Thai villagers try to break through a police blockade at the templeSKY News
Tuesday July 22, 2008
Thailand and Cambodia are being urged to resolve a stand-off over an ancient temple on their border before bullets start to fly.
Cambodia has appealed to the United Nations after crisis talks among south east Asian diplomats meeting in Singapore failed to end the week-long border confrontation.
At the heart of the dispute is a 1.8 square mile area around the 11th century Preah Vihear temple.
The 900-year-old structure sits on a jungle-clad escarpment that forms a natural boundary.
The are is claimed by both nations but in 1962 an international court awarded the temple to Cambodia.
"In order to avoid armed confrontation, the Royal Government of Cambodia has decided to request an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to find a solution to the problem in accordance with international laws," said the country's foreign affairs ministry.
Talks among the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) failed to make any headway after senior Cambodian and Thai defence officials ended eight hours of negotiations with no resolution.
But Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo, hosting the ASEAN meeting, said both sides "were committed to a peaceful resolution of the issue".
The military build-up began a week ago when Thai troops moved into the disputed area after three Thai protesters were briefly detained there.
Since then, both sides have sent hundreds more soldiers and heavy artillery to the border.
Preah Vihear's listing as a World Heritage site in Cambodia this month triggered a political uproar in Bangkok, where the People's Alliance for Democracy accused the government of selling out Thailand's history by initially backing the listing.
The stand-off has become a key issue in the run-up to Cambodia's general election on Sunday, with ruling party and opposition politicians slamming the "Thai invaders".
But domestic politics in Thailand have played an even bigger role in fuelling the dispute.
A coalition of activists and royalists is waging a street campaign against Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, whom they accuse of acting as a proxy for former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in a coup in 2006.
Tuesday July 22, 2008
Thailand and Cambodia are being urged to resolve a stand-off over an ancient temple on their border before bullets start to fly.
Cambodia has appealed to the United Nations after crisis talks among south east Asian diplomats meeting in Singapore failed to end the week-long border confrontation.
At the heart of the dispute is a 1.8 square mile area around the 11th century Preah Vihear temple.
The 900-year-old structure sits on a jungle-clad escarpment that forms a natural boundary.
The are is claimed by both nations but in 1962 an international court awarded the temple to Cambodia.
"In order to avoid armed confrontation, the Royal Government of Cambodia has decided to request an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to find a solution to the problem in accordance with international laws," said the country's foreign affairs ministry.
Talks among the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) failed to make any headway after senior Cambodian and Thai defence officials ended eight hours of negotiations with no resolution.
But Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo, hosting the ASEAN meeting, said both sides "were committed to a peaceful resolution of the issue".
The military build-up began a week ago when Thai troops moved into the disputed area after three Thai protesters were briefly detained there.
Since then, both sides have sent hundreds more soldiers and heavy artillery to the border.
Preah Vihear's listing as a World Heritage site in Cambodia this month triggered a political uproar in Bangkok, where the People's Alliance for Democracy accused the government of selling out Thailand's history by initially backing the listing.
The stand-off has become a key issue in the run-up to Cambodia's general election on Sunday, with ruling party and opposition politicians slamming the "Thai invaders".
But domestic politics in Thailand have played an even bigger role in fuelling the dispute.
A coalition of activists and royalists is waging a street campaign against Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, whom they accuse of acting as a proxy for former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in a coup in 2006.
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