U.N. council to take up Cambodia-Thai dispute

By Louis Charbonneau

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council will hold a special meeting on a border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand that has sparked fears of a military clash, diplomats said on Wednesday.

Several council diplomats said the meeting would most likely be held next week. Its format has yet to be determined and it was unclear what exactly the council could do.

"Perhaps we could urge the two sides to work out their differences amicably," one Western diplomat told Reuters.

The U.N. Security Council is the world's top body for issues related to international peace and security.

On Tuesday foreign ministers from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Singapore failed to reach a consensus on whether ASEAN should get involved.

At the heart of the dispute is a 4.6 sq km (1.8 sq mile) area around the Preah Vihear temple on a jungle-clad escarpment on the Thai-Cambodian border, which forms a natural boundary and is claimed by both nations.

A build-up of troops and heavy artillery on both sides of the border has worried neighboring countries and the United Nations, which Cambodia has appealed to for help.

While there have been no major incidents at the temple so far, Thai border villages that are home to some 4,000 people are braced for a possible conflict. Continued...

Analysts say Thai politics bear much of the blame for the dispute over the temple, which an international court awarded to Cambodia in 1962. The ruling still rankles with many Thais.

Preah Vihear's listing as a World Heritage site this month inspired pride and joy in Cambodia, but triggered political uproar in Thailand.

Bangkok's initial support for the heritage listing has been used by anti-government groups to stoke nationalist passions in Thailand and fuel street protests against Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.

(Additional reporting by Sukree Sukplang in Thailand; Editing by David Storey) Read more!

Thai says Cambodia using 'guerrilla tactics' in temple dispute

Don Pramudwinai is just a loud mouth interloper who could not lead with his deteriorating country issues and trying cause problem to the neighbour. A century-old map is still a map of sovereignty of Cambodia. The Country was not shrunk by itself, Thailand had been moving its border deep inside Cambodia territory. It is not just Preah Vihea temple that belong to Cambodia, all temples and lot of provinces in Thailand are belong to former Khmer Empire.

BANGKOK: The Thai ambassador to the United Nations accused Cambodia on Wednesday of employing diplomatic "guerrilla tactics" in a dispute over an ancient temple to try to redraw the countries' 800-kilometer border.

The ambassador, Don Pramudwinai, said the Cambodians were using a century-old map of the disputed temple, drawn up when Cambodia was a French colony, in a broader plan to gain more territory.

"Sometimes our sincere friendship has prompted us to overlook our neighbors' ultimate motive," the ambassador told a Thai radio station, speaking from New York, where Cambodia has asked the UN Security Council to help resolve the dispute.

"In this case they are using guerrilla tactics to ambush us," he said. About 4.6 square kilometers, or 1.8 square miles, of land around the temple form one of 16 sites along the border that involve overlapping territorial claims between the two nations.

Hundreds of Thai and Cambodian soldiers remained camped at the 900-year-old temple, perched high on an escarpment in the Dangrek Mountains, which form part of the border. On Tuesday, the Cambodian foreign minister, Hor Namhong, said international mediation was needed because the two nations were in an "imminent state of war."

Sovereignty over the 11th-century temple, Preah Vihear, has been in dispute since the withdrawal of the French in the 1950s. Although it is easily accessible only from the Thai side, the International Court of Justice awarded sovereignty over the temple to Cambodia in 1962.

Despite the ambassador's rhetorical escalation, the usually blunt-spoken Thai prime minister, Samak Sundaravej, played down the dispute on Wednesday, predicting tensions would ease after the general election in Cambodia on Sunday.

"After the elections they will soften their stance, and talks will be easier," he said. "Everything has been done for the July 27 poll, and I need to keep quiet so as not to discredit Prime Minister Hun Sen" of Cambodia.

The two sides met on Monday but failed to resolve the dispute, which began earlier this month when Unesco listed the temple as a World Heritage Site based on an application from Cambodia and using the map supplied by Cambodia.

Both nations were at a meeting Wednesday in Singapore of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, where diplomats from neighboring nations urged them to find a peaceful solution.

But in both nations the continuing standoff was inflaming nationalist feelings that have flared into localized violence in the past. Opposition politicians in both countries are accusing their governments of being soft in their dealings over the temple.

Despite Samak's words, it is his own government that is under the greater stress from its opposition, for whom the temple is the latest issue in a long-running campaign that has already caused the resignation of a cabinet minister.

These critics accuse the government of selling out Thai heritage to further business interests of the former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a coup in 2006 but whose supporters now control the government.

The National Counter Corruption Commission has begun to investigate Samak and his cabinet over accusations that the government violated the Thai Constitution by supporting Cambodia's application for a World Heritage listing without consulting Parliament. In principle, the investigation could lead to the impeachment of the entire government. Read more!

UN Security Council to discuss Thai-Cambodia dispute: ambassador

BANGKOK (AFP) — The UN Security Counil is expected to discuss a tense military standoff between Cambodia and Thailand this week, Thailand's ambassador to the United Nations said Wednesday.

Don Pramudwinai said the Security Council meeting on Thursday was set to discuss the week-long issue involving troops from both countries facing off near an ancient temple on their border.

"I have been informed that the UN has included Preah Vihear (temple) on the emergency agenda to be discussed at the Security Council meeting tomorrow (Thursday)," he told reporters here.

The comments follow a call from the Cambodian government on Tuesday for the world body to help broker a solution to the standoff.

Two days of diplomacy between the countries failed to make any headway in the controversy centred on disputed land around the ruins of the 11th century Hindu temple overlooking Cambodia's jungle.

More than 500 Thai troops are facing off against at least 1,000 Cambodian soldiers over the small patch of land near the temple, that belongs to Cambodia but has sparked decades of tensions with Thailand.

Thailand's chief negotiator to the crisis called for a leaders' summit, saying an existing General Border Committee (GBC) of officials from the two countries would not be enough to solve the problem.

"It's unlikely that the conflict could be settled at the GBC meeting," he told reporters.

"At this stage I think it's rather the leaders who must hold a summit as they are the decision makers," Boonsrang said, adding that Thai troops had been ordered to remain peaceful.

Thailand and Cambodia both claim their soldiers remain on their own soil, stationed by a small Buddhist pagoda at the foot of the mountain leading to the Preah Vihear temple.

