Thailand, Cambodia exchange claims over second disputed temple site

ruins of a second disputed temple which sits on an unclear demarcationline between the two neighbouring countries.

General Boonsang Niempradit, Thailand's supreme commander on Monday asked Cambodia to withdraw its soldiers from around the Ta Muen Thom temple.

Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat told TNA that Thaitroops have been stationed at the Ta Muen Thom ruins for some time without having any problem with the Cambodian troops which are also posted there.

The number of Thai troops guarding the temple has not been increased from before, Mr. Tharit said.

Ta Muen Thom ruin sits in the Thai border district of Phanom Dong Rak in the northeastern province of Surin while Cambodia claims that the ruin is in Cambodia's northern Banteay Meanchey province.

The demarcation between the two countries has not yet been settled by the Thailand-Cambodia General Border Committee (GBC), he said.

Mr. Tharit said the Ta Muen Thom ruin is just one of several sites sitting on an unclear boundary between the two countries. Thailand is trying to conduct its actions under the framework of the GBC, he said, and the temple problem should also be discussed under that mechanism.

During talks last Monday, the foreign ministers of Thailand and Cambodia agreed at their meeting in Siem Reap to redeploy their troops at Preah Vihear and the area surrounding it in a bid to reduce tensions along the border, but neither has shown any sign of making the first move.

Tensions at the ancient Preah Vihear temple, which was listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in early July, intensified after Thai protestors attempted to reach the site from a closed border point.

The International Court of Justice awarded Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia in 1962 in a nine to 12 votes by a panel of 12 judges.