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number of troops to be withdrawn from the disputed border area between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.