Disputed border is put under joint patrol

Source: Agencies  |   2008-10-17  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

THE Cambodian and Thai militaries agreed yesterday to hold joint patrols to reduce tension at the disputed border area of Preah Vihear where a gun battle between the two sides left two soldiers dead, a Thai army spokesman said.

A Cambodian army officer also said the two sides agreed on measures to prevent further fighting where their troops had a deadly hour-long gun battle on Wednesday, leaving two Cambodians dead and three wounded, and seven wounded on the Thai side.

The agreement came at a meeting of senior officers held in Thailand's Sisaket province, just across the border from Cambodia, as the situation remained calm but volatile, with soldiers of both sides facing off on territory near the landmark 11th century Preah Vihear temple.

Both sides "have agreed to prevent further armed clashes," said Maj Gen Srey Doek, a Cambodian army commander at Preah Vihear.

He added that the two sides "will continue negotiations" when asked about the demarcation issues that led to the dispute. Thai army spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkumnerd said the two sides agreed they would both maintain troops in the area, with "joint patrols to reduce tension and the chances of a misunderstanding which could lead to another clash."

He said that ongoing talks by specialists and civiliansto demarcate the border would continue.

"What was discussed and resolved is a military matter to reduce tension and to prevent another clash," Kaewkumnerd said.

After Wednesday's fighting, thousands of Cambodian villagers living near the hilltop Preah Vihear temple at the border had fled their homes, fearing more violence.

The clash was the first deadly fighting since July, when the UNESCO approved Cambodia's bid to make Preah Vihear temple a United Nations World Heritage site.

The decision ignited long-standing tensions between the neighbors, who both claim land around the temple, and prompted the two countries to rush troops to the border.