Border troop talks postponed

Friday August 29, 2008
WASSANA NANUAM
Bangkok Post

Political problems in Bangkok have forced Thailand to postpone talks
with Cambodia on further reducing troops in the disputed border area
near the Preah Vihear temple, a military source said yesterday. A formal
meeting had been scheduled for today and tomorrow in Siem Reap, where
informal talks were already under way. They have now been called off.

The source said the anti-government rally by the People's Alliance for
Democracy (PAD), which laid siege to Government House, influenced the
postponement of the Regional Border Committee meeting.

Thailand was concerned that the PAD could take advantage of the dispute,
the source added.

But the Foreign Ministry denied in a statement that the decision to
postpone the talks was in relation to the political situation in Thailand.

It said the postponement was because the two countries had not completed
their own internal processes necessary for negotiations.

Nipat Thonglek, director-general of the Border Affairs Department,
pointed to the failure of the two countries to reach an agreement on the
number of troops to be withdrawn from the disputed border area between
Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district and the Cambodian province of Preah
Vihear as the main cause.

The troop reduction was a sensitive issue that required further
negotiations, he added. The meeting is expected to be postponed until
next month, according to Lt-Gen Nipat.

Thailand and Cambodian agreed in talks between Foreign Minister Tej
Bunnag and Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong on Aug 18 for the
second phase of military reduction from the disputed area.

Now Thai paramilitary rangers and Cambodian troops number only 30
soldiers each, including 10 each at the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda near
the Preah Vihear temple and 20 in the area around it.

Cambodia also withdrew its soldiers from the Preah Vihear temple. It
sent only 50 police and military police to guard the ruins.

But 300 Thai rangers remain in other parts of the disputed overlapping
zone, along with 500 Cambodian soldiers.

Another source said Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh had discussed
the reduction of the military presence at the Preah Vihear temple, as
well as the dispute over the Ta Moan Thom ruins in Surin during his
meeting with Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej on Monday.

Thailand, Cambodia agree to tourism for Preah Vihear once military tensions ease

Written by Thet Sambath and Brendan Brady
Wednesday, 27 August 2008

Thai Prime Minister Samak met with Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh
over the dispute, agreeing to restart tourism to the ancient site after
troops leave the area

AFP
Tourists stroll through the ruins at Preah Vihear. Officials hope to
draw in more visitors.
T
HAILAND and Cambodia have agreed to cooperate to develop tourism at
areas along the border once the military standoff is resolved, Thai
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said Monday.

The Thai premier made the statement in Bangkok after meeting with
Cambodia's defence minister, Tea Banh, who is also a deputy prime minister.

"Territorial problems which cannot be resolved by now will be left for
negotiations later," and a "middleman will be appointed to oversee
promoting tourism with an aim to bring back tourists," Samak was quoted
as saying by the Thai government news service, Thai News Agency (TNA).

He added that the temple cannot be opened to tourism until all military
personnel have withdrawn, according to TNA.

Monday's agreement to promote tourism at Preah Vihear temple came after
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and his Thai counterpart, Tej
Bunnag, failed in talks August 19 and 20 to reach a resolution on the
border dispute.

The two sides agreed they would meet again in October pending a survey
and demarcation of the area to be carried out by the Joint Border
Commission.

I never thought this area would become popular with tourists.

On the Cambodian side, developing tourism at Preah Vihear could give a
major boost for a corner of the country long notorious as the last
region occupied by Khmer Rouge fighters.

Locals hopeful
The prospect of a tourism boom has enterprising Cambodians in the area
licking their lips at the potential windfall.

Tep Savy, 43, an owner of a small guesthouse in Sa Em, about 25
kilometres from the base of the pitted mountain road to the temple, said
her village had been an active battlefield between Khmer Rouge and
Cambodian military forces since she moved there in 1979.

"I never thought this area would become popular with tourists. It's
going to go from a war zone to a tourist boom town," she said.

She said that since the temple's World Heritage listing, her 12-room
guesthouses, which before was lucky to see a guest every couple of days,
is now regularly fully booked.

She said she planned to add more rooms but would wait for the temple
standoff to cool down before making the investment.

Chim Phalla, from Komuoy village at the base of the Dangrek mountain
range on which the temple sits, has "high hopes to earn a fortune" by
quitting his job as a grocer and opening a restaurant to capitalise on
the expected influx of tourist dollars.

Tourism Minister Thong Khon told the Post that the government would
develop comprehensive plans to encourage the development of tourism
infrastructure for Preah Vihear temple, including road access from Phnom
Penh and Siem Reap.

The Unesco listing should also promote Preah Vihear's spot on
multinational temple tours through Cambodia, Thailand and Laos, he added.

Infrastructure
Early this month, Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered that the 80 km road
connecting Anlong Veng town to Preah Vihear temple be paved as the
dispute with Thailand has lent new significance to the ancient ruins of
Preah Vihear temple.

The prime minister followed up last week, ordering the construction of a
new 9km road from Prey Veng village in Oddar Meanchey province to Ta
Moan Thom temple complex, also along the border with Thailand.