Boonsrang also said there was now urgent need for Thailand to appoint a new foreign minister to tackle the dispute after Noppadon Pattama resigned in a legal battle two weeks ago.

The dispute erupted after three nationalist Thai protesters were arrested last week for jumping a barbed-wire fence to reach the temple, prompting armed troops to head to the border.

The World Court ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear belongs to Cambodia. But the easiest entrance lies in Thailand. Read more!

SE Asian nations fail to win Thai-Cambodia breakthrough

Southeast Asian nations have failed to mediate a smouldering border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, which grabbed most of the attention at a meeting of Asia-Pacific powers.

Foreign ministers from the Association of South East Asian Nations met their counterparts from China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand for talks ranging from North Korea nuclear diplomacy to food and energy security.

But with Thailand and Cambodia in a military showdown over an 11th-century temple on their border claimed by both nations, Asean has been distracted geopolitical issues by one of the periodic intramural spats that feeds scepticism about the 41-year-old group's ambitions to become a coherent political and economic bloc.

Asean foreign ministers offered their good offices at a working lunch on Tuesday after Thailand and Cambodia sent hundreds of soldiers and heavy artillery to their border in recent days.

Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo, host for this year's Asean ministerial meeting, said both sides "reiterated they were committed to a peaceful resolution of the issue", and another meeting of their General Border Commission to discuss the issue "would be held in the near future."

But no consensus could be reached for Asean to get involved, Yeo said in a statement.

Thailand would prefer trying to settle the issue bilaterally before asking Asean's help, a Thai official told reporters after the lunch.

Singapore's foreign ministry spokesman Andrew Tan said the two sides would likely meet again after Cambodia's general election on Sunday, outside the "intense media glare" and political pressures that are fueling emotions. "You need to give them some space to manage this issue."

The dispute is testing Asean's unity while it is in the midst of ratifying a charter that would turn the 41-year-old grouping into an EU-style, rules-based organisation.

"The border engagement is not only relevant in terms of the problem that we see between the two states, but also it could be a test to Asean," said Malaysian Foreign Minister Rais Yatim.

The fracas did manage to shove Myanmar out of the spotlight it usually occupies with great uneasiness at Asean meetings.

The meetings began with a rare ray of optimism on Sunday from the country's junta, which seemed to indicate detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi could be freed in about six months.

But Myanmar Foreign Minister Nyan Win soon dashed such hopes saying his remarks had been misunderstood and Suu Kyi would stay in detention until at least May of 2009.

That clarification came as Asean urged Myanmar to "take bolder steps" towards a peaceful transition to democracy and to release all political detainees, including Suu Kyi.

That was the first time Asean had ever specifically mentioned Suu Kyi in one of its communiques, diplomats said.

At the broader meeting of East Asian ministers on Tuesday, discussion focused on energy and food security.

"Many expressed the concern that the two were linked," the Singapore foreign ministry spokesman said.

The ministers also recognised that efforts to boost biofuels had to be done responsibly and not at the expense of food security, he said.

That marked a subtle but significant shift from 18 months ago, when Asean – whose member nations are big producers of palm oil and sugar cane – was backing a move into biofuels, which can use those commodities as feed stock.

North Korean nuclear diplomacy will take centre stage on Wednesday when US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun along with the foreign ministers from China, Japan, South Korea and Russia – who together make up the "six party" nuclear talks.

"It's very significant because this is probably the first time the foreign ministers from the six parties are having such a meeting," China's Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told reporters after talks with his Japanese counterpart.

"I think it will be beneficial to pushing forward the progress of the six-party talks."

Read more!

Thai, Cambodian forces build up along border: Cambodia

PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia (AFP) — Thailand and Cambodia have built up forces at more points along their common border, stepping up a week-long standoff over disputed territory, Cambodian officials said Wednesday.

More than 500 Thai troops are facing off against at least 1,000 Cambodian soldiers over a tiny area of land near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, but thousands more Thai troops have been positioned along the border, they said.

"There are about 1,000 Thai troops in their territory -- there's a military build-up there," said Cambodian cabinet spokesman Phay Siphan, who estimated about 4,000 Thai troops in total have gathered across the entire border.

But Thailand denied it was reinforcing the frontier.

"Thailand has not been building up forces along the border," deputy army spokeswoman Colonel Sirichan Ngathong told AFP.

"We maintain the same amount of soldiers, and more than 400 soldiers were sent to the overlapping area."

Cambodian officials said both sides had sent more troops and heavy weapons to a spot near the former Khmer Rouge stronghold Anlong Veng, where there is also disputed territory.

"There are more (Thai) troops now at Anlong Veng than there are here (at Preah Vihear). There are tanks and artillery," said a military official on condition of anonymity.

Cambodia has also sent heavy weapons to the area, said the Cambodian colonel, who has close ties to Thai armed forces

In neighbouring Banteay Meanchay province, police chief Hun Hean said Thailand had increased its troop presence directly across the border by up to 600 since the standoff began July 15.

Thailand and Cambodia have both stationed troops on a small piece of disputed soil near a small Buddhist pagoda at the foot of the mountain leading to the 11th century Preah Vihear temple.

Although Thailand says it wants to solve the dispute through bilateral talks, Thailand's UN ambassador said the issue would be raised at a meeting of the UN Security Council on Thursday at Cambodia's request.

The dispute erupted after three nationalist Thai protesters were arrested last week for jumping a barbed-wire fence to reach the temple, prompting armed troops to head to the border.
Read more!

ASEAN grapples with Thai-Cambodia dispute after issuing rebuke to Myanmar

SINGAPORE: Southeast Asian nations grappled Tuesday with the vexing issue of democracy in Myanmar and a simmering border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia ahead of a key security meeting of regional superpowers.

Thailand and Cambodia are locked in a dangerous military standoff over a piece of land near an ancient temple. Bilateral talks on Monday failed to resolve the dispute.

"What we need is for Cambodia and Thailand to really exercise their utmost restraint ... to prevent any outbreak of open conflict," Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda told reporters.

There must be a "cooling off" by the two sides, said Wirajuda, who is here to attend the annual foreign ministers' meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations through Thursday.

ASEAN's efforts on Myanmar also received a setback when the country's junta said pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi may be detained until late May 2009, rather than through the end of 2008, as had been reported earlier.

