Cambodia pulls back other 1,500 troops from disputed border with Thailand

Pictures of the withdrawals with Gen. Kun Kim (L) and Gen. Chea Dara (R) bidding farewell to troops.

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Wednesday withdrew its troops for the sixth time from the disputed border area with Thailand as the two neighboring countries' military tension has eased since earlier July.

Approximately 1,500 troops in the Brigade No. 5 were pulled back on Wednesday from the Thmar Doun area between the 13th century Ta Moan temple and Ta Krabei temple, 150 kilometers west of the Preah Vihear Temple, Maj. Gen. Seak Socheat, deputy commander of the front-battle region 3, told Xinhua over telephone on Wednesday.

"The pullback was made at the order of Prime Minister Hun Sen," he said. "It's the sixth time Cambodian troops have pulled back from the disputed border with Thailand."

The troops pullback ceremony was held on Wednesday at the Thmar Doun area in Oddar Meanchey province with the presence of Gen. Kun Kim, deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Force, and Gen. Chea Dara, deputy commander-in-chief of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces for Preah Vihear Direction.

Ta Moan and Ta Krabei temples were the second fighting spot between Cambodian and Thai troops after Preah Vihear Temple.

The large-scaled armed clashes at the two temples had occurred from April 22 to May 3, costing dozens of lives on both sides' troops and civilians and forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee for safe shelters.

The conflict between Cambodia and Thailand broke out just a week after Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was listed as World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.

Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 sq km of scrub next to the temple.

However, the military tension has eased since the former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's Pheu Thai Party won a landslide victory in July's general election.