PHNOM PENH, Aug 20, 2011 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Cambodian Ministry of Defense on Saturday evening issued a statement rejecting a Thai media report that the Indonesian observers may not be needed to deploy in the newly defined demilitarized zone surrounding the 11 century Preah Vihear to ensure a ceasefire.
"Cambodia sticks to its ground to straightly comply with the order of the International Court of Justice issued on July 18," said the statement.
The ICJ ordered Cambodia and Thailand to immediately withdraw their military personnel currently present in the provisional demilitarized zone (PDZ) around the area of Preah Vihear temple and also ordered both parties to continue cooperating within ASEAN and allow appointed observers access to the PDZ.
"Cambodia's stance has been clearly announced by Prime Minister Hun Sen and Defense Minister Tea Banh already," it said. "There is nothing changed."
Hun Sen earlier this month said that the pullouts of troops from the area of about 17-kilometer PDZ surrounding Preah Vihear temple must be done simultaneously and with the presence of Indonesian observers to monitor a ceasefire until the ICJ interprets the verdict in 1962 concerning the ruling of the temple to Cambodia.
The defense statement was made after the Bangkok Post online newspaper reported on Saturday that Thai Defense Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa said that Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh told him that if Cambodia can reach an agreement in bilateral talks with Thailand on the withdrawal of troops from both sides, Indonesian observers may not be needed to monitor a ceasefire.
"The spokesman of Cambodian Defense Ministry totally rejects this fabricated information that Gen. Tea Banh has either talked with Gen. Yutthasak Sasiprapa, or said Indonesian observers may not be needed to monitor a ceasefire," it said.
Cambodia and Thailand have had sporadic border conflict over territorial dispute near the Preah Vihear temple since the UNESCO listed Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.
Since then, both sides have built up military forces along the border and periodic clashes have happened, resulting in the deaths of troops and civilians on both sides.
However, the military tension has been eased since the former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's Pheu Thai Party won a landslide victory in the general elections on July 3.
Copyright 2011 XINHUA NEWS AGENCY
"Cambodia sticks to its ground to straightly comply with the order of the International Court of Justice issued on July 18," said the statement.
The ICJ ordered Cambodia and Thailand to immediately withdraw their military personnel currently present in the provisional demilitarized zone (PDZ) around the area of Preah Vihear temple and also ordered both parties to continue cooperating within ASEAN and allow appointed observers access to the PDZ.
"Cambodia's stance has been clearly announced by Prime Minister Hun Sen and Defense Minister Tea Banh already," it said. "There is nothing changed."
Hun Sen earlier this month said that the pullouts of troops from the area of about 17-kilometer PDZ surrounding Preah Vihear temple must be done simultaneously and with the presence of Indonesian observers to monitor a ceasefire until the ICJ interprets the verdict in 1962 concerning the ruling of the temple to Cambodia.
The defense statement was made after the Bangkok Post online newspaper reported on Saturday that Thai Defense Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa said that Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh told him that if Cambodia can reach an agreement in bilateral talks with Thailand on the withdrawal of troops from both sides, Indonesian observers may not be needed to monitor a ceasefire.
"The spokesman of Cambodian Defense Ministry totally rejects this fabricated information that Gen. Tea Banh has either talked with Gen. Yutthasak Sasiprapa, or said Indonesian observers may not be needed to monitor a ceasefire," it said.
Cambodia and Thailand have had sporadic border conflict over territorial dispute near the Preah Vihear temple since the UNESCO listed Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.
Since then, both sides have built up military forces along the border and periodic clashes have happened, resulting in the deaths of troops and civilians on both sides.
However, the military tension has been eased since the former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's Pheu Thai Party won a landslide victory in the general elections on July 3.
Copyright 2011 XINHUA NEWS AGENCY
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