Saturday, 5 February 2011

Agreement to cool row over flags


via CAAI

Published: 4/02/2011

SIEM REAP - Thailand and Cambodia have reached agreement not to blow up the dispute over the national flags put up in their disputed border area near Pheah Vihear temple.

The announcement followed talks between Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on the sidelines of Thai-Cambodia Joint Commission (JC) meeting on Friday.

Mr Kasit said afterwards they have agreed not to blow up the dispute over the flags and not to incite their people into hatred for each other.

In addition, the two countries would continue efforts to ease border tension by continuing demarcation negotiations through the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC).

Thailand earlier demanded that Cambodia remove both the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda and the Cambodian flag flying over the pagoda gate, while reasserting that the pagoda is on Thai territory. Thai troops also erected the Thai national flag in the disputed area in response.

Mr Kasit said he would visit the two yellow-shirt Thai activists, Veera Somkwankid and Ratree Pipatanapaiboon, who were sentenced by a Cambodian court to eight and six years in jail repectively for espionage, and discuss with them what further help can be provided by the government.

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