Disputed border set to reopen

Cambodia and Thailand have begun a coordinated withdrawal of troops from Preah Vihear temple in preparation for the reopening of the temple's international border crossing next week. The crossing has been closed since July 2008, when the disputed temple was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, triggering a military build-up along the border.

Sao Socheat, deputy commander of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Military Region Four, said troops started pulling back to their bases about 30 kilometres from the temple on Sunday, in line with an agreement with Bangkok. “The armed forces of Cambodia and Thailand [started] being withdrawn from the frontline in front of Preah Vihear temple on Sunday and they destroyed the trenches before they left,” he said. “Withdrawal is good for both sides and more tourists will visit temple after the gate is opened.”

Hang Soth, secretary general of the Preah Vihear National Authority, said the border gate at the disputed temple would be reopened in the first week of December, allowing tourists to once again access the temple from the Thai side. Colonel Veerachon Sukondhadhpatipak, deputy spokesman of the Royal Thai Army, confirmed the border would be reopened, but said he was unsure of the exact schedule for the troop withdrawal. “At the policy level, it has been agreed,” he said.

Thani Thongphakdi, deputy spokesman of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said he was “not aware” of any decision regarding the border crossing. Since its closure in mid-2008, periodic clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers have resulted in the deaths of at least seven troops on both sides. Since then, tourists have been restricted from entering the hilltop temple from inside Cambodia, preventing a larger influx of visitors from Thailand, which boasts better access to the temple.

Analysts say the reopening of the border could mark a significant step forward for the fraught relationship between the two countries....

Source=phnompenhpost