Wednesday, 31 December 2008

Bangkok crisis not extended to border

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by Cheang Sokha
Tuesday, 30 December 2008

CAMBODIAN military officials on the border with Thailand said Monday that the situation there remains stable, despite political tensions in Bangkok that again threaten to escalate a row over contested territory along the frontier.

"We don't see any significant difference in the situation," said Bun Vanna, deputy chief of staff for RCAF's Brigade 43, which is stationed at Veal Antri near the scene of an October 15 firefight that left at least three soldiers dead.

However, both sides continue to reinforce their front lines, he said, adding: "It is normal for troops to dig trenches, as we are on a battlefield".

Another military official in Koh Kong who did not want to be named said the borders continue to be reinforced.

The military standoff began in July when Thai troops took up positions in Cambodia.

The incursion came shortly after Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was listed as a Unesco World Heritage site, angering Thai nationalists who demanded that the then-government reclaim land they said Cambodia had stolen, including the 11th-century ruins.

Nationalist sentiment appears again to be rising in Bangkok, where protesters helped depose one prime minister and are now attacking the current premier.

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