Thailand and Cambodia have been locked in a military standoff at the
temples for six weeks.

Tensions have eased, but troops are still only yards apart in some
disputed areas.

Tourist visits double at Preah Vihear Despite a Dispute Between Thai and Cambodian Soldiers

Tuesday, August 19, 2008
eTravel Blackboard

Domestic tourism to Preah Vihear has more than doubled since its UNESCO
World Heritage listing on July 7, despite the dispute between Thai and
Cambodian soldiers which has been centred on the temple grounds.

The presence of machine guns and rocket launchers could not deter proud
Cambodians from visiting Preah Vihear to pay their respects to the
mythic 11th-century temple and its new hoard of guardians.

"Since Thai troops entered the temple, there have been fewer foreign
tourists, but the number of locals visiting has doubled," general
director of the Preah Vihear National Authority, Pheng Sameoun told the
Post on Sunday.

According to Pheng Sameoun, the dispute has stirred such a torrent of
interest in the temple that, if the surrounding infrastructure was
developed considerably, it could come to rival the Angkor Wat temple
complex as Cambodia's leading domestic holiday destination.

Chheang Solina, 22-year-old Phnom Penh high school student, said she was
shocked last Sunday when she saw Thai and Cambodian soldiers occupying
the temple, but was reinvigorated walking through its corridors.

"When I arrived at the top of the temple, and breathed in the fresh air,
I had a feeling of great pride to be born as a Khmer," she said.

She added that she was happy because the Naga statues seemed to eat the
Thai troops.

Bad roads and high transportation costs didn't stop Seng Vireak, 19, and
his family from making the daylong trip from the capital, bearing food
and supplies to hand out.

Many locals have been witnessed making donations of money to monks and
soldiers living there.

Troops 'to leave border temple'

Thursday, 14 August 2008
BBC News

Cambodia and Thailand have reached a deal to withdraw most of their troops from territory both claim at a hill-top temple, Cambodian officials say.

The agreement was reached at a meeting of military officers from the two countries on Wednesday.

Only a small contingent from each side would remain at Preah Vihear temple, a top general said.

More than 1,000 troops have been engaged in a stand-off at the ancient site for a month.

An international court awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but land surrounding it remains the subject of rival territorial claims.

The decision by Unesco in June to list Preah Vihear as a World Heritage Site reignited lingering tensions over unresolved border disputes between the two countries.

'Avoid confrontation'

The troop withdrawal would take place in the next few days, Cambodian General Neang Phat told journalists.

"Both sides agreed to redeploy the troops, who are stationed in the pagoda, to the lowest possible number in order to avoid confrontation with each other," he said.

Foreign ministers from the two countries will meet early next week for more talks, the general said.

The dispute erupted on 15 July. Thai troops moved into an area both sides claim after Cambodian guards arrested three Thai protesters there. Both sides then rapidly increased their military presence at the site.

Earlier this month, Cambodia accused Thailand of occupying a second border temple, Ta Moan.

The row was fuelled by domestic politics on both sides. Anti-government protest groups in Thailand exploited the issue to attack the ruling coalition, which had initially backed the Unesco listing.

The troop build-up also came just days before a general election in Cambodia - and the temple issue came to dominate the polls.

But tensions now appear to be easing somewhat, with both sides calling for dialogue.

Prime minister orders road to Preah Vihear to be paved

Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Written by Sambath Teth
The Phnom Penh Post

The ongoing dispute with Thailand over territory around the Hindu ruins lends urgency to infrastructure improvements

Bulldozers, excavators and other road construction equipment have been sent by military engineers to Anlong Veng and Trapaing Prasat districts to help construct an 80-kilometre road connecting Anlong Veng town to Preah Vihear temple as interest in the historic ruins grows.

"I got orders from Prime Minister Hun Sen to pave the road from Anlong Veng district town to Sa Em village, Kantout commune, Choam Ksan district, Preah Vihear and to finish it as soon as possible," said Kvan Siem, commander of military engineers at General Command Headquarters.

Kvan Siem expects that the road will take just over a year to complete.

"It is a very important road. We need it to be finished as soon as possible in order to make traffic flow smoothly," Kvan Siem said.

"The government expects more people to be travelling to the site and has ordered the road to be built as soon as possible," said one RCAF general who asked to remain anonymous.

While the amount of funds for the construction of the road has not yet been released, Hun Sen advised Deputy Prime Minister Sok An in a Council of Ministers meeting on Friday to use charitable funds, including money raised by the Bayon TV foundation, to pave the road.

Seng Savorn, director of the Council of Ministers, said that government funds will be used to pave the stretch of road from Anlong Veng district to Sa Em, and the funds from Bayon TV's foundation will be used to construct a connecting road up the hill to the temple.

Huot Kheang Veng, assistant to Hun Mana, Bayon TV's director, said that he is unaware of Hun Sen's order to use the station's foundation funds to link to Preah Vihear temple, an increasingly popular tourist site.

