Thailand, Cambodia to reduce border military presence

People's daily Online
http://english.people.com.cn

July 03, 2009

Thailand and Cambodia will on Friday begin reducing troop levels along the disputed border area, Deputy Prime Minister for security affairs Suthep Thaugsuban said.

The move should help ease the tension along the sensitive frontier, Suthep on Friday was quoted by the website of the Bangkok Post as saying.

Suthep and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had agreed during talks last weekend that the border dispute should be settled by peaceful means.

The area around Preah Vihear Temple, which was inscribed as a World Heritage Site on July 7 last year, has been the scene of a tense standoff between the Cambodian and Thai armed forces. The Cambodian government insists Thai troops have deployed on Cambodian soil, while Thailand says its troops are only in the disputed zone.

In mid-June, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit said that the government would ask UNESCO to review last year's decision to register Preah Vihear as a World Heritage Site during a meeting this week in Spain.

On Cambodian side, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said that his country was ready for any situation which might follow the reinforcement of troops on the Thai side of the border.

Tensions have escalated at the Thai-Cambodian border, with Thailand's Second Army Area commander Lt General Wiboonsak Neeparn recently rotated troops at Preah Vihear so that they are fresh and ready for a possible attack from Cambodia.

Cambodia has already boosted its presence in the border area.

The Thai deputy prime minister will leave for Phnom Penh on Saturday for another meeting with Hun Sen.

Source: Xinhua