The clarification came as foreign ministers of ASEAN's remaining nine member countries on Monday "urged Myanmar to take bolder steps toward a peaceful transition to democracy in the near future."

ASEAN members usually avoid interfering in each other's domestic affairs, although that appears to be changing in a bid to give the group greater relevance.

A glimmer of hope for Suu Kyi's early release was raised on Sunday when the ministers thought they heard their Myanmar counterpart, Nyan Win, say at a dinner that the Nobel Peace laureate can be freed by December 2008.

But Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo, who passed on the remarks to the media, clarified the next day that Nyan Win had been misheard, and that the detention will last until at least November 2009.

Despite ASEAN's frustrations with the junta, the regional grouping has taken the lead in calling for international aid to help the victims of Cyclone Nargis, which devastated Myanmar's coastal regions in May.

On Monday, it released a joint report of a disaster assessment conducted with the United Nations and the Myanmar government, which says the survivors of the cyclone need at least US$1 billion in aid over the next three years.

Wirajuda said ASEAN expects to be contacted soon by the United Nations with a request to help resolve the Thai-Cambodia dispute over an area near a temple that was recently designated a World Heritage Site.

Cambodia's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it had requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council for help in resolving the border issue. Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong also asked ASEAN host Singapore to form a regional inter-ministerial group to help end the crisis.

ASEAN "could not stand idly by without damaging its credibility," said Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. "The situation has escalated dangerously," he said.

Also Tuesday, ASEAN ministers will meet with their counterparts from China, Japan and South Korea for wider discussions on regional security. On top of the agenda is likely to be North Korea's nuclear program.

The topic will take center-stage at another meeting on the sidelines on Wednesday between U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun and their counterparts from China, Japan, South Korea and Russia — the participants in six-party nuclear talks.

It will be the highest-level meeting in the six-country negotiations, which began in 2003 with the aim of convincing North Korea to dismantle its nuclear program.

The meetings will culminate Thursday with the ASEAN Regional Forum, the premier security dialogue of Asia-Pacific between ASEAN and 16 other countries plus the European Union. It includes the United States and Russia.

Read more!

Ban asks Cambodia, Thailand to peacefully resolve temple issue

UNITED NATIONS: Expressing concern over heightening tension between Cambodia and Thailand over an ancient temple on their border, United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has appealed both sides to peacefully resolve the issue.

Both countries lay claim over 4.6 square kilometres areas around the Preash Vihear Temple which was inscribed on the World Heritage List of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) earlier this month.

Hundreds of troops are facing each other raising fears of a possible flare up.

"The Secretary-General calls for restraint on both sides and hopes that this matter can be resolved peacefully and by diplomatic means in the context of the excellent relations between the two countries," Ban's spokesperson said.

The temple dates back to the 11th century and was recognised by the World Heritage Committee for "its natural situation on a promontory, with sheer cliffs overlooking a vast plain and mountain range; the quality of its architecture adapted to the natural environment and religious function of the temple; and, finally, the exceptional quality of the carved stone ornamentation of the temple."

Thailand and Cambodia had held talks yesterday on the issue but could not resolve it. Cambodia had complained to the UN Security Council Friday that Thailand had violated its sovereignty and called for UN intervention. Read more!

Cambodia seeks U.N. help in Thai temple row

By Melanie Lee

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Cambodia has asked the United Nations Security Council for an emergency meeting to resolve a military stand-off with Thailand over an ancient temple on their border.

Phnom Penh's appeal to the world body came after bilateral talks on Monday failed to end the week-long border fracas, which regional neighbors fear could turn violent.

"In order to avoid armed confrontation, the Royal Government of Cambodia has decided to request an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to find a solution to the problem in accordance with international laws," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The foreign ministers of Thailand and Cambodia were due to meet on the sidelines of a regional security meeting in Singapore later on Tuesday, Thai and Cambodian sources said.

The meeting will be chaired by Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo and is in response to a letter sent to him by Cambodia's government late on Monday, asking the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to intervene to cool escalating tensions between the neighbors.

"The meeting will be held at 12 p.m. (0400 GMT) today, and will be attended by the foreign ministers from Thailand and Cambodia and will discuss the situation over the temple," a Thai diplomatic source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Other ASEAN foreign ministers may also be at the meeting, an ASEAN official said.

At the heart of the dispute is a 4.6 sq km (1.8 sq mile) area around the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, which sits on a jungle-clad escarpment that forms a natural boundary and is claimed by both nations.

The 900-year-old temple was awarded to Cambodia by an international court in 1962.

The military showdown began a week ago when Thai troops moved into the disputed area after three Thai protesters were briefly detained there. Since then, both sides have sent hundreds more soldiers and heavy artillery to the border.

Cambodia has asked ASEAN to form an Inter-Ministerial Group of foreign ministers from Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and Laos to "find a peaceful solution to the current crisis and to avoid a military confrontation between two ASEAN members".

ASEAN foreign ministers are holding their annual series of meetings first amongst themselves, then with Asia-Pacific powers culminating in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which has ambitions to deal with issues such a the Thai-Cambodia spat.

Monday's talks on the Thai-Cambodia border partly bogged down over which maps should be used to settle ownership of the temple and surrounding area, officials said. Read more!

Thai-Cambodia crisis talks end with no deal

ARANYAPRATHET, Thailand (AFP) — Talks between Cambodia and Thailand to resolve a military stand-off on their joint border ended Monday without a solution, defence officials from the two nations said.

After nearly eight hours in closed-door meetings in an eastern Thai town, the two sides agreed only that force must not be used to resolve the nearly week-long crisis over disputed land near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple .

"We both have legal problems of which we have informed our seniors to discuss," said Thai Supreme Commander General Boonsrang Niumpradit.

"We will both bring back the problems to our governments."

More than 500 Thai and 1,000 Cambodian troops are stationed around a small Buddhist pagoda on disputed land on a mountain slope leading to Preah Vihear, which is owned by Cambodia.
Read more!

Temple dispute talks start

Aranyaprathet - Senior Thai and Cambodian defence officials met on Monday to try and end a six-day military standoff near a prized temple on the border, but there was little sign of a swift resolution.

As more than 500 Thai and 1 000 Cambodian troops faced off on disputed land near the ancient Hindu temple, Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh sat down with senior Thai military officials in an eastern Thai border town.

