Cambodia reinforcing troops near Surin: Thai military

July 2, 2011
The Nation

Troops and weapons of the Cambodian army have been reinforced in border areas not far from Ta Kwai and Ta Muen Thom ancient temples in Surin province, prompting fears over a new round of border fighting in the wake of Thailand's withdrawal from the World Heritage Commission.

Seven units of formidable M21 multiple rocket launchers are employed in addition to a number of them already at the ready at Ta Kwai temple, while new troops are mobilised at Ta Muen Thom, Thai military sources said.

Evacuations and emergency drills have been conducted at many schools in Surin and border provinces on a weekly basis while many schools have asked for more shelters.

Min of Defense press conference (live report)

22 April 2011
By Ban Chak
DAP-news
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media

General Chhum Socheat, the spokesman for the ministry of Defense (MoD), said that since 6AM on 22 April 2011, Thai troops crossed into Cambodian territories in Ta Krabei temple, and they continued on until Chub Koki. The Thai army also fired into Cambodia using 75(?), 81(2), 106 and 155 mm shells.

He indicated during the press conference at 01:20PM on 22 April that the Thai army shelled into Cambodia, and some of the shells fell 20 km inside Cambodia at populated areas.

Chhum Socheat said that, up to 01:27PM, the situation has not improved yet. He said that the clash took place because the Thai army sneaked and entered Cambodian territory in Ta Krabei temple, they also fired on Cambodian troops.

About 100 Thai troops entered Ta Moan temple in the middle of the night; Border situation tense again

Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak flying a Cambodian flag (Photo: CEN)

Sitting from left to right: Gen. Hun Many, Gen. Hun Manet, Gen. Chea Dara, Gen. Kheng Someth and Gen. Srei Doek reviewing a map on 28 Jan 2011 (Photo: CEN)

28 January 2011
By Serey
Cambodia Express News
Translated from Khmer by Soch

Preah Vihear – A report from the border claimed that about 100 armed Thai troops entered Ta Moan temple last night. Also, the border situation in Preah Vihear is becoming tense again after Thailand sent reinforcement troops to the border area and demanded that Cambodia removes its flag from Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak Pagoda.

A source indicated at 10AM on 28 Jan that Cambodian troops are on alert at Ta Moan and Ta Krabei temples in Oddar Meanchey province after Thailand sent additional troops to this region. The source added that during the evening of 27 Jan, at around 7-8 PM, about 100 armed Thai soldiers entered the perimeter of Ta Moan temple. These soldiers remained there for about 2 hours before they left after Cambodia insisted that they leave since their action is contrary to prior agreements.

Meanwhile, the situation in Preah Vihear temple is becoming tense again after Thai troops demanded that Cambodia removes its flag from Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak Pagoda which belongs to Cambodia. However, Cambodia refused. The source claimed that up to now, there is no armed clash yet, but that both troops are on alert and are facing each other. Thailand also sent troops and large amount of weapons to the region which had problems in the past.

Cambodian troops prepare to defend border posts with Thailand

27 April 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Cambodian troops are already prepared to defend border posts in Ta Moan temple and they will not allow the Thai extremists to destroy these posts. On Monday, Pech Sokhin, the governor of Oddar Meanchey province, said that Cambodian troops border stationed in Ta Moan temple have already prepared themselves to defend border posts after a group of Thai activists threatened to come and pull out the border posts this upcoming Saturday. Ta Moan temple is located in Oddar Meanchey province and it is a major point in the confrontation between Cambodian and Thai troops. Pech Sokhin warned that if the extremist Thais dare come in to pull out border posts, then Cambodian troops will shoot them. He told VOA: “We prepare a large number of our troops and police officers to defend against any attempt to pull out border posts. We will put into application the order issued by Samdach [Hun Xen], i.e. we will not aggress them by 1 millimeter, and we will not pull out by 1 millimeter either.”

Cambodia To Pave Road To Preah Vihear Temple

PHNOM PENH, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- Royal Cambodian Armed Forces ( RCAF) will begin paving the 80 km dirt road from Oddar Meanchey province's Anlong Veng district to Preah Vihear temple before Nov 25, China's Xinhua news agency reported, citing officials from RCAF as saying in a local media.

