Cambodian and Thai troops face off in temple dispute

• Suy Se Preah Vihear,
  
• Cambodia
• July 19, 2008

Cambodian soldiers patrol the Preah Vihear temple ruins. PICTURE: AP Photo: Heng Sinith

CAMBODIAN and Thai soldiers have pointed their weapons at each other for the first time in a tense land dispute on their border, witnesses and officials say.

Cambodia and Thailand are massing troops on the disputed border region surrounding an 11th-century temple — despite agreeing to talks next week to avoid military action.

The stand-off, which entered its fourth day yesterday, is the latest escalation in a long-standing conflict over land that surrounds Preah Vihear temple, similar in style to the more famous Angkor Wat in north-eastern Cambodia.

More than 400 Thai soldiers and 800 Cambodian soldiers are stationed around a small Buddhist pagoda on the slope of a mountain leading to the temple ruins. Witnesses said troops twice pointed their guns at each other during 10 tense minutes on Thursday evening when 50 Cambodian soldiers entered the pagoda compound to protect food supplies for dozens of Cambodian monks.

"Our troops and Thai troops pointed their guns at each other. They were on alert," said Brigadier Chea Keo, the commander-in-chief of the army at Preah Vihear. "After that, Cambodian military commanders and Thai commanders held talks for approximately one hour. We solved our problems after talks with Thai commanders. The situation is stable now."

He said Cambodian troops agreed to stay outside the pagoda during the night to avoid confrontations. The only clashes so far have been between Thai protesters and villagers who resent their lands becoming ground-zero for a political battle. One clash took place on Thursday about eight kilometres from the temple in Sisaket province. About 10 people were injured, said Sisaket Governor Seni Jitkasem.

The mood appeared less tense yesterday morning as Cambodian soldiers went back inside the pagoda and were seen chatting and smiling with Thais. But Cambodian Premier Hun Sen told his Thai counterpart Samak Sundaravej in a letter on Thursday that the row was worsening and harming their relations. Top officials from both countries plan to meet on Monday.

Thai troops arrived after three Thai protesters illegally broke across on Tuesday vowing to reclaim the temple.

The World Court in 1962 determined the Preah Vihear ruins belong to Cambodia, even though the most accessible entrance lies in Thailand. The issue came to a head last week when UNESCO approved Cambodia's application for World Heritage Site status for the site. Thai protesters decried their Government's decision to endorse the application, saying it undermined Thai claims to the territory.

AFP, AP