Thai soldiers secure the entrance of a temporary military base close to the border with Cambodia.Channel NewsAsia
Asia Pacific News
24 October 2008
SIEM REAP: Thai military commanders insisted Friday that talks with their Cambodian counterparts were easing border tensions after deadly clashes last week, but refused to back down from front line positions.
The senior military officials, whose talks began over a round of golf a day earlier, met to defuse the border dispute near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, which erupted into a firefight on October 15 that left one Thai and three Cambodian soldiers dead.
The Thai commanders, led by Lieutenant General Wiboonsak Neeparn, said there was a "friendly atmosphere" with the Cambodians but insisted Thailand's soldiers would stand firm.
"The Thai side strongly reiterates that the position of our troop deployments is clearly inside Thai territory," said a statement from Thai commanders released as the Friday meetings began.
Thailand's terms of negotiation must be approved in parliament on Tuesday before the two countries can further border talks.
Separately, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his opposite number Somchai Wongsawat repeated statements that their nations would prevent any more armed clashes over the dispute as they met Friday in Beijing on the margins of a summit between leaders of Asian and European nations.
Cambodian and Thai military officials agreed to joint border patrols a day after last week's clashes between soldiers stationed on disputed land near the temple, which belongs to Cambodia.
But Cambodian commanders have since backed out, saying such patrols are not possible in disputed areas.
Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia flared in July when Preah Vihear was awarded United Nations World Heritage status, rekindling long-running tensions over ownership of land surrounding the temple.
Asia Pacific News
24 October 2008
SIEM REAP: Thai military commanders insisted Friday that talks with their Cambodian counterparts were easing border tensions after deadly clashes last week, but refused to back down from front line positions.
The senior military officials, whose talks began over a round of golf a day earlier, met to defuse the border dispute near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, which erupted into a firefight on October 15 that left one Thai and three Cambodian soldiers dead.
The Thai commanders, led by Lieutenant General Wiboonsak Neeparn, said there was a "friendly atmosphere" with the Cambodians but insisted Thailand's soldiers would stand firm.
"The Thai side strongly reiterates that the position of our troop deployments is clearly inside Thai territory," said a statement from Thai commanders released as the Friday meetings began.
Thailand's terms of negotiation must be approved in parliament on Tuesday before the two countries can further border talks.
Separately, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his opposite number Somchai Wongsawat repeated statements that their nations would prevent any more armed clashes over the dispute as they met Friday in Beijing on the margins of a summit between leaders of Asian and European nations.
Cambodian and Thai military officials agreed to joint border patrols a day after last week's clashes between soldiers stationed on disputed land near the temple, which belongs to Cambodia.
But Cambodian commanders have since backed out, saying such patrols are not possible in disputed areas.
Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia flared in July when Preah Vihear was awarded United Nations World Heritage status, rekindling long-running tensions over ownership of land surrounding the temple.
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