Thai Foreign Ministry protests Cambodian military`s firing on Thai troops

BANGKOK, Oct 4 (TNA) -- Thailand's foreign ministry has summoned the
Cambodian charge d'affairs in Bangkok to receive a formal protest
regarding Friday's incident at Preah Vihear temple.

Foreign Ministry Permanent secretary Virasakdi Futrakul requested the
Cambodian charge d'affairs to receive Thailand's complaint following the
incident Friday afternoon in which two Thais and one Khmer soldier were
wounded.

Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied that the Thai soldiers
patrolling near the ancient Preah Vihear temple on the Thai-Cambodian
border provoked a gunfight with the Cambodian, but accused the Khmers of
intruding into Thai territory.

The statement, issued Friday night, quoted Tharit Charungvat,
director-general of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs Information
Department saying that according to Thai military sources the exchange of
gunfire which took place at about 3.45 pm erupted when a Thai military
unit patrolling the border about one kilometre west of the temple
encountered a Cambodian military unit.

The Thai soldiers said the Khmer troops had encroached about one kilometre
into Thai territory.

Negotiations asking the Cambodian troops to withdraw as requested by the
Thais failed, said the Thai foreign ministry statement.

"As the Thai military unit was moving out of the area to report to their
commander, the Cambodian military unit opened fire at them," according to
the Thai ministry statement. "The Thai side was therefore compelled to
return fire," the statement noted.

Two Thai and one Cambodian soldiers were wounded, according to the foreign
ministry, which said the Khmer soldier's wound was in his hand.

The situation has now returned to normal and the Thai military had
initiated higher-level contact with the Cambodian military, said the
statement.

"The Cambodian side agreed to investigate the matter and reaffirmed that
the incident would be contained without any further armed confrontation,"
it added.

The Cambodians affirmed that they ould coordinate more closely with the
Thais to prevent any recurrence of similar incidents.

Tensions between the two neighbours flared up in July after Preah Vihear
temple, which belongs to Cambodia,
was awarded world heritage status by the UNESCO, angering Thai
nationalists who still claim ownership of the 11th century temple.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the temple belongs
to Cambodia, but the surrounding land remains in dispute.