Preah Vihear: back to reality

Cambodge Soir
21-08-2008

The meeting of foreign ministers was fruitful: it seems that Cambodia and Thailand have engaged in a genuine dialogue to solve border disputes, starting by examining the row regarding the recently-granted World Heritage status temple.

On the morning of Wednesday August 20, both chiefs of diplomacy, Cambodian Hor Nam Hong and Thai Tej Bunnag could be satisfied with the outcome of the meeting held in the Thai resort city of Hua Hin. They have made progress in the Preah Vihear dispute. This is according to a press release made public at the end of the meeting by Tej Bunnag. The document stated that the first stage of the soldiers pulling out of the area around the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda was complete. Both parties will discuss the second stage relating to the redeployment of troops on August 29. On that date, in a meeting to be held in Cambodia, a complete withdrawal of the soldiers will be on the agenda of the meeting between the Thai Regional Border Committee (RBC) and the Cambodian Task Force.

Both Ministers set the date of the next meeting of the Khmer-Thai joint committee, in charge of solving the border issue, for early October. Experts from both countries will bring their input to the issue. Hor Nam Hong and Tej Bunnag agreed to another meeting, to discuss the situation at Ta Moan Thom temple.

Thailand still warned that any agreement with Cambodia on the border issue is subject to the approval of the Constitutional Council. The same Council, which questioned the validity of the signature of the former Foreign Affairs Minister Noppadon Patama, declared in a joint statement with Hor Nam Hong that Bangkok and Phnom Penh were supporting the application for Preah Vihear to be inscribed on the World Heritage List.