Thu, 17 Jul 2008
Author : DPA
Phnom Penh - The number of Thai troops in territory Cambodia considers sovereign continued to increase Thursday, and a high level Cambodian government delegation was to visit the site imminently, officials said. Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kaharith declined to say which government ministers would be on the helicopter flight scheduled for Friday, but Defence Minister Teah Banh, who found sanctuary in Thailand during the 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime and who speaks fluent Thai, is expected to be included.
Officials and local media reported Thursday that fearful Cambodian residents had begun evacuating the area of a border dispute over an 11th-century Hindu temple as Thai troop numbers grew to around 400 and Cambodia continued to try to double that number.
Preah Vihear, perched on a 525-metre high cliff on the Dongrak mountain range that defines the Thai-Cambodian border, turned into a flashpoint Tuesday when three Thai nationals entered the temple compound to protest its July 9 listing by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
"Powerful people in Thailand want to solve this," government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said by telephone, but did not elaborate.
Thailand maintains the area occupied by its troops is a disputed no man's land and they are not in Cambodia, but Cambodia disagrees.
"Cambodia would like a memorandum of understanding from Thailand, but we value our cooperation too much to press hard," a senior government official said on condition of anonymity.
"This hurts, and it violates Cambodia's national integrity, but we will do everything we can to solve this diplomatically."
Local newspapers Thursday printed front page pictures of Thai troops standing at Cambodian checkpoints, with Cambodian Khmer-language signs clearly visible.
Cambodia is scheduled to hold talks with Thailand over the issue Monday and Prime Minister Hun Sen held "cordial talks" with his Thai counterpart Samak Sundaravej by telephone Wednesday night.
Kanharith said Thailand called for the urgent meeting to defuse the row over joint claims to the temple ruins compound. An emergency meeting of the General Border Committee will be held Monday in Thailand's border province of Sa Kaeo.
It was not clear whether the meeting of the committee, set up years ago to cope with joint border problems, would be attended by Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej in his capacity as defence minister.
The anonymous government offical backed claims by both Koh Santepheap and the Cambodia Daily newspapers that Cambodian residents were evacuating the area.
"All civilians have left the area and gone to the town seven kilometres away, as I am aware," he said.
Around 900 Cambodian families live around the temple.
Tensions began rising Tuesday, when Cambodia detained and then released three Thais it said had illegally crossed the border.
Author : DPA
Phnom Penh - The number of Thai troops in territory Cambodia considers sovereign continued to increase Thursday, and a high level Cambodian government delegation was to visit the site imminently, officials said. Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kaharith declined to say which government ministers would be on the helicopter flight scheduled for Friday, but Defence Minister Teah Banh, who found sanctuary in Thailand during the 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime and who speaks fluent Thai, is expected to be included.
Officials and local media reported Thursday that fearful Cambodian residents had begun evacuating the area of a border dispute over an 11th-century Hindu temple as Thai troop numbers grew to around 400 and Cambodia continued to try to double that number.
Preah Vihear, perched on a 525-metre high cliff on the Dongrak mountain range that defines the Thai-Cambodian border, turned into a flashpoint Tuesday when three Thai nationals entered the temple compound to protest its July 9 listing by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
"Powerful people in Thailand want to solve this," government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said by telephone, but did not elaborate.
Thailand maintains the area occupied by its troops is a disputed no man's land and they are not in Cambodia, but Cambodia disagrees.
"Cambodia would like a memorandum of understanding from Thailand, but we value our cooperation too much to press hard," a senior government official said on condition of anonymity.
"This hurts, and it violates Cambodia's national integrity, but we will do everything we can to solve this diplomatically."
Local newspapers Thursday printed front page pictures of Thai troops standing at Cambodian checkpoints, with Cambodian Khmer-language signs clearly visible.
Cambodia is scheduled to hold talks with Thailand over the issue Monday and Prime Minister Hun Sen held "cordial talks" with his Thai counterpart Samak Sundaravej by telephone Wednesday night.
Kanharith said Thailand called for the urgent meeting to defuse the row over joint claims to the temple ruins compound. An emergency meeting of the General Border Committee will be held Monday in Thailand's border province of Sa Kaeo.
It was not clear whether the meeting of the committee, set up years ago to cope with joint border problems, would be attended by Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej in his capacity as defence minister.
The anonymous government offical backed claims by both Koh Santepheap and the Cambodia Daily newspapers that Cambodian residents were evacuating the area.
"All civilians have left the area and gone to the town seven kilometres away, as I am aware," he said.
Around 900 Cambodian families live around the temple.
Tensions began rising Tuesday, when Cambodia detained and then released three Thais it said had illegally crossed the border.
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