By Louis Charbonneau
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council will hold a special meeting on a border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand that has sparked fears of a military clash, France and Vietnam said on Wednesday.
French Ambassador to the United Nations Jean-Maurice Ripert told reporters the council discussed a request by Cambodia to take up the issue, adding that council members would likely decide on Thursday on the date and format for the meeting.
"We are worried about the situation and the potential tension," said Ripert, whose country holds the European Union's rotating presidency until the end of the year.
"The Security Council should take its responsibility," he said. "We are in charge of peace and security, so if we can defuse the tension ... we will do it and we think we have to do it."
At the heart of the dispute is a 1.8-square-mile (4.6-square-km) area around the Preah Vihear temple on a jungle-clad escarpment on the Thai-Cambodian border, which forms a natural boundary and is claimed by both nations.
Ripert said the 15 council members would continue to support bilateral and regional efforts to defuse the crisis, including mediation by the Association of South East Asian Nations, if possible.
On Tuesday, ASEAN foreign ministers discussed the issue at a meeting in Singapore but failed to reach a consensus on whether the organization should get involved.
Ripert said it was important for the council to meet as soon as possible.
It was not clear what the council would do. One Western diplomat said some wanted the council to adopt a legally binding resolution urging the parties to resolve the dispute, while others thought a non-binding statement would suffice.
A buildup of troops and heavy artillery on both sides of the border has worried neighboring countries and the United Nations, to which Cambodia has appealed for help.
While there have been no major incidents at the temple so far, Thai border villages that are home to some 4,000 people are braced for a possible conflict.
Analysts say Thai politics bear much of the blame for the dispute over the temple, which an international court awarded to Cambodia in 1962. The ruling still rankles many Thais.
Preah Vihear's listing as a World Heritage site this month inspired pride and joy in Cambodia, but triggered political uproar in Thailand.
Bangkok's initial support for the heritage listing has been used by anti-government groups to stoke nationalist passions in Thailand and fuel street protests against Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.
(Additional reporting by Sukree Sukplang in Thailand; Editing by Peter Cooney)
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