Thursday, 18 September 2008

New Thai PM ready to hold border talks with Cambodia

ABC Radio Australia
September 18, 2008

Thailand's newly elected Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat says he's ready to hold talks with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen to resolve a border dispute.

The two countries made fresh accusations of violating each other's territory yesterday in the dispute over land near ancient temples along their border.

Mr Somchai says he expects officials to hold talks on the matter next week during the UN General Assembly in New York.

Hun Sen has hinted in recent weeks that he might take his boundary complaints to the UN Security Council or international courts if the neighbours cannot resolve their border disagreement.

Tensions flared in July after Preah Vihear was awarded world heritage status by the UN cultural body UNESCO, angering nationalists in Thailand who still claim ownership of the ancient Khmer temple.

Those tensions turned into a military standoff in which up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops faced off for six weeks, until both sides agreed to pull back in mid-August.

No comments: