Tuesday, 17 August 2010

Military ties of Cambodia, Thailand remain good: Thai Army Chief

via Khmer NZ

August 17, 2010

The military ties between Cambodia and Thailand have remained good, Thailand's national Army Commander-in-Chief General Anupong Paochinda said on Tuesday, according to the Thai News Agency(TNA).

"There is no report that Cambodia reinforces the Thai-Cambodian border," General Anupong said.

In a related development, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Thailand did not ask ASEAN secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan to discuss the border dispute with Cambodia on Thailand's behalf.

Suthep said he did not know that a meeting between ASEAN secretary-general Surin and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, which was held on Monday evening.

The Thai deputy premier has also reiterated that the Thai government wants bilateral talks with Phnom Penh to settle the border conflict.

The two neighboring countries, Cambodia and Thailand, have been at loggerheads over the Preah Vihear temple, which in 1962 was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice.

On July 29 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee (WHC) decided to reschedule its discussion on Cambodia's management plan for the Preah Vihear temple to its 35th annual meeting in Bahrain in 2011.

The WHC decision of rescheduling its discussion on Cambodia's management plan for the Preah Vihear temple was made at the 34th WHC annual meeting in Brazil.

On Aug. 11, the Bangkok Post's website reported that Cambodia asked Thailand to postpone indefinitely the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting scheduled for Aug. 27-28 in capital Bangkok,Thai defence spokesman Col Thanathip Sawangsaeng said.

The GBC meeting was planned to be co-chaired by Thailand's Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwon and his Cambodian counterpart General Tea Banh.

Thailand and Cambodia have historically laid claim to the site, which is located on a mountain top on the Thai-Cambodia border. The disputed area of 4.6 square kilometers has not been demarcated.

Source: Xinhua

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