"We believe they will accept our reasonable offers which will ease tension along the border," Thai Supreme Commander General Boonsrang Niumpradit said before going into the meeting.

He did not expand on Thailand's position, and officials refused to comment as closed-door talks continued into the afternoon in Aranyaprathet district, about 180km south of the disputed land.

Both countries have shown willingness to peacefully diffuse the territorial dispute, which saw weapons briefly drawn last week, and agreed at a regional meeting in Singapore late Sunday to "exert utmost efforts" to reach a deal.

Yet there appears to be little room for diplomatic manoeuvring, with letters exchanged between the country's leaders showing no change in their stances, which have been hardened by political developments in both nations.

Illegal incursion

Tensions flared last week when three Thais tried to enter Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple, and both sides have stationed troops around a small Buddhist pagoda on a mountain slope leading to the 11th century ruins.

In a letter obtained on Monday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen told his Thai counterpart Samak Sundaravej that a map used in a World Court ruling shows the temple "is legally located approximately seven hundred metres inside Cambodian territory".

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the Preah Vihear temple belongs to Cambodia, but 4.6 square kilometres of land surrounding the Khmer ruins remains in dispute.

Cambodia maintains that Thai troops are trespassing on their territory, and has sent a letter to the United Nations to try and draw attention to what it says is an illegal incursion.

Thailand insists the land around the temple is theirs.

Brigadier Chea Keo, commander of Cambodian forces in the disputed area, said that the deputy commander in chief of the Cambodian army had toured the area around Preah Vihear on Monday.

"Kun Kim just came to visit the troops and told the troops to be patient and keep the work for the government to solve," he said.

Heritage status

On Sunday, Chea Keo said he had "very little hope" in the talks.

Recent tensions between the neighbours began with Cambodia's moves to have Preah Vihear listed as a United Nations World Heritage Site.

UN cultural body Unesco earlier this month finally granted heritage status to the temple perched on a cloud-covered jungle mountaintop, sparking an outcry from nationalist groups in Thailand who are battling Samak's government.

Read more!

Asean Ministers Meet to Discuss Thai-Cambodia Tensions, Myanmar

By Shamim Adam

July 21 (Bloomberg) -- Southeast Asian foreign ministers meeting today may focus on diffusing tensions over a border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, and will deliver an assessment of humanitarian efforts to victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar.

Thailand and Cambodia have sent more troops to a disputed border region near an 11th century temple called Preah Vihear, according to media reports. Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in Singapore were briefed on developments yesterday, and urged the two sides to find ways to ``defuse the situation.''

``The situation has escalated dangerously with troops from both sides faced off on disputed territory near the Preah Vihear temple,'' Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said today. Asean cannot ``stand idly by without damaging its credibility.''

The 10-member bloc will also issue a report on the assessment of conditions in Myanmar areas hit by Cyclone Nargis. The regional group helped persuade Myanmar's junta leaders to allow foreign aid into the country and led humanitarian efforts after the cyclone struck in May.

Asean, which agreed to form a charter last year to make it a rules-based group, has long been criticized by Western nations for failing to press Myanmar to restore democracy and censure the junta for inflicting alleged human rights abuses.

Aung San Suu Kyi

The military, which has ruled the country formerly known as Burma since 1962, extended opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest by one year on May 27. It has kept her confined for 12 of the past 18 years. Her current period of detention began in 2003.

Asean foreign ministers yesterday discussed the issue of Suu Kyi's detention with their Myanmar counterpart Nyan Win, and repeated a call for her, as well as other political detainees, to be released, Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo said.

Nyan Win told the ministers that Suu Kyi's maximum six- year period of detention will be over in six months, Yeo said yesterday.

``I think that is not an inaccurate inference'' to say that she may be released in half a year, Yeo said.

Asean won't wait for all 10 member nations to ratify the charter before starting on the implementation of some programs, Singapore's Lee said today. At least three countries have yet to agree to ratify the Asean charter.

``The internal processes of member countries are different and some will be more difficult than others,'' Lee said. ``The pace of Asean integration should not be set by its slowest members, or else all will be held back by the problems of a few.''

Legally Binding

The charter is the group's first legally binding document since its formation in 1967. It will retain Asean's long- standing non-interference policy, and members found to be in violation of its rules will be referred to the leaders of the 10 Asean countries for action. The group will still rule by consensus, having rejected proposals to add voting, expulsion or sanctions on its members.

Officials will also talk about ways to tackle the impact of rising food and energy costs on the region's economies, according to a July 8 draft of a communiqué obtained by Bloomberg News that will be released today.

The ministers will discuss rising oil and food prices, ``which pose a serious challenge to our people's welfare as well as our countries' continued economic development,'' the statement said. They will stress ``the importance of international efforts to ensure efficient functioning of market forces, as well as to come up with longer term agricultural solutions.''

Diverse Protesters

Crude oil reached a record $147.27 on July 11, and rice, wheat and palm oil have surged to unprecedented levels this year. That's fueled inflation across Asia and spurred protests against price increases by groups as diverse as Japanese fishermen, Indian truck drivers and Indonesian students. The Asian Development Bank expects inflation in the region to reach a decade high this year.

``While the risk of rapid deterioration in the near term has somewhat abated, we stressed the importance of ensuring sound fiscal and monetary policies,'' the ministers will probably say today, according to the statement.

Southeast Asian nations are seeking ways to improve their competitiveness against neighbors China and India, the world's two fastest-growing major economies. The bloc last year agreed to implement changes to its individual markets to allow the region to be a European Union-modeled economic community, without a common currency, by 2015.

ASEAN includes Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Formed in 1967, it has a combined gross domestic product of over $1.03 trillion and a population of about 570 million.

Read more!

Thai-Cambodia conflict may haunt ASEAN meeting

The Jakarta Post, Singapore

For several years, it has been the Myanmar issue that has overshadowed ASEAN meetings, including the leaders' summit here last November. But this time, it will be different.

The Myanmar ruling junta will probably even receive a warmer reception because of its readiness to bow to pressure by ASEAN to open its door to international humanitarian workers to help the victims of Cyclone Nargis.

When the ASEAN foreign ministers started their five-day annual meeting on Sunday evening, the rising tension between Thailand and Cambodia may have distracted the ministers' attention from their main agenda items, such as the process for setting up the ASEAN Human Rights Body and talks with VIP guests, including U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who has skipped the past few annual meetings.