"We will begin pave the road by the end of the month. The total distance is about 80 km. It may cost about US$10 million and it will be finished by June 2010," Kwann Seam, director of RCAF's engineering department, was quoted by the Cambodia Daily as saying.

He said that his team would begin surveying the road after the Water Festival in Phnom Penh is finished.

By April 2010, RCAF will begin paving another 22 km dirt road, this time to Ta Moan temple from Kork Mon commune in Oddar Meanchey province's Banteay Ampil district, he said.

Seam said that the paving of roads in the area is part of a larger project to pave all northern roads in the country.

"We hope that by 2013, all the roads in the northern area will be paved," he said.

Major General Srey Doek, commander of RCAF Division 3, said that despite ongoing tension between Cambodia and Thailand over Preah Vihear temple, tourists should not worry about safety.

Cambodian soldiers rediscover Dai Kei temple in Oddar Meanchey province

July 21, 2009
KI-Media

The Cambodia Daily reported that Cambodian soldiers have rediscovered the Dai Kei temple and two wells located near Ta Moan temple, Oddar Meanchey province. The small temple is located about 1 km from the Thai border. Soldiers made the discovery after obtaining information from elderly villagers. However, the soldiers only saw the temple foundation and two ancient walls. Five other small ruins can also be seen near the temple. Dai Kei temple is estimated to be built during the 11th century, under the reign of King Suryavarman I who was responsible for the construction of many temples along the Dangrek mountain.

Border 'unchanged' despite talks

Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Written by Thet Sambath
The Phnom Penh Post

Soldiers at Preah Vihear say standoff continues in spite of dialogue between Cambodia and Thailand.

DESPITE continued dialogue Monday between Cambodia and Thailand's foreign ministers in Phnom Penh, commanders on the border say the military standoff there - now in its seventh month - continues to drag on.

"Nothing has changed," Srey Doek, commander of Military Division 3, said Tuesday. "Our soldiers are standing in the same place as before."

Tensions along the border were further complicated on Monday when a Thai solider was severely injured in a land mine accident around 200 metres from the Cambodian front lines, Neak Vong, deputy commander of Brigade 42, told the Post.

The injury prompted Thai soldiers to shoot into the air in a bid to signal to superiors what had happened. Cambodian soldiers, unaware of the accident, went on red alert after hearing the shots, Neak Vong said.

He added that Thai soldiers had been on patrol when the incident happened.

"There are many mines in this area because it was a battlefield in the 1980s and 1990s. We know, and Thai soldiers also know, the area is full of mines, but they still violate [our territory on their patrols]," Neak Vong said.

He said that five soldiers in civilian uniforms from each side continue to standoff at the contested Ta Moan Thom temple in Oddar Meanchey province.

Troubles began on the border in July when Unesco listed the Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site.

Soldiers on both sides were killed and wounded when firefights broke out in October, but since then fighting has stopped, with both sides saying they are committed to dialogue in a bid to reduce the military buildup along the border.

Frontline Cambodian soldiers left their guns to look for fish [-Frontline soldiers not well fed by Hun Sen's regime?]

28 Oct 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

RCAF officials indicated that border situation seems to be less tense, and frontline Cambodian soldiers positioned at Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples can now start looking for fish again during their off time. Ho Bunthy, deputy commander of border defense unit No. 402, told The Phnom Penh Post on Monday that since the situation along the border has improved, Cambodian troops now have time to go catch fish along water streams in Phnom Dangrek mountain chain. He said that these soldiers continue to be vigilant but they no longer need to take along their guns with them as they did earlier. Neak Vong, deputy commander of army unit 42 stationed in Ta Moan temple, said that the main problem faced by his soldiers is the constant daily rain during the past two weeks. However, he said that the rains created water streams where Cambodian soldiers can use to catch fish to eat also. He added: “My soldiers left their guns to look for fish to cook. In some areas, because of there is more rain than before, there are more fish for them to catch also.”

Cambodia, Thailand trade jibes in border spat

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

PHNOM PENH (AFP) — Cambodia and Thailand swapped accusations of violating each other's territory Wednesday in a simmering spat about disputed land near ancient temples along their border.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday accused Thai soldiers of being thieves "creating anarchy" around border areas, including at the ancient Ta Moan and Ta Kwai temples.

"We cannot accept this act," Hun Sen said, calling for fresh border talks with Thailand.

