Cambodia To Pave Road To Preah Vihear Temple

PHNOM PENH, Royal Cambodian Armed Forces ( RCAF) will begin paving the 80 km dirt road from Oddar Meanchey province's Anlong Veng district to Preah Vihear temple before Nov 25, China's Xinhua news agency reported, citing officials from RCAF as saying in a local media.

"We will begin pave the road by the end of the month. The total distance is about 80 km. It may cost about US$10 million and it will be finished by June 2010," Kwann Seam, director of RCAF's engineering department, was quoted by the Cambodia Daily as saying.

He said that his team would begin surveying the road after the Water Festival in Phnom Penh is finished.

By April 2010, RCAF will begin paving another 22 km dirt road, this time to Ta Moan temple from Kork Mon commune in Oddar Meanchey province's Banteay Ampil district, he said.

Seam said that the paving of roads in the area is part of a larger project to pave all northern roads in the country.

"We hope that by 2013, all the roads in the northern area will be paved," he said.

Major General Srey Dek, commander of RCAF Division 3, said that despite ongoing tension between Cambodia and Thailand over Preah Vihear temple, tourists should not worry about safety.

-- BERNAMA