"This issue (the Thai-Cambodia dispute) has been a major attention-grabber over the past two days. The ministers will want an update on what has been going on.

"The indications are that this is an issue they (the two countries) want to solve bilaterally," said the ASEAN meeting spokesman Andrew Tan.

But the ministers of the 10-member regional group are not likely to get a first-hand briefing from the conflicting parties, because Thailand does not currently have a foreign minister and instead sent its deputy prime minister Sahas Bunditkul.

And according to the official schedule as at Sunday evening, Cambodia has no plans to send its foreign minister, Hor Namhong.

The Foreign Ministry's director general for ASEAN affairs, Dian Triansyah Djani, indicated the foreign ministers would discuss the Thai-Cambodia border dispute. But he also pointed out the problem was not likely to affect the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting.

ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan, who is also a former Thai foreign minister, called on both countries to exercise "restraint".

"The ministers may wish to address the issue ... trying to encourage early resolution and maximum restraint in order to avoid any repercussions on the image of the organization," Surin said Saturday.

But the ASEAN foreign ministers will also hear good news that will help to boost its international stature: North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun is scheduled to sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC). Pyongyang will add to the list of signatory countries, which includes China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, Russia, Pakistan and France. It is also expected the Six-Party Talks will take place here.

On Monday, after concluding their annual meeting, the ASEAN chief diplomats will meet with the High Level Legal Expert Group on the ASEAN Charter. The following day, they will receive the foreign ministers of China, South Korea and Japan. Japan's Masahiko Koumura and South Korea's Yu Myung Hwan are also scheduled to hold bilateral talks to discuss their dispute over a group of islets in the Sea of Japan.

On Wednesday, ASEAN will host bilateral meetings with its dialogue partners, including the European Union and Australia. On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be the star of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). Her absence from several meetings has annoyed the group's foreign ministers, but as a consolation, the White House recently appointed Scot Marciel as the U.S. ambassador to ASEAN. --Tony Hotland and Kornelius Purba

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Talks fail to end Thai-Cambodia temple row

By Nopporn Wong-Anan

ARANYAPRATHET, Thailand, July 21 (Reuters) - Talks between Thailand and Cambodia failed on Monday to end a military stand-off over an ancient temple on their border, which regional neighbours feared could turn violent.

Hundreds of troops facing each other at the temple for the past week will hold their positions, Thai and Cambodian negotiators said after eight hours of talks.

"The best option is to stay where they are, but avoid using weapons," Supreme Commander Boonsrang Niumpradit told reporters.

Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh said "it is impossible to find a solution at this second", but negotiations would continue at a later date.

The meeting took place in the Thai border town of Aranyaprathet, 380 km (235 miles) from the 11th century temple awarded to Cambodia by an international court in 1962. That ruling still rankles Thais.

At the heart of the dispute is a 4.6 sq km (1.8 sq mile) area around the temple, which sits on a jungle-clad escarpment that forms a natural boundary, that is claimed by both nations.

Cambodia complained to the United Nations Security Council on Friday about Thailand's violation of Cambodia's "sovereignty and territorial integrity", but did not ask the U.N. to intervene.

In a sign of easing tensions, soldiers at the site had agreed on Monday to keep weapons out of the temple itself, Cambodian commander Chea Mon said.

"We do not want any armed troops to disturb Buddhist monks who are praying there," he told Reuters.

NEIGHBOURS URGE RESTRAINT

The stand-off has revived memories of a 2003 spat over Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat temple complex, which saw a mob set fire to the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, and worried neighbours.
The 10-country Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) urged members Thailand and Cambodia to show "utmost caution and restraint" and offered to help resolve the impasse.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, opening the annual ASEAN meeting in the city state, said the "situation has escalated dangerously" and the group "could not stand idly by without damaging its credibility".

Analysts say domestic politics in Thailand, where the temple is known as Khao Pra Viharn, have played a big role in fuelling the border fracas.

Preah Vihear's listing as a World Heritage site this month triggered political uproar in Bangkok, where the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) accused the government of selling out Thailand's history by initially backing the listing.

The PAD, a coalition of activists and royalists, is waging a street campaign against Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, whom they accuse of acting as a proxy for former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in a coup in 2006.

"The PAD will use any tool, any instrument to bring down the Samak government. Khao Pra Viharn is a casualty of Thailand's domestic political crisis," Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a foreign affairs lecturer at Chulalongkorn University, told Reuters. (Additional reporting by Ek Madra in Phnom Penh and Melanie Lee in Singapore) (Writing by Darren Schuettler; Editing by Alan Raybould and Roger Crabb)
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Border dispute, Myanmar, top ASEAN ministers' talks

SINGAPORE (AFP) — Southeast Asian foreign ministers urged Thailand and Cambodia to show restraint in a border dispute, and urged Myanmar to free all political prisoners, as annual talks began Sunday night.

Ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) began their talks over dinner while two of its members, Thailand and Cambodia, were locked in an armed standoff over a border temple, and after rogue member Myanmar extended opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest.

Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to "exert utmost efforts" to find a peaceful solution to their standoff, Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo said after the dinner at a restaurant in the city-state's botanical gardens.

"Both sides affirmed that they would abide by their ASEAN and international obligations and exert their utmost efforts to find a peaceful solution to the issue," Yeo said in a statement.

More than 500 Thai troops and well over 1,000 Cambodian soldiers are stationed around a small Buddhist pagoda leading to the ruins of an 11th-century temple, where nearby land is claimed by both sides.

"We urged both sides to exercise utmost restraint and resolve this issue amicably in the spirit of ASEAN solidarity and good neighbourliness," Yeo said.

The foreign ministers also expressed "deep disappointment" over the extension of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's detention and called for all political prisoners in the country to be freed, Yeo said.

"They repeated the call by ASEAN leaders for the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other political detainees as part of Myanmar's national reconciliation process," he said.

Myanmar's ruling generals extended Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest by one year on May 27. She has spent most of the past 18 years confined to her lakeside home in Myanmar's main city Yangon.

ASEAN has often been criticised for failing to act firmly against member Myanmar over human rights abuses and a lack of democratic progress.

Myanmar's junta should engage in "a meaningful dialogue with all political groups", Yeo said.

While the border dispute and Myanmar dominated the first night of the ministers' meeting, high on the official agenda is a new ASEAN charter which would create an EU-style economic block committed to democracy and human rights by 2015.