"I am wondering who ordered the troops to come over or whether they are thieves because they (the Thai government) said they did not order them. So it must mean they are thieves," the premier said.

The Thai foreign ministry in return issued a statement protesting that Cambodian soldiers had violated Thailand's sovereignty by periodically occupying Ta Kwai temple in August and September.

The statement called on the two countries to resolve their boundary issues in "a just and peaceful manner in accordance with international law."

Hun Sen has publicly hinted in recent weeks that he might take his boundary complaints to the UN Security Council or international courts if the neighbours cannot meet soon to resolve their border disagreement.

Much of their border remains in dispute, and demarcation has been held up by the slow pace of demining in the region.

Tensions flared in July after Preah Vihear was awarded world heritage status by the UN cultural body UNESCO, angering nationalists in Thailand who still claim ownership of the ancient Khmer temple.

Those tensions turned into a military standoff that saw up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops facing off for six weeks, until both sides agreed to pull back in mid-August.

Talks to discuss withdrawing troops from around Preah Vihear were postponed late last month amid political turmoil in Thailand.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the temple belongs to Cambodia, but surrounding land remains in dispute.

Thai Troops Enter, Exit Ta Moan Temple [-Thai troops enter and exit Cambodian territories at will]

Black-clad Thai soldiers seen here near Ta Krabei Temple, well inside Cambodian territory (Photo: Amatak, Koh Santepheap)

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
11 September 2008

About 100 Thai soldiers entered a small temple in the Ta Moan complex Wednesday, withdrawing quickly after negotiating with local military commanders.

The Thai soldiers occupied the temple after spotting a group of Cambodian soldiers in an area claimed by Thailand, said Maj. Sim Sokha, deputy commander of Border Protection Unit 402.

The Thai soldiers crossed 200 meters of Cambodian land to occupy Ta Krobei temple, before leaving, he said.

"The Thai and Cambodian sides agreed to withdraw their troops on each side," he said, calling the negotiations "very successful."

The Ta Moan complex, which has three temples on the Oddar Meanchey border, is a second site of contention in a military standoff that erupted over Preah Vihear temple in July.

Thai troops move in deeper inside Cambodia at the Ta Moan temple areas

By Sav Yuth
Radio Free Asia
27th August, 2008
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization

Cambodian military reported that Thai soldiers had moved deeper inside Cambodian territories at Ampil district in Oddor Meanchey province, at the Tam Moan temple areas.

Pol Then, commander of the battalion 422 said on 27th August that Thai soldiers had moved in to take control of the Choup Trolork district three days earlier where another areasnearby had been occupied by the Thai soldiers a week ago.

Mr. Pol Then said :"they have moved in about 100 metres to the west of Chai Chkae. They moved in about 3-4 days ago. Before they stationed there, later they moved out, but now they had moved in again".

People living in the village said that Thai soldiers are patrolling very close to their house, about 50 metres from their houses. A villager said: "the Thai soldiers are patrolling very close to our houses, about 50 metres away".

Villagers living in Choup Koki said that they are facing hunger because the Thai soldiers had closed the border and they cannot go to Thailand to make a living and now they are appealing for assistance from the Cambodian government and generous people.

Earlier in the week Thai soldiers had closed the gate of the Ta Moan temple and would not allow any Cambodians in to visit the temple as per the agreement with the Cambodian side. At the same time one Thai soldier had destroyed a GPS machine of a Cambodian official from the Ministry of Arts who were doing a survey in the area.

The Thai and Cambodian sides had agreed to withdraw the troops from the disputed areas but so far, there is no sign of a withdrawal. Thai soldiers stationed at Preah Vihear said that his unit is still waiting for the order to withdraw. He said: "we are still at the same place. We've heard that the order to withdraw will come after the 29th, 30th (August)".

Thai and Cambosdian soldiers stationed at Ta Moan temple said that they are awaiting for the results of the 4th negotiations in Siem Reap on the 29th August.

Latest border talks make 'steamroller' progress

Foreign Minister Hor Namhong speaks with reporters after returning Wednesday from Preah Vihear crisis talks. (Photo: HENG CHIVOAN)

Thursday, 21 August 2008
Written by Cheang Sokha and Brendan Brady
The Phnom Penh Post

Cambodian, Thai foreign ministers agree to meet again over Preah Vihear standoff as negotiations over territorial dispute once again grind to a halt

CAMBODIA and Thailand have agreed to another round of talks over disputed territory near Preah Vihear temple, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said Wednesday, after negotiations this week made only limited progress towards resolving the military standoff on the border.

