The Straits Times
July 22, 2008
PREAH VIHEAR (Cambodia) - CAMBODIA called on Tuesday for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to resolve a military standoff with neighbouring Thailand over a temple.
More than 500 Thai troops are facing off against at least 1,000 Cambodian soldiers around a small Buddhist pagoda on disputed land near the ruins of an ancient temple, which belongs to Cambodia.
'In order to avoid armed confrontation' the country requests 'an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to find a solution to the problem in accordance with international laws', the Cambodian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said earlier on Tuesday that a third party was needed to help solve the stand-off.
Senior Thai and Cambodian defence officials emerged from hours of closed-door talks on Monday with no resolution to the week-long standoff.
Thailand, however, does not want foreign mediators involved in its border dispute with Cambodia, a Thai military official said on Tuesday. He conceded though that the two sides were at a stalemate.
'The problem was that we and Cambodia are using two different maps. Cambodian is using the French version while we used a US-drawn map, thus it's hard for us to reach agreement,' General Boonsrang Niumpradit, Thailand's chief negotiator in the dispute said on Thai television.
On Cambodia's suggestion to take their dispute to the World Court in The Hague and to hold a UN Security Council meeting on the crisis, Gen Boonsrang said the Thai side was not keen on international involvement.
'The dispute should be discussed between the two countries,' he said. 'Better that than elevating it to Asean (the Association of South-east Asian Nations) or the UN.'
Gen Boonsrang said, however, that tensions between the two countries may ease after elections in Cambodia on July 27.
'It will be easier to talk after the elections,' he said.
Regional interventionEarlier, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong asked Singapore, the chair of the Association of South-east Asian Nations, to form a regional 'inter-ministerial group ... to help find a peaceful solution to the current crisis and avoid military confrontation between the two Asean members'.
In his letter to Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo late on Monday, Mr Hor Namhong asked that the group comprise the foreign ministers of Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and Laos.
'Thai troops with artillery and tanks are building up along the border, constituting a very serious threat not only to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia, but also to peace and stability in the region,' he said in the letter seen on Tuesday.
The Asean foreign ministers are holding their annual meeting in Singapore this week.
Several thousand Thai and Cambodian troops are to remain along their countries' shared border after Monday's talks failed to resolve a now eight-day dispute over land near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple.
Representatives from both countries nevertheless reiterated their commitment to avoiding an armed conflict as the one-day meeting ended in the Thai-Cambodian border town of Aranyaprahet.
'The most important thing is to avoid a confrontation so that there is no violence,' Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh told reporters, adding that 'the temperature ... hasn't been reduced'.
Thai Supreme Commander Boonsrang Niempradit refused to describe the talks as a failure, while insisting troops from both countries would remain near the temple but would 'not use any violence or weapons'.
The World Court ruled in 1962 that the 11th century Preah Vihear temple belongs to Cambodia. But the most accessible entrance lies in Thailand, and 4.6 square kilometres of the surrounding land remains in dispute, stirring nationalist sentiment in both countries.
Tensions flared last week when three Thais tried to enter Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple, and both sides stationed troops around a small Buddhist pagoda on a mountain slope leading to the temple ruins.
Asean grapples with disputeSouth-east Asian nations also grappled on Tuesday with the vexing issue of democracy in Myanmar and a simmering border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia ahead of a key security meeting of regional superpowers.
'What we need is for Cambodia and Thailand to really exercise their utmost restraint ... to prevent any outbreak of open conflict,' Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda told reporters.
There must be a 'cooling off' by the two sides, said Mr Wirajuda, who is here to attend the annual foreign ministers' meeting of the Association of South-east Asian Nations through Thursday. -- AFP, AP
July 22, 2008
PREAH VIHEAR (Cambodia) - CAMBODIA called on Tuesday for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to resolve a military standoff with neighbouring Thailand over a temple.
More than 500 Thai troops are facing off against at least 1,000 Cambodian soldiers around a small Buddhist pagoda on disputed land near the ruins of an ancient temple, which belongs to Cambodia.
'In order to avoid armed confrontation' the country requests 'an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to find a solution to the problem in accordance with international laws', the Cambodian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said earlier on Tuesday that a third party was needed to help solve the stand-off.
Senior Thai and Cambodian defence officials emerged from hours of closed-door talks on Monday with no resolution to the week-long standoff.
Thailand, however, does not want foreign mediators involved in its border dispute with Cambodia, a Thai military official said on Tuesday. He conceded though that the two sides were at a stalemate.
'The problem was that we and Cambodia are using two different maps. Cambodian is using the French version while we used a US-drawn map, thus it's hard for us to reach agreement,' General Boonsrang Niumpradit, Thailand's chief negotiator in the dispute said on Thai television.
On Cambodia's suggestion to take their dispute to the World Court in The Hague and to hold a UN Security Council meeting on the crisis, Gen Boonsrang said the Thai side was not keen on international involvement.
'The dispute should be discussed between the two countries,' he said. 'Better that than elevating it to Asean (the Association of South-east Asian Nations) or the UN.'
Gen Boonsrang said, however, that tensions between the two countries may ease after elections in Cambodia on July 27.
'It will be easier to talk after the elections,' he said.
Regional interventionEarlier, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong asked Singapore, the chair of the Association of South-east Asian Nations, to form a regional 'inter-ministerial group ... to help find a peaceful solution to the current crisis and avoid military confrontation between the two Asean members'.
In his letter to Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo late on Monday, Mr Hor Namhong asked that the group comprise the foreign ministers of Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and Laos.
'Thai troops with artillery and tanks are building up along the border, constituting a very serious threat not only to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia, but also to peace and stability in the region,' he said in the letter seen on Tuesday.
The Asean foreign ministers are holding their annual meeting in Singapore this week.
Several thousand Thai and Cambodian troops are to remain along their countries' shared border after Monday's talks failed to resolve a now eight-day dispute over land near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple.
Representatives from both countries nevertheless reiterated their commitment to avoiding an armed conflict as the one-day meeting ended in the Thai-Cambodian border town of Aranyaprahet.
'The most important thing is to avoid a confrontation so that there is no violence,' Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh told reporters, adding that 'the temperature ... hasn't been reduced'.
Thai Supreme Commander Boonsrang Niempradit refused to describe the talks as a failure, while insisting troops from both countries would remain near the temple but would 'not use any violence or weapons'.
The World Court ruled in 1962 that the 11th century Preah Vihear temple belongs to Cambodia. But the most accessible entrance lies in Thailand, and 4.6 square kilometres of the surrounding land remains in dispute, stirring nationalist sentiment in both countries.
Tensions flared last week when three Thais tried to enter Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple, and both sides stationed troops around a small Buddhist pagoda on a mountain slope leading to the temple ruins.
Asean grapples with disputeSouth-east Asian nations also grappled on Tuesday with the vexing issue of democracy in Myanmar and a simmering border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia ahead of a key security meeting of regional superpowers.
'What we need is for Cambodia and Thailand to really exercise their utmost restraint ... to prevent any outbreak of open conflict,' Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda told reporters.
There must be a 'cooling off' by the two sides, said Mr Wirajuda, who is here to attend the annual foreign ministers' meeting of the Association of South-east Asian Nations through Thursday. -- AFP, AP
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