Efforts to get aid to about two million survivors of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar are also expected to feature prominently when talks continue on Monday.

Myanmar earned international contempt by refusing to allow a foreign-led relief effort when the May cyclone left 138,000 dead or missing.

ASEAN won praise for eventually bridging the gap between the junta and the outside world over cyclone relief efforts by taking the lead on a joint aid mission with the military authorities and the United Nations.

The mission is expected to release its full report on the humanitarian situation in Myanmar's devastated southern delta region here on Monday.

The temple standoff began after three Thai protesters were arrested on Tuesday for crossing a fence to reach the ancient ruins, which have been a source of tension between the neighbours for decades.

Defence officials from both countries plan to meet on the border on Monday to try to defuse the crisis.

Thai government representatives here said they could not discuss whether the countries' ministers would hold bilateral talks in Singapore.

"Any tension, any misunderstanding between and among member states is always an issue of concern for ASEAN," the bloc's secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan said earlier Sunday.

He said the ministers were keen to see the matter resolved "as soon as possible."
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Thailand stands to miss its chance to shine as asean chair

By Kavi Chongkittavorn

Thailand is like a monkey entangled in a huge fishnet - the more it tries to escape, the worse the situation gets.

Thailand's current situation also comes at the worst of times, as the country is taking on multiple roles within the region beginning this weekend.

Thailand will assume the Asean chair this weekend. It should be an exciting, if not historic, occasion for every Thai. After all, Thailand helped found Asean in August 1967 and will occupy this slot until the end of next year. As the first country to implement the Asean Charter, it wants to set the highest standards.

Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, considered the most democratic Asean members, are taking longer to ratify the charter. Ongoing debates in their capitals, especially Indonesia, among intellectuals, civil-society groups and parliaments have increased the charter's creditability regarding its people-centred concept. Despite its domestic doldrums, Bangkok expects to ratify the charter when Parliament opens next month.

Over the next 18 months, dozens of summit meetings with Asean's dialogue partners and supporters from at least 27 countries will take place. Leading dialogue partners, such as Australia, China and South Korea, have expressed high hopes that Thailand's stewardship of Asean would mean increased opportunities to work together to meet future challenges in the region and foster bilateral relations with the grouping as a whole.

But continued political uncertainty at home and renewed tensions between Thailand and Cambodia over the disputed Preah Vihear Temple are posing serious threats that could further undermine Thailand's leadership role in Asean, which has been degraded continuously since 2001. At the moment, both countries are under heavy pressure due to rising nationalist sentiment that could have an impact on the well-being and security of Asean. Phnom Penh has already asked the UN to intervene. If the border situation worsens, it could also dash Thailand's longstanding plan to strengthen ties and cooperation between Asean and civil-society groups, especially to work out terms of reference for an Asean human-rights body that would provide some teeth to investigate and punish rights violators.

One would think that at such a critical time, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej would show some leadership and vision. He has shown neither. Worse, he continues to perform his daily "freak show" without showing one iota of understanding of the implications on the country's regional and international standings that his impromptu statements have. In his weekly TV talk-show programme yesterday he made a turnaround on the controversies over the outcome of the World Heritage Committee's decision by attacking its listing of Preah Vihear.

Instead of naming a successor to Noppadon Pattama, he assigned his buddy, Deputy Prime Minister Sahas Banditkul, to attend the Asean annual meeting in Singapore beginning today. Sahas, who knows next to nothing on Thai diplomacy and Asean affairs, will have lots of explaining to do on a plethora of issues affecting Asean, including the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, the Thai-Cambodian confrontation, as well as exchange views on the proposed regional security architecture, the Asia Pacific Community, suggested by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in early June.

The outgoing chair, Singapore, and Asean Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan have done a good job of steering the grouping through the uncharted waters after Nargis. To a certain degree, Asean has regained its creditability after a decade of Burma's non-compliance by convincing the Burmese junta to loosen up its restrictive guidelines on international relief workers and lift limits imposed on air-lifts operated by UN agencies conducting rescue and relief operations into the Irrawaddy Delta. Now all UN agencies and recognised international humanitarian agencies are operating inside Burma with an expanded space. But only state-run Asean media get permits to file reports from inside.

Now the litmus test will be the common action taken by Asean members on Burma in the future. In Singapore today, Asean foreign ministers will consider the report prepared by the Post-Nargis Joint Assessment teams sponsored by Asean, the UN and Burma. The comprehensive report will help international donors plan ahead and pledge their support later this week in Rangoon at the Asean-UN International Pledging Conference. The UN has recently appealed for a total of US$303 million (Bt10 billion) to continue relief and recovery operations.

Future support would hinge very much on the Burmese junta's willingness to cooperate even further. The junta leaders have been persistent in saying that the relief phase has ended and the next step involves helping those who lost their livelihoods in the great flood. International relief organisations still want more access and increased freedom of movement in affected areas. So far, approximately 80 per cent of affected areas have seen some forms of help. Cyclone victims still need clean water, shelter, and medical care to combat dengue and malaria during the monsoon season.

Resentment among international donors is still running high over the junta's refusal to accept additional aid and allow more foreign relief workers into the country. Several thousand lives could have been saved during the first two weeks. Before they commit more assistance, other countries must ensure that a better monitoring mechanism is in place, especially in the current foreign-currency exchange regime, which has already benefited the junta's pockets greatly. Such guarantees are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to attain from the junta, which has no record of transparency and accountability.

In the aftermath of Nargis, Asean and Burma have found each other's value in their relationship. Asean has to take advantage of this unique position to make sure it produces a positive political outcome, otherwise all efforts will have been in vain. Beyond this, the international community may also be finding out just what Asean as a regional organisation can do and what it can offer to a new regional order.

Coming as it does now amid a confluence of negative factors and the term of the embattled Samak government, it is doubtful whether Asean - unceremoniously baptised by Nargis - will come of age under Thailand's chairmanship.
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Mindless leadership now downright dangerous

After Chetta's 'truce' and the Preah Vihear debacle, it's time to take a hard look at the people we elect

From the stand-off between Thai and Cambodian soldiers along the Northeast border to the deep South, where an end to the 100-year-old insurgency was announced, Thailand over this past week found itself caught between hope and despair. But in the end, the latter was too good to be true. How did Thailand find itself in this predicament? The answer, it seems, lies with all of us, particularly our short-sighted, ill-considered, brain-dead leaders who lack the political courage to go against public sentiment that could, if worse came to worst, put Thailand on the war path.

