Thai and Cambodian troops were ending a month-long standoff yesterday as both sides continued to withdraw troops from disputed territory around an ancient border temple, a Cambodian official said.
The pullout from the Preah Vihear temple area began on Friday and was continuing yesterday, said Hang Soth, director-general of the Preah Vihear National Authority, a government agency managing the historic site.
The standoff erupted near the 11th century shrine on July 15 after UNESCO, the UN’s cultural agency, approved Cambodia’s application to have the complex named a World Heritage Site. Both countries have long held claim to the temple, but the World Court awarded it to Cambodia in 1962.
About 800 troops from Cambodia and 400 from Thailand have been facing off in the area for a month.
The Cambodian military refused to answer questions about the pullout and it was not certain when it would be completed.
The attempt to minimize publicity appeared to be a face-saving gesture after weeks of overheated nationalist rhetoric on both sides.
On Thursday, Cambodian Deputy Defense Minister General Neang Phat said the two countries agreed to a gradual redeployment of troops from the area ahead of talks between their foreign ministers on territorial disputes next Monday in Thailand.
Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej had backed Cambodia’s World Heritage site bid, sparking demonstrations by anti-government protesters who claimed it would undermine Thailand’s claim to the surrounding area.
The protests left Samak politically vulnerable, and he sent troops to occupy another disputed temple compound adjacent to Preah Vihear to appease his nationalist critics. Cambodia responded with its own troop deployment.
The border dispute has not been resolved despite two rounds of talks since last month, with the countries referring to two different maps.
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