Cambodia warns Thailand for airspace violations along border: defense statement

PHNOM PENH, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian ministry of defense on Friday evening issued a statement warning Thailand for "repeatedly violating" Cambodian airspace along the disputed border areas.

The statement said that Thai forces on May 31 and June 1 flew a military surveillance aircraft L19 over Cambodian territory along the border in Banteay Meanchey province, and also on the morning of June 3, a group of black-uniformed Thai troops rode an engine- driven parachute to spy along the border in Cambodia's Battambang province.

"The repeated airspace violations by Thai troops can be considered as a provocative act in an attempt to renew armed clashes," it said. "With this provocative act, Thai troops must be responsible for any eventual accident at the present time and in the future."

"The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces call for Thai troops relevant to the violations to stop this provocative act," it said.

The statement said that the situation along the border of Cambodia and Thailand is still "quite fragile" and armed clashes may happen at any time.

Cambodia and Thailand has border dispute just a week after Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was listed as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.

Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 square kilometers of scrub next to the temple. The two sides have since built up military forces along the border and periodic clashes have happened, leading to deaths of troops and civilians on both sides.

The latest flare-up between the two countries' troops occurred from April 22 till May 3 at the 13th century Ta Moan temple and Ta Krabei temple in Oddar Meanchey province, leaving 19 people on both sides killed and nearly 100,000 civilians evacuated for safe shelters.

The two sides agreed to accept Indonesian observers to monitor a ceasefire on their respective border side on Feb. 22 at the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Jakarta, but the deployment has not been implemented.