointments by new Thai premier Abhisit Vejjajiva, because of his role in protests which shuttered Bangkok's airports earlier this month and helped to bring down the previous government.

As a staunch nationalist Mr Kasit has also criticised the previous government's handling of the crisis with Cambodia.

The Cambodian-Thai border has never been fully demarcated, in part because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia.

The most recent tensions began in July when the Khmer temple was awarded United Nations World Heritage status, rekindling a long-running disagreement over the ownership of the surrounding land.

Cambodian FM: Thai FM plans to visit Cambodia for border issues

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Newly appointed Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya plans to visit Cambodia to continue discussion on the border issues between the two countries, said the Cambodian foreign minister here on Tuesday.

"Yesterday, the Thai foreign minister called me to extend the best wishes for a happy New Year and said that he plans to visit Cambodia," Hor Namhong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, told reporters at his office.

"He is willing to continue the discussion to seek resolution inpeaceful and friendly ways for the border issues," he said.

We all put aside the possibility of military conflict and will keep restraints over the border issues, he said.

"As you all have seen, the internal matters of Thailand have made the border resolution so slow," he added.

Cambodia will resume talks with Thailand over their disputed border in late January, as a tense military standoff at contested areas of the frontier enters its sixth month, English-language daily newspaper the Phnom Penh Post said on Monday.

Cambodia and Thailand have never finally demarcated their 805-km shared border, but a meeting between both foreign ministers in November yielded an agreement to scale down troop numbers along the border and begin demarcation and demining operations from mid-December.

It was the most concrete progress made yet to resolve tensions on the border, which escalated after Cambodia first accused Thai troops of entering its territory in July, shortly after Cambodia's Preah Vihear Temple was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Cambodian-Thai border talks set for January

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia will resume talks with Thailand over their disputed border in late January, as a tense military standoff at contested areas of the frontier enters its sixth month, national media said on Monday.

"The next meeting (of the Joint Border Commission) will be held in Thailand as agreed," Var Kinhong, Cambodia's top negotiator for border issues, was quoted by English-language daily newspaper the Phnom Penh Post as saying.

"The Thai parliament will hold internal discussion on the border issues first, and after they have approved (the agenda), the two sides will set the schedule," he added.

Cambodia and Thailand have never finally demarcated their 805-km shared border, but a meeting between both foreign ministers in November yielded an agreement to scale down troop numbers along the border and begin demarcation and demining operations from mid-December.

It was the most concrete progress made yet to resolve tensions on the border, which escalated after Cambodia first accused Thai troops of entering its territory in July, shortly after Cambodia's Preah Vihear Temple was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Cambodian leaders cautiously welcome new Thai government

Dec 17, 2008
DPA

Phnom Penh - Cambodian foreign affairs officials on Wednesday welcomed the ascent of a new government to power in Thailand but said it needed to take immediate action to resolve an ongoing border dispute between the two countries.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Kuy Kung said the new government was likely to improve relations between the two South-East Asian neighbours despite Thai prime minister-designate Abhisit Vejjajiva's history of strong rhetoric over the Preah Vihear temple dispute.

'We continue to have a good relationship with Thailand, and this will improve with the appointment of Abhisit Vejjajiva as prime minister,' Kuy Kung said.

'We are waiting until Thailand has a new Parliament to resume negotiations about the border issue, but we believe the new government will end delays in negotiations and bring about a fast resolution,' he said.

Tensions over border demarcation at the 11th-century temple escalated into a military standoff in July after UNESCO added the site to its World Heritage List.

Abhisit in July called on the Thai government to take a stronger stance on the dispute to ensure Thailand maintained control over the area.

He is the leader of the opposition Democrat Party, which put together a coalition government after the former ruling People Power Party was dissolved this month on a court order that found it guilty of vote buying.

Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanarith told the Phnom Penh Post newspaper the appointment of the new Thai government would end months of anti-government protests in Bangkok by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which he said had stalled negotiations over Preah Vihear.

'The border demarcation is purely a technical problem,' he said. 'The PAD politicized it, not the Democrat Party.'

Cambodia depends on bilateral mechanism to settle border dispute with Thailand

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 19 (PNA/Xinhua) — The bilateral mechanism between Cambodia and Thailand can facilitate both sides to settle their months-long border dispute, Chinese-language newspaper the Jian Hua Daily on Wednesday quoted an official as saying.

However, the time is not ripe yet, as Thailand has to cope with its political turmoil first, Phay Siphan, secretary of state of the Cambodian Council of Ministers, told a seminar here on Tuesday.

An armed clash in October at the border area killed two Cambodian soldiers and wounded two others, after Thai troops entered the disputed there over sovereignty claim.

Both sides then initiated rounds of diplomatic and military talks, but achieved none significant developments.

The Cambodian government has been improving the roads leading to the Preah Vihear Temple, which is the focus of the bilateral border dispute, in order to provide more convenience for its people to visit the site, said Phay Siphan.

"We are worried that the road renovation might become the latest excuse for more Thai troops to enter the area," he said.

"We would report any change within the area to the concerned international organizations (for help and justice)", he added.

The International Court of Justice decided in 1962 that the temple belongs to Cambodia, which has rankled some Thai nationalists who believe in the ownership of the 900-year-old historical site by their own country.

There are now 73 demarcation posts along the 805-km border between Cambodia and Thailand, 50 percent of which are recognized by the Thai side. Cambodia still plans to plant hundreds more posts there in order to specify the border line.