First, there was retired Army commander Chetta Thanajaro claiming credit for supposedly brokering an end to the ongoing insurgency in the deep South. The former defence minister, who now leads the small Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana Party, thought he could score some quick political points by making the bold announcement.

But once it became clear that the self-proclaimed separatist leaders were not the real thing, Chetta had nowhere to go but down.

Surely he couldn't have been that na๏ve? After all, the man is a highly decorated Army veteran and a former defence minister. Did he really think he could get away with having three unnamed men sporting fake beards announce a historic breakthrough in the deep South? Did he think that would be enough to convince the public?

He must know that the credibility of his claim will be readily apparent in time. The ceasefire was supposed to have gone into effect on July 14. The statement was aired on July 17. In the three intervening days, and shortly thereafter, police headquarters in Yala and Pattani were bombed, while a patrol unit was ambushed just two hours after the supposed "truce" was announced.

If this is the measure of our elected leaders, perhaps it is time for us to ask ourselves whether we are doing enough as citizens to scrutinise the kind of people we put into office.

Meanwhile, along the Thai-Cambodian border in the Northeast, leaders of the two countries have found themselves on a fast-moving train of nationalism and they can't get off.

First, the Cambodians succeeded in getting Preah Vihear declared a Unesco World Heritage site, with Cambodia as the only country attached to the bid, never mind that part of the temple is on disputed territory. After all, this is an election year in Cambodia and every move like this helps - even if it means that only part of the temple could be put on the prestigious list.

The dispute took a turn for the worse when a group of Thais decided they wouldn't accept the decision and would rather continue to cry over spilled milk. They blocked roads, charged the hills and spilled blood as they clashed with fellow Thais on the emotionally charged matter.

And when some of them crossed into the disputed overlapping border area and forced Cambodian authorities to react, the government responded by dispatching 400 troops to the area. Cambodia reciprocated and dispatched 1,000 troops.

Phnom Penh was confident that it had acted properly and thus flew foreign officials into the border area to witness firsthand the deteriorating relations between the two countries.

Does anybody know the rules of engagement, or even what the military mission of the troops of the two countries is?

Pictures of the troops from both sides sitting on the grass and having a picnic lunch were certainly for domestic consumption. This is not to say that this is unprecedented. Troops and security officials of both countries have often mingled in the past. Doing so became status quo back in 2000 when both countries agreed that it should be. There have been some minor disagreements and protests, such as those taking place on the road leading to the site from inland Cambodia, but back then diplomatic notes of protest were not delivered by hundreds of armed paramilitary rangers. Tensions didn't stop soldiers on either side from getting together and sipping whisky at night.

Today, the atmosphere has changed completely. Protest letters from Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen calling on Thailand to withdraw its troops drew an equally strong-worded response from Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.

The two men, it seems, have put themselves in a tight corner and don't know how to get out of it.
It would not have been so bad if it was just the two of them. We could call it the "Battle of the Brain-dead". But unfortunately, any errors in judgement from them could have grave consequences on the citizens of both countries.

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Cambodia complains to UN over temple row with Thais

PHNOM PENH, July 20 (Reuters) - Cambodia has complained to the U.N. Security Council about its military standoff with Thailand over an ancient temple on their disputed border.

Hundreds of Thai and Cambodian troops faced each other at the Preah Vihear temple for a sixth day on Sunday, a standoff that some fear could turn violent.

In a letter sent to council members on Friday and released to the media on Sunday, Cambodia's U.N. ambassador, Sea Kosal, said Thai troops had been occupying Cambodian territory about 300 metres from the 900-year-old temple since last Tuesday.

The temple, perched on a jungle-clad escarpment that forms a natural boundary between the two nations, has been a source of tension since the International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that it belonged to Cambodia, a decision that still angers Thais.

At the heart of the current dispute is a 4.6 sq km (1.8 sq mile) area around the temple that is claimed by both sides.

"While Cambodia exercises maximum restraint to avoid armed confrontation, we cannot ignore that Thai military provocation is to create a de facto "overlapping area" that legally does not exist on Cambodia soil," Sea Kosal said.

Thai troops moved into the disputed area last Tuesday after three Thai protesters were detained by Cambodian soldiers as they tried to plant a Thai flag on the temple.

The two defence ministers will meet in Thailand on Monday to try to end the impasse, which has revived memories of a 2003 spat over another Cambodian temple, Angkor Wat, which saw a nationalist mob setting fire to the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh.

Analysts say domestic politics in Thailand, where the temple is known as Khao Pra Viharn, has played a key role in fuelling the border dispute.

Preah Vihear's listing as a World Heritage site this month triggered a political uproar in Bangkok, where the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) accused the government of selling out Thailand's history by initially backing the listing.

The PAD, a coalition of activists and royalists, is waging a street campaign against Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, whom they accuse of being a proxy of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in a coup in 2006. (Reporting by Ek Madra; Editing by Darren Schuettler and Mariam Karouny)

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Cambodia requests mediators

DPA, PHNOM PENH

Cambodia’s Defense Ministry announced it would fly military attaches from China, the US and other countries yet to be named to the Preah Vihear temple complex to view a border dispute first hand, local television announced yesterday.

The Khmer-language private television station CTN made the announcement in a lunchtime bulletin, adding that the tour of the temple by the international delegation would take place imminently and would be led by Cambodian armed forces chief Sao Sokha.

Although private, CTN is owned by powerful businessman Kith Meng and is viewed as close to the government.

Thailand has maintained the temple is in a disputed no man’s land and that a Thai presence in the area was not breaching Cambodian sovereignty. Cambodia disagreed and asked for the tour by international observers.

Meanwhile CTN announced Thai troops had withdrawn from a pagoda a few hundred meters from Preah Vihear and had camped in nearby jungle.

Tensions have been running high on the border since Cambodia asked UNESCO to list the temple as a World Heritage site despite there being a dispute over a 4.6km swath of land nearby.

UNESCO obliged earlier this month, but tensions spilled over on Tuesday when Cambodia briefly detained then released three Thais it said had illegally crossed the border, prompting first dozens, and then hundreds of Thai troops to follow in an alleged incursion.