"The negotiations on Preah Vihear are like a steamroller, they are slow but moving ahead," Hor Namhong told reporters after returning from two days of talks with his Thai counterpart, Tej Bunnag, in Thailand.

He said another round of talks will be held later in the year after both sides meet in October to discuss border demarcation around the 11th-century temple, which was listed in July at a UNESCO World Heritage Site, sparking outrage from Thai nationalists claiming the ruins belong to Thailand.

Hundreds of Cambodian and Thai soldiers withdrew from their positions around the temple last week ahead of the talks, greatly easing tensions that had climbed steadily since July 15, when Thai troops first crossed the border.

The incursion sparked one of the largest military build-ups in recent years, as both sides sent thousands of troops and equipment, including heavy artillery, to the frontier, raising fears that fighting would erupt.

Hor Namhong said that both sides agreed that armed conflict was not the way to solve the border row.

"In this era, resolving the problem through the use of military force is out of date," Hor Namhong said, adding that Cambodia would consider re-opening the international border crossing at Preah Vihear, which has been sealed since the crisis began last month, "after tensions ease and the situation becomes normal".

He reaffirmed, however, Cambodia's ownership over two more disputed border temples, Ta Moan Thom and Ta Moan Touch, that were also occupied by Thai soldiers during the last month.

"I think the issue of Ta Moan temple will also be solved step-by-step like the Preah Vihear temple case," he added.

Hor Namhong said Cambodian and Thai military officials would meet August 29 in Siem Reap for further discussions on reducing troop numbers at border flashpoints. Since the weekend redeployment, only a handful of soldiers remain at Preah Vihear.

Less Tension, No Solution in Temple Talks

Thai Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag, right, shakes hands with Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong before a Preah Vihear meeting in Hua Hin, Phetchburi Province, Thailand, Tuesday. (Photo: AFP)

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
20 August 2008

Click here to listen to the Khmer audio program

Extensive bilateral talks between the Thai and Cambodian foreign ministers failed to produce a full solution to the Preah Vihear crisis, with both sides welcoming the recent "reduction of tensions" but neither declaring a full withdrawal of troops from the area.

Foreign Minister Hor Namhong arrived in Cambodia early Wednesday, addressing reporters following discussions with his Thai counterpart, Tej Bunnag, that lasted until Tuesday night.

Representatives from both countries will meet again at the end of August to discuss a second phase of redeployment, following the partial reduction of troops in a pagoda and areas surround Preah Vihear temple this weekend, according to a joint statement released following Monday's meeting.

The two sides also hoped to have a meeting between committees again in October to discuss broader border issues, which stem from longstanding conflicts of the early 1900s.

Cambodian and Thailand have had hundreds of troops on the border at Preah Vihear since the occupation of Thai soldiers of the Keo Sikha Kirii Svara pagoda, which is claimed by both sides, on July 15.

The issue was further complicated by the fortification of a second set of temples, the Ta Moan complex in Oddar Meanchey province, in early August, by Thai soldiers.

Both sides agreed Monday to discuss the issue of the Ta Moan temples in a later meeting between foreign ministers.

Cambodian FM optimistic about border talk with Thailand

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong on Monday expressed optimism about the two-day talk with his Thai counterpart to ensure total military withdrawal from the border area to end the two countries' month-long standoff there.

"I am optimistic about the bilateral talk with the Thai side to seek peaceful resolution to withdraw the troops totally from the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda and the surrounding areas of the Preah Vihear Temple (in the eponymous Cambodian province)," he told reporters at the airport before leaving for the meeting set in HuaHin province in Thailand.

Currently, each sides only deployed 10 military people at the pagoda and 20 within the surrounding areas of the Preah Vihear Temple, said Hor Namhong, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, adding that this was the result from the previous foreign ministers' meeting in Siem Reap province, Cambodia, on July 28.

"We want to withdraw all the troops from the areas near the Preah Vihear Temple, clear the mines there and finally plant border demarcation posts between the two countries," he said.

In addition, for the Ta Moan Toch and Ta Moan Thom temples in neighboring Oddar Meanchey province of Cambodia, "we will discuss step by step to withdraw the troops there and end the problem in the near future," he added.

