Friday, 17 October 2008

Cambodian official: Mutual understanding leads to end of border clash with Thailand

www.chinaview.cn
2008-10-16

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Mutual understanding prompted the military commanders of Cambodia and Thailand to reach their agreement Thursday to end armed confrontation at the border and seek for peaceful settlement of the dispute, said a senior official.

"Regional military commanders from Cambodia and Thailand understand each other on the talks," Ouk Prasoeu, Cambodian military commander of the frontier unit near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear Temple, told Xinhua by phone.

The Cambodian and Thai militaries agreed Thursday in Thailand to hold joint patrols to reduce tension at the disputed border area near the temple, where a gun battle between the two sides a day earlier left two Cambodian soldiers dead.

The two sides also agreed on measures to prevent further fighting but both troops and artillery will remain there.

Ouk Prasoeu said that each side's troops will stand at one place, making no move and deployment any more.

"Both militaries also urged the Joint Border Committee to measure the border soon and plant demarcation posts," he said.

The situation near the temple is now calm and normal, he added.

In July, tensions ran high after the ancient Preah Vihear Temple was awarded world heritage status by UNESCO, angering nationalists in Thailand who still claim ownership of the site.

The tension later turned into a military stalemate, in which up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops faced off for six weeks. In mid-August, most troops withdrew and only a few dozen soldiers stationed near the temple.

Bilateral talks to discuss withdrawing troops from around the temple were postponed late August amid political turmoil in Thailand.

In early October, at least one Cambodian soldier and two Thai troops were wounded during sporadic exchange of gunfire and two other Thai soldiers were seriously injured after stepping on a landmine at the border area.

Editor: Du Guodong

1 comment:

siemreap215 said...

Why siems people still don't understand about khmer,thai border ? Or they want to make a war with Cambodian people again like in the past or what ?