On Friday, Thailand warned the situation was deteriorating but Cambodia has said it will not be intimidated.

“I would rather lose my life than lose my country’s territory,” veteran parliamentarian Cheam Yeap of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party said regarding the temple on Friday.

Meanwhile, Cambodia and Thailand continued to reinforce their troops along the disputed section of border area near the temple yesterday, even as they prepared for talks to avert a military confrontation.

Some 300 more Cambodian soldiers and 100 Thais were seen by reporters arriving near Preah Vihear late on Friday, although commanders declined to confirm those numbers.

Earlier, Cambodian Brigadier General Chea Keo said Cambodia had about 800 troops against 400 Thai soldiers in the area as the standoff entered a fifth day.

The countries are to meet tomorrow in an attempt to defuse the conflict over territory surrounding the ancient temple. Thai activists fear the World Heritage status of the temple will undermine Thailand’s claim to nearby land since the border has never been demarcated.

Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said the area around a Buddhist pagoda where Thai troops have been stationed since Tuesday belongs to Thailand.

Cambodia’s Chea Keo said troops from the opposing forces were on the brink of a shoot-out on Thursday night when Cambodian monks gathered to celebrate Buddhist lent at the pagoda about 200m from the ancient temple.

The incident occurred when Thai troops tried to evict about 50 Cambodian soldiers from the compound of the Buddhist pagoda, where they sought to camp for the night to provide security for the monks. Read more!

Cambodia seeks UN help over spat with Thailand

Leslie Koh
The Straits Times

Cambodia has asked the United Nations to intervene in its border dispute with Thailand, a Thai official said yesterday, as Asean chief Surin Pitsuwan called for 'maximum restraint' in the stand-off between the two neighbours.

A quick end to the crisis is critical as around 1,000 Cambodian troops and more than 500 Thai soldiers continue to face each other, guns drawn, on the disputed land.

"The Thai ambassador to the UN has reported to the Thai government that Cambodia has filed a complaint with the UN over the dispute between Thailand and Cambodia," Thai government spokesman Wichianchote Sukchotrat said.

Cambodia wanted the UN to intervene, he told reporters. The Thai government would study the complaint before sending a letter to UN officials, he added.

The statement came on a day when officials from the United States, China, France and Viet Nam flew by helicopter to the disputed territory to add diplomatic pressure for an end to the stand-off.

Meanwhile, Dr Surin, a former Thai foreign minister, called on his country and Cambodia to resolve the issue. The secretary-general of the regional grouping urged ministers from the two countries to talk. Asean leaders are arriving in Singapore this weekend for a ministerial meeting that starts tomorrow (July 21).

"The ministers may wish to address the issue...trying to encourage early resolution and maximum restraint, in order to avoid any repercussions on the image of the organisation," he told reporters after a meeting of senior Asean officials at the Shangri-La Hotel.

His remarks came as Thailand and Cambodia continued to reinforce troops yesterday near an ancient temple on the border. Ironically, the tense situation comes just as Asean leaders at the meeting plan to discuss further integration and cooperation, among other things.

Pointing to a possible bilateral meeting between the Thai and Cambodian ministers, Dr Surin said: "I think the ministers certainly will discuss the issue and try to encourage reconciliation as soon as possible."

The tension could put Asean solidarity to the test, although a Malaysian official said yesterday (July 19) that there were "no problems at all" when both countries' senior officials met at Asean meetings here last week.

The military stand-off started last Tuesday, after Cambodia arrested three Thais who it said had illegally crossed the border to protest against Cambodian ownership of the Preah Vihear temple. The World Court ruled in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia, but the land around it remains in dispute.

The two prime ministers, Cambodia's Hun Sen and Thailand's Samak Sundaravej, have called for the removal of troops ahead of a meeting between military leaders tomorrow in Thailand to resolve the issue. But both maintain respective ownership of the disputed area.

The Phnom Penh Post reported some villagers in the area fleeing, fearing a clash between the troops. About 300 Thai workers based near the border have also returned home.Additional reporting by Wong Mei Ling/Additional information from agencies
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Little hope for talks to resolve spat with Thailand: Cambodian Gen

PREAH VIHEAR - A CAMBODIAN general said on Sunday that he has little hope that upcoming talks between his government and Thailand will resolve a tense border dispute that has seen hundreds of troops face off around an ancient temple.

Cambodian Brig Gen Chea Keo said Thai troops have deployed an artillery piece about one kilometre northeast of Preah Vihear temple - the latest escalation ahead of Monday's meeting aimed at averting a military confrontation.

'Regarding the talks tomorrow, we have little hope about the outcome,' Brig Gen Chea Keo said.

He said the reason for his pessimism stems from a recent counterclaim by Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej that the area around a Buddhist pagoda near the historic temple belongs to Thailand. Thai troops have been stationed at the pagoda since Tuesday.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen wrote a letter to Mr Samak on Thursday saying relations had been 'worsening' since Thai troops 'encroached on our territory,' and asked him to pull them back.

Responding to his Cambodian counterpart, Mr Samak said the area around the pagoda referred to in the letter 'is within the Thai territory,' according to a statement on Saturday from the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

While urging both sides to exercise restraint, Mr Samak's letter said the settlement of Cambodians in that area constitutes 'a continued violation of Thailand's sovereignty and territorial integrity.' Despite their pledge to hold talks on Monday in Thailand to try to defuse the tensions, both Cambodia and Thailand have massed troops at the site.

'We continue to be on alert at all time. And at the same time, we keep instructing our soldiers to be patient and avoid being blamed for starting a war,' Brig Gen Chea Keo said on Sunday.

The conflict over territory surrounding Preah Vihear temple escalated when Unesco recently approved Cambodia's application to have the complex named a World Heritage Site. Thai activists fear the new status will undermine Thailand's claim to nearby land since the border has never been demarcated.

Troops from the opposing forces were on the brink of a shoot-out on Thursday night, which was avoided when Cambodians retreated from a site occupied by the Thais.

But opposing commanders and their troops have otherwise tried to defuse tensions, sometimes even sharing meals, snapping photographs and sleeping within easy sight of one another.

The dispute has taken a toll on tourism in the area, with the Thai side closed to visitors. It also is starting to hurt economic relations between the two neighbors. -- AP

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