20 Dec, 2010
Thai army chief Gen Prayuth Chan- ocha on Monday denied reports saying that Thai and Cambodian troops have agreed to withdraw their troops from the border areas surrounding the disputed ancient Preah Vihear temple.
He said it was just an adjustment of force deployment along the border near the Hindu temple in a bid to avoid confrontation and this followed Cambodia's demilitarization.
"It was only an adjustment and there was no agreement between both countries. The military is authorized to force adjustment but troop withdrawal rests with the government," the army chief said before leaving to the neighboring Cambodia.
Along with Region 1 (North) Army Commander Lt Gen Udomdet Setabut and Region 2 (Northeast) Army Commander Lt Gen Tawatchai Samutsakorn, Prayuth left for Cambodia to pay courtesy visit as a newly appointed army chief of Thailand.
When asked whether the border dispute would be raised or not, the army chief responded not only dispute but also good relationship between both countries, particularly military collaboration and other boundary cooperation, would be discussed.
The 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple and its surrounding area has been an age-old territorial dispute between the Thailand and Cambodia for more than half a century. Even after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decided to award the temple to Cambodia in 1962, the row over the land plot of 4.6 square kilometers around the temple has never been resolved.
The border dispute flared up again July 2008 when the temple was enlisted as a World Heritage site, triggering a military build- up along the border, and periodic clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers have resulted in the deaths of troops on both sides.
Source: Xinhua
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