Cambodia reasserts claim over border temples

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodia reasserted its claim Tuesday over ancient border temples that also are claimed by Thailand ahead of talks next week on lingering territorial disputes.

The foreign ministers of the two countries are to meet Monday in Thailand to try to defuse military standoffs along their shared border — first near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple and then at the 13th century Ta Moan Thom temple.

Ta Moan Thom is several hundred miles (kilometers) west of Preah Vihear, where Cambodian and Thai soldiers have been facing off for four weeks in a dispute over 1.8 square miles (4.6 square kilometers) of nearby land.

The Cambodian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that Ta Moan Thom "is clearly situated in the Cambodian territory."

It said a nearby temple, Ta Moan Toch, which has been occupied by Thai troops also belongs to Cambodia.
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Thailand has also laid claims to both temples.

Late last month, Cambodian officials said Thai soldiers had occupied the site and prevented Cambodian troops from entering. Thai military officials countered that their troops had been in the area for years.

Last week, the standoff there appeared to have eased, with both sides pulling back their soldiers.

But Thai troops have reoccupied the area since then, Maj. Ho Bunthy, a Cambodian army commander in the area, said Tuesday.

He said about 50 Cambodian soldiers have now positioned themselves in close proximity to about 120 Thai troops who are stationed on the temple grounds and in a camp nearby.

"The Thai troops are guarding a gate to the temple, and Cambodian soldiers are standing just outside the gate," he said in a telephone interview.

The two countries share about 500 miles (800 kilometers) of land border, which has not been fully demarcated.

The dispute surrounding the Preah Vihear temple escalated last month after UNESCO approved Cambodia's application to have it named a World Heritage Site. Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej had backed the bid, sparking demonstrations by anti-government protesters who claimed the temple's new status would undermine Thailand's claim to the surrounding area.

The dispute has continued despite two rounds of talks since last month, with the countries referring to two different maps.

Cambodia uses a French colonial map demarcating the border, which Thailand says favors Cambodia. Thailand relies on a map drawn up later with American technical assistance

Cambodia reasserts claim over border temples

The Associated Press

Published: August 12, 2008

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodia reasserted its claim Tuesday over ancient border temples that also are claimed by Thailand ahead of talks next week on lingering territorial disputes.

The foreign ministers of the two countries are to meet Monday in Thailand to try to defuse military standoffs along their shared border — first near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple and then at the 13th century Ta Moan Thom temple.

Ta Moan Thom is several hundred miles (kilometers) west of Preah Vihear, where Cambodian and Thai soldiers have been facing off for four weeks in a dispute over 1.8 square miles (4.6 square kilometers) of nearby land.

The Cambodian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that Ta Moan Thom "is clearly situated in the Cambodian territory."

It said a nearby temple, Ta Moan Toch, which has been occupied by Thai troops also belongs to Cambodia.

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Thailand has also laid claims to both temples.

Late last month, Cambodian officials said Thai soldiers had occupied the site and prevented Cambodian troops from entering. Thai military officials countered that their troops had been in the area for years.

Last week, the standoff there appeared to have eased, with both sides pulling back their soldiers.

But Thai troops have reoccupied the area since then, Maj. Ho Bunthy, a Cambodian army commander in the area, said Tuesday.

He said about 50 Cambodian soldiers have now positioned themselves in close proximity to about 120 Thai troops who are stationed on the temple grounds and in a camp nearby.

"The Thai troops are guarding a gate to the temple, and Cambodian soldiers are standing just outside the gate," he said in a telephone interview.

The two countries share about 500 miles (800 kilometers) of land border, which has not been fully demarcated.

The dispute surrounding the Preah Vihear temple escalated last month after UNESCO approved Cambodia's application to have it named a World Heritage Site. Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej had backed the bid, sparking demonstrations by anti-government protesters who claimed the temple's new status would undermine Thailand's claim to the surrounding area.

The dispute has continued despite two rounds of talks since last month, with the countries referring to two different maps.

Cambodia uses a French colonial map demarcating the border, which Thailand says favors Cambodia. Thailand relies on a map drawn up later with American technical assistance.

(TNA) Thailand cancels product fairs in Cambodia

Department of Export Promotion (DEP) has canceled longan and Thailand
Exhibition fair scheduled to be held in Cambodia this month due to a
strong sentiment among Cambodians opposing Thai products following the
temple row between the two countries, a senior Thai commerce ministry
official said Saturday.

Northern Export Promotion Center director Boon Inthirat said longan
growers in three districts of Chiang Mai province in Thailand's north
had planned to transport more than 10 tons of longan for sale at two
shopping malls in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh on Saturday and
Sunday.

But the plan was canceled following advice by the Thai commercial office
in Phnom Penh relating to strong sentiment among Cambodians boycotting
Thai goods following a dispute between the two neighboring countries
over an overlapping area around the Preah Vihear temple.

Also, another fair called the Thailand Exhibition in which more than 200
Thai producers would participate in displaying goods in Phnom Penh later
this month has already been canceled. The fair was held in August in the
past years, said Mr. Boon. (TNA)