Thai and Cambodian soldiers have been engaged in a tense stand-off [AFP]AL JAZEERA
Friday, July 18, 2008
A border standoff between Cambodian and Thai troops has come close to a shootout as the confrontation over disputed territory surrounding an ancient temple entered its fourth day.
Thai soldiers entered the area surrounding the Preah Vihear temple on Tuesday, staking out positions at a Buddhist temple compound nearby.
A large group of Cambodian troops went to the compound Thursday planning to spend the night, and the two sides raised their rifles at each other when the Thais moved to evict the Cambodians, Cambodian Brigadier-General Chea Keo said.
The incident lasted about 10 minutes before the Cambodians left, Cambodia's top army commander at Preah Vihear said.
"We exercised patience to prevent weapons from being fired," he said.
The standoff is the latest in a long-standing conflict over frontier territory that has never been fully demarcated.
Both countries have massed troops in the area despite the two sides agreeing to hold talks on Monday in the Thai capital aimed at soothing tensions and averting military action.
Reports said more than 800 Cambodian soldiers armed with assault rifles and rocket launchers and some 400 Thai soldiers had been deployed.
'Bad for relations'
Hun Sen, the Cambodian prime minister, wrote to his Thai counterpart, Samak Sundaravej, on Thursday saying that relations had been "worsening" since Thai troops "encroached on our territory" on Tuesday.
"The deteriorating situation is very bad for the relations between our two countries," Hun Sen wrote, asking Samak to pull back his troops.
The confrontation comes after Unesco, the UN's cultural body, declared the 11th century Preah Vihear temple a World Heritage site last week.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded the Preah Vihear ruins and the land it occupies to Cambodia, a decision that still rankles many Thais.
Thai activists and some government officials fear the temple's new status will jeopardise their country's claims to land adjacent to the site.
The border area of 4.6 square km has been at the centre of a long-running territorial dispute as the temple's main compound lies inside Cambodia but its most accessible entrance is at the foot of a mountain in Thailand.
The temple dispute has also led to heightened political tensions in both countries.
Cambodia is preparing for general elections on July 27 during which Hun Sen is expected to extend his grip on power after 10 years iin office.
In Thailand, there have been weeks of streets protests and severe criticism of the government led by Samak for supporting Cambodia's Unesco bid.
Friday, July 18, 2008
A border standoff between Cambodian and Thai troops has come close to a shootout as the confrontation over disputed territory surrounding an ancient temple entered its fourth day.
Thai soldiers entered the area surrounding the Preah Vihear temple on Tuesday, staking out positions at a Buddhist temple compound nearby.
A large group of Cambodian troops went to the compound Thursday planning to spend the night, and the two sides raised their rifles at each other when the Thais moved to evict the Cambodians, Cambodian Brigadier-General Chea Keo said.
The incident lasted about 10 minutes before the Cambodians left, Cambodia's top army commander at Preah Vihear said.
"We exercised patience to prevent weapons from being fired," he said.
The standoff is the latest in a long-standing conflict over frontier territory that has never been fully demarcated.
Both countries have massed troops in the area despite the two sides agreeing to hold talks on Monday in the Thai capital aimed at soothing tensions and averting military action.
Reports said more than 800 Cambodian soldiers armed with assault rifles and rocket launchers and some 400 Thai soldiers had been deployed.
'Bad for relations'
Hun Sen, the Cambodian prime minister, wrote to his Thai counterpart, Samak Sundaravej, on Thursday saying that relations had been "worsening" since Thai troops "encroached on our territory" on Tuesday.
"The deteriorating situation is very bad for the relations between our two countries," Hun Sen wrote, asking Samak to pull back his troops.
The confrontation comes after Unesco, the UN's cultural body, declared the 11th century Preah Vihear temple a World Heritage site last week.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded the Preah Vihear ruins and the land it occupies to Cambodia, a decision that still rankles many Thais.
Thai activists and some government officials fear the temple's new status will jeopardise their country's claims to land adjacent to the site.
The border area of 4.6 square km has been at the centre of a long-running territorial dispute as the temple's main compound lies inside Cambodia but its most accessible entrance is at the foot of a mountain in Thailand.
The temple dispute has also led to heightened political tensions in both countries.
Cambodia is preparing for general elections on July 27 during which Hun Sen is expected to extend his grip on power after 10 years iin office.
In Thailand, there have been weeks of streets protests and severe criticism of the government led by Samak for supporting Cambodia's Unesco bid.
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