During the trip, the foreign minister is also expected to visit Thai King to brief him on the current situation.

On July 15, Thai troops went into the border area to fetch three trespassers who had intended to claim Thai sovereignty over the Preah Vihear Temple. The troops stationed there ever since, thus triggering the military stalemate.

The same day, Thai troops occupied the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda, which is situated on the only way leading to the Preah Vihear Temple.

In the following days, both sides gradually increased their military personnel to a thousand strong at the border area to show their determination for territorial sovereignty.

On July 28, foreign ministers from Cambodia and Thailand held a meeting in Siem Reap province and agreed to mull the possibility of evacuating troops from the border.

On Aug. 3, Thai troops entered the Ta Moan Toch and Ta Moan Thom temples, thus aggravating the standoff.

On Aug. 16, most of the troops at the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda and within the surrounding areas of the Preah Vihear Templewere evacuated according to both sides' agreement.

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

In 1962, the International Court of Justice decided that the 11-century temple and the land around belongs to Cambodia, which rankled the Thais and has led to continuous disputes.

Unions march to protest Thai “invasion”

Thursday, 14 August 2008
Eath Daravuth & Sam Campbell
The Mekong Times

Exasperated Cambodians led by the Kingdom’s largest union are to march down the capital’s thoroughfares Sunday to demand that Thailand halt its “invasion” of Cambodian territory and withdraw troops immediately, union officials said yesterday.

The Cambodia Union Federation (CUF), comprised of the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTU) and the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association (CITA), notified Phnom Penh Municipal Governor Kep Chuktema that it will lead 300 people from the former National Assembly down Norodom and Monivong Boulevards before disbursing at the Independence Monument, the CUF said.

Slogans urging Thailand to stop its “invasion” and pull its troops out of Cambodia will apparently be prominent, alongside patriotic messages of unity.

Cambodia has reiterated that Thailand must withdraw from areas it has encroached upon adjacent to the ancient Preah Vihear temple and Ta Moan temples. The two neighbors are currently locked in a tense military standoff at both sites.

Accidents involving landmines and cases of malaria have been reported though the situation has yet to escalate into armed conflict.

CUF President Rong Chhun said that his federation will tell media about its protest against the Thai “invasion” this morning.

Sunday’s march will send “a message to the world about Khmer citizens’ patriotic will, and are not to serve the interest of a particular group or politician,” he said.

“Competent authorities must ensure that Sunday’s peaceful march is held or they will be called opponents of Khmer citizens’ patriotic will regarding Siam [Thailand] invading Cambodia.”

Deputy Governor Mann Chhoeun referred questions over permission for the protest to Municipal Cabinet Chief Nuon Samet, who could not be reached for comment yesterday. However, Mann Chhoeun implied the protest might go ahead.

“It is just my request. If he [Rong Chhun] protested at Preah Vihear temple, it would be better, but for the march in Phnom Penh, it is his right. I don’t know what to say,” Mann Chhoeun said.

Sunday’s march would come just a day before Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and his Thai counterpart are to meet in Thailand to discuss the spat. Several other similar high-level negations have produced few concrete results.

Numerous NGOs have jumped on the nationalist bandwagon, urging a tougher Cambodian stance. Many Cambodians have suggested Cambodia seek international intervention, particularly from the UN Security Council, a move US Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli hoped would prove unnecessary.

“We remain hopeful that next week when the [Cambodian and Thai] foreign ministers meet they will resolve this in a sensible, mature, collegial way because it’s not good for either country,” he said yesterday.

So far, the dispute “thankfully has had very little impact [on business],” he added, “though if it continues it may have an impact on tourism and may have an impact on trade between Cambodia and Thailand.”

Quarrel over temple rekindled

13-08-2008
By correspondent Michel Maas* Radio Netherland Worldwide

There is a war brewing on the border between Thailand and Cambodia. Thai soldiers have cordoned the area around the controversial Preah Vihear temple off from the outside world. There is no sign that troops have been withdrawn, as agreed earlier by both countries.

Nor that tourists are allowed to visit the ancient ruin, which recently made it on UNESCO's world heritage list. The troops have taken their positions - the Cambodians are in the temple, the Thais surround it - and for the last two months each side has been closely watching the other.

