Talks are scheduled for Monday in an attempt to resolve the crisis [AFP]Al Jazeera
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Thai and Cambodian troops are withdrawing from a disputed border area around an ancient temple after a month-long standoff.
The pullout from the Preah Vihear temple area began on Friday and was continuing on Saturday, Hang Soth, director-general of a Cambodian government agency managing the site, said.
The standoff erupted near the 11th century shrine on July 15 after Unesco, the UN cultural agency, approved Cambodia's application to have the complex named a World Heritage Site. Both countries have long held claim to the temple, but the World Court awarded it to Cambodia in 1962.
About 800 troops from Cambodia and 400 from Thailand have been facing off in the area for a month.
Talks scheduled
On Thursday, Genernal Neang Phat, the Cambodian deputy defense minister, said the two countries agreed to a gradual redeployment of troops from the area ahead of talks between their foreign ministers on territorial disputes next Monday in Thailand.
Samak Sundaravej, the Thai prime minister, had backed Cambodia's World Heritage site bid, sparking demonstrations by anti-government protesters who claimed it would undermine Thailand's claim to the surrounding area.
The protests left Samak politically vulnerable, and he sent troops to occupy another disputed temple compound adjacent to Preah Vihear to appease his nationalist critics.
Cambodia responded with its own troop deployment.
The border dispute has not been resolved despite two rounds of talks since last month, with the countries referring to two different maps.
Cambodia uses a French colonial map demarcating the border, which Thailand says favours Cambodia.
Thailand relies on a map drawn up later with American technical assistance.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Thai and Cambodian troops are withdrawing from a disputed border area around an ancient temple after a month-long standoff.
The pullout from the Preah Vihear temple area began on Friday and was continuing on Saturday, Hang Soth, director-general of a Cambodian government agency managing the site, said.
The standoff erupted near the 11th century shrine on July 15 after Unesco, the UN cultural agency, approved Cambodia's application to have the complex named a World Heritage Site. Both countries have long held claim to the temple, but the World Court awarded it to Cambodia in 1962.
About 800 troops from Cambodia and 400 from Thailand have been facing off in the area for a month.
Talks scheduled
On Thursday, Genernal Neang Phat, the Cambodian deputy defense minister, said the two countries agreed to a gradual redeployment of troops from the area ahead of talks between their foreign ministers on territorial disputes next Monday in Thailand.
Samak Sundaravej, the Thai prime minister, had backed Cambodia's World Heritage site bid, sparking demonstrations by anti-government protesters who claimed it would undermine Thailand's claim to the surrounding area.
The protests left Samak politically vulnerable, and he sent troops to occupy another disputed temple compound adjacent to Preah Vihear to appease his nationalist critics.
Cambodia responded with its own troop deployment.
The border dispute has not been resolved despite two rounds of talks since last month, with the countries referring to two different maps.
Cambodia uses a French colonial map demarcating the border, which Thailand says favours Cambodia.
Thailand relies on a map drawn up later with American technical assistance.
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