Thailand and Cambodia to withdraw troops from around disputed temple
By the CNN Wire Staff
December 22, 2011 -- Updated 1147 GMT (1947 HKT)
A Cambodian solider looks across at the Thai border from the ancient Preah Vihear temple in this file picture.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Thailand and Cambodia agree to implement a court order on a disputed temple
- The deal follows clashes that displaced thousands and killed at least 20
- The International Court of Justice order calls for both sides to withdraw troops
- The countries differ on whether territory around the temple is part of Thailand or Cambodia
(CNN) -- Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to withdraw their troops from the area surrounding a disputed border temple, the official Thai news agency MCOT reported.
The two countries reached a deal to implement an order by the International Court of Justice to put in place a "provisional demilitarized zone" around the Preah Vihear temple, MCOT cited Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh as saying at a news conference on Wednesday.
Thai and Cambodian troops had clashed in the area around the temple earlier this year, displacing thousands of people on both sides and causing at least 20 deaths.
A joint working group will be set up to discuss the rules governing the demilitarized zone, Banh said after meeting with the Thai defense minister, General Yutthasak Sasiprapa, in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.
The troop withdrawals, to be carried out as soon as possible, will be supervised by observers from Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Banh said.
Cambodia had asked the International Court of Justice, the United Nation's highest court, to intervene and order Thai troops out of the area.
The court, instead, ruled in July that both sides must withdraw their troops to avoid more casualties.
The 11th century temple sits atop a cliff on Cambodian soil but has its most accessible entrance on the Thai side. The two countries differ on whether some territory around the temple forms part of Thailand or Cambodia.
The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962. Thailand claims, however, that the 1.8 square mile (4.6 sq. km) area around it was never fully demarcated.
Thailand says the dispute arose from the fact that the Cambodian government used a map drawn during the French occupation of Cambodia -- a map that places the temple and surrounding area in Cambodian territory.
In 2008, the United Nations approved Cambodia's application to have the temple listed as a World Heritage Site -- a place the U.N. says has outstanding universal value.
The decision re-ignited tensions, with some in Thailand fearing it will make it difficult for their country to lay claim to disputed land around the temple.
Part of complete coverage on
May 25, 2012 -- Updated 0458 GMT (1258 HKT)
Chinese human rights activist Chen Guangcheng tells CNN about his departure from China and his continuing concern for family and friends.
May 24, 2012 -- Updated 1739 GMT (0139 HKT)
Given recent headlines, you could easily assume something more dramatic than a singing competition was about to descend on Azerbaijan.
May 25, 2012 -- Updated 1213 GMT (2013 HKT)
Formula One's 12 teams have struck an agreement to secure the future of the sport until 2020, Bernie Ecclestone has exclusively told CNN.
May 26, 2012 -- Updated 2013 GMT (0413 HKT)
It was one small interview for astronaut Neil Armstrong ... and one giant scoop for an Australian accountant, of all people.
May 24, 2012 -- Updated 2136 GMT (0536 HKT)
Bastoy prison is on an island in southern Norway. There are no fences or armed guards, and inmates hold the keys to locks.
May 24, 2012 -- Updated 1336 GMT (2136 HKT)
Stars from Barcelona FC will be encouraging reading as part of a project to give one million digital books to African children.
May 25, 2012 -- Updated 0823 GMT (1623 HKT)
We have mixed in the Duke of Edinburgh's gaffes among other famous faux pas. Take our quiz and see how many of Philip's gaffes you can spot.
May 24, 2012 -- Updated 1534 GMT (2334 HKT)
The deadly clashes that are a fact of daily life in Syria have now bled into Lebanon, where sectarian shootouts are raising fears of an end to calm.
May 24, 2012 -- Updated 0746 GMT (1546 HKT)
Eva Wu has kept her teenage son's room unchanged ever since he died last year. Now, she also keeps him close in the form of a diamond.
May 25, 2012 -- Updated 0331 GMT (1131 HKT)
Demonstrators say Twitter posts and Facebook groups brought them to the streets of Mexico's capital and cities around the country.
May 26, 2012 -- Updated 0946 GMT (1746 HKT)
Ben Wedeman explains how much has changed since the last presidential election, but much remains the same.
May 22, 2012 -- Updated 1416 GMT (2216 HKT)
In Delhi, where there are more elephants than Mormons, Manu Joseph explores India's U.S. election-envy and why a Republican is better for India.
May 25, 2012 -- Updated 1149 GMT (1949 HKT)
The wheels are coming off the wagon, says Richard Quest -- and Greece's membership of the eurozone is untenable under the current conditions.
May 22, 2012 -- Updated 1428 GMT (2228 HKT)
Why some observers believe that the full story of who destroyed a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie has still to be uncovered.
Today's five most popular stories
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
|