"Do you want to meditate?" asks a Buddhist monk dressed in white. He points to a little chapel that he and his followers have set up next to the road block. He has just spent the last half hour listening to his own thoughts there. Which is a wonder in itself as incessant Buddhist singing blares from a car. The volume is so high that it is difficult to hear yourself speak.

Protect the Thais

Only a handful of Thai Buddhists are left over from the thousands who went to Preah Vihear two months ago to claim the temple for Thailand. Some of the demonstrators were arrested by the Cambodians and Thailand sent its troops to "protect the Thais".

The situation was so tense for a while that Cambodia wanted the United Nations Security Council to intervene. The demonstrators were made to retreat 12 kilometres down the road and now there are just soldiers in the area. The last protesters are keeping watch at the road block. "We are trying to resolve the situation through meditation," says the man in white.

Border drawn too widely

An "error" by UNESCO has sparked off an old conflict. The Preah Vihear temple has belonged to Cambodia since the International Court of Justice allocated the ruin to the country in 1962. But the border has been drawn a little too wide around the temple on the UNESCO map by a few kilometres. Thailand feels wronged.

The third week in August is the week by which all troops are supposed to have withdrawn, but it looks like no-one wants to take the first step. On the contrary, 300 kilometres to the west - on the same border - troops have dug in at another temple: Tha Moan Thom.

There are not many troops, at first glance. Half a road block is guarded by two soldiers and under a roof in the car park there are a couple more. But around the back, at the foot of the temple, Thai and Cambodian soldiers stand eye to eye on the edge of the woods. The two are separated by barbed wire and a rickety fence made from branches.

Here too the Thais say "the Cambodians" could start shooting at any moment. They are ready and willing. "We would gladly die for our country," they say. There is no shooting and at the top, tourists walk around as normal in amongst the temple stones. But the situation remains tense.

Colonial border

The border between Thailand and Cambodia was drawn more than a hundred years ago by the French, who colonised Cambodia at the time. Like many colonial borders, this one was also decided at the drawing board and no-one bothered to check where the line should run precisely.

But after the independence of Cambodia in 1953, all this changed. The squabble that began back then, has continued right up until today. And each time the issue is raised, nationalist feelings are rekindled.

Four years ago we saw what this could lead to: A Thai actress told an interviewer that from a historical point of view large parts of Cambodia actually belonged to Thailand. As a result angry Cambodians set the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh and other Thai property on fire.

"Blow the whole thing up, like the Taliban did in Afghanistan", says a Thai passer-by on the border.

It wouldn't take a lot for the whole matter to explode. One stray bullet in the woods in Tha Moan Thom would be enough.

*RNW Translation (nc)

Border talk continues in Surin

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

(BangkokPost.com) - Second army commander Lt-Gen Sujit Sitthiprapa on Wednesday attended a bilateral meeting with Deputy Defence Minister Gen Neang Paht over disputes on Preah Vihear and Ta Moan Thom temples situated on Thai-Cambodian border.

The meeting was held at Thong Tarin hotel in the municipality of Surin province.

This is the 11th Joint Boundary Commission on the border dispute.

Reporters were not allowed to attend the meeting, but a press conference on progress made during the meeting was expected to be held at 3pm.

Preah Vihear has been claimed by both sides for decades, but was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962, a ruling that has rankled in Thailand ever since. The row spread early this month to Ta Moan Thom, a second ancient temple, on the border between Phanom Dong Rak district in Surin and Odday Meanchey in Cambodia.

Cambodians accuse Thailand of redeploying troops at border temples

Aug 11, 2008
DPA

Phnom Penh - Cambodian border officials Monday accused Thailand of disregarding agreements to move back from three border temples in northern Oddar Meanchey province, but said they would not act until after bilateral ministerial talks in a week.

After negotiations Tuesday, Thai troops agreed to pull back from the Ta Moan group of temples, but moved back into the area Saturday, said a senior border official who asked not to be named.

'We have held four rounds of negotiations with the Thais and they just don't respect any agreement,' the official said. 'They have not built a barricade at the temple - that has been there for a long time - but they are making it bigger.'

However, he said Cambodia refused to react until after talks between the nations' foreign ministers scheduled for August 18.

'We will not be drawn,' he said. 'We await the orders of Prime Minister Hun Sen and he has ordered peaceful negotiation.'

The English-language Cambodia Daily quoted provincial governor Pich Sokkin as saying about 20 Thai troops were now at the temples, with 70 more stationed nearby, and said they were fortifying barricades.

Thailand moved troops into the disputed border area on July 28, further worsening relations over a spat concerning the Preah Vihear temple, which was recently listed as a World Heritage site, about 150 kilometres east of Ta Moan.

Preah Vihear's listing by UNESCO on July 7 came despite protests by Thailand, which complained the surrounding border area remained in dispute and Thai troops moved in not long after. Later that month the spat spread to Ta Moan.

Cambodia has repeatedly said it has proof that the Ta Moan group of temples are sovereign territory but has stressed it seeks a peaceful resolution to the dispute.

BORDER DISPUTES: Thailand welcomes call for unity by Cambodia's PM

Saturday August 09, 2008
THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL
Bangkok Post

Thailand yesterday welcomed Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's statement that the border disputes between the two countries need to be resolved through bilateral mechanisms. Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said the Cambodian leader's stance was in line with Thailand's as Bangkok also wished to find a solution to the Preah Vihear temple issue in a peaceful and amicable manner through bilateral mechanisms.

The existing mechanisms include meetings between the foreign ministers, the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) and the General Border Committee (GBC).

''Differences of views on boundary issues between two neighbouring countries are not unusual. Thailand and Cambodia have in common a 798-kilometre land border. Thailand shares the Cambodian prime minister's view that both countries will be able to find a solution by working together,'' said Mr Tharit.

Hun Sen on Wednesday said the two countries needed to stay together as good neighbours for tens of thousands of years to come.

Thailand and Cambodia needed to narrow their disputes and maximise bilateral cooperation including trade, he said.

Mr Tharit said the Preah Vihear temple issue was only one small part of their overall relations as the two countries have many common interests and cooperation in the economic, political, social and other dimensions.

Also, the people of both countries living along the Thai-Cambodian border have enjoyed close relations, sharing and celebrating the same traditions and cultures, he said.

''Thailand also agreed with Prime Minister Hun Sen that the second meeting between the two foreign ministers should be able to make good progress and pave the way for both sides to find a solution,'' he said.

The second ministerial meeting between Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Nam Hong is tentatively scheduled for August 18-19 at Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan.

Son Chhay's letter to Hor Namhong on the border dispute with Thailand

Click on each page of the letter in Khmer to zoom in

Translation from Khmer

To H.E. Hor Namhong, Vice-Prime Minister
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

Subject: Proposal for setting up a timetable for the pullout of Thai troops from Khmer territories and review for the continuation of the complaint to the UN

Support items:

• Information which indicated that there may be a new negotiation between Thailand and Cambodia on 18 August 2008
• The publication of false information that Thai troops pulled out from Khmer temple

Based on the subject topic and the support items above, I am informing Your Excellency Vice Prime-Minister that it is observed that Thailand’s trick to send in troops to the Ta Moan temple, then pulled them back out was done in order to deflect the attention on Thailand’s aggression in the Preah Vihear temple area and turning the attention to other regions, as well as (Thailand’s intention of) reducing International criticism and creating a subterfuge and deception by letting (the public opinion) believes that its troops seem to be pulling out from the Preah Vihear temple also (please read the attached Reuters and AFA articles attached).

Based on the results of the meeting between Your Excellency and the Thai counterpart, there seems to be an agreement to pull out armed troops from the region near Preah Vihear temple, but up to now, there is no indication that Thai troops pulled out yet, this requires a clear timetable setup if there is indeed another meeting. Otherwise, Thailand will continue to occupy Khmer lands for a long time to come, by using other new pretexts.

Thailand understands our other weak points and they will use them to take over our territories near Preah Vihear temple, for example, Thailand knows that some of our leaders are concerned about losing their personal interests in the sharing of offshore oil and gas resources which also faces problems with Thailand.

I hope that Your Excellency, who has many years of diplomatic experience, will continue to successfully render your service to the Nation, (especially) on this difficult negotiation work, and that you will make resolute decisions – using all paths that include international protection for example – in order to guarantee the complete territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Please accept, Your Excellency, my sincere regards.

Phnom Penh 06 August 2008

(Signed) Son Chhay
Chairman of National Assembly Committee No. 5

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