Thailand and Cambodia agree defuse border temple tensions (Roundup)

Cha-am, Thailand - Thailand and Cambodia Tuesday agreed to resolve a dispute over the 11th century Preah Vihear border temple with talks rather than military might and to consider adding joint claims over the 13th century Ta Moan temple to the bilateral discussions. Thai Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag and his Cambodian counterpart, Hor Namhong, met at the Thai beach resort of Cha-am, 110 kilometres south-west of Bangkok, to discuss long-term solutions to the dispute over the ancient Hindu temple Preah Vihear, which sparked a tense military standoff between the two neighbouring countries last month. 'This is the 21st century. We are beyond the stage of resorting to military confrontation,' Hor Namhong told a joint press conference. He added that Cambodia would remove all its troops from the disputed area around the temple, leaving only police to guard the temple. The Thai side said it would need to consult the military about a similar complete withdrawal. 'If we can solve this problem the temple will be reopened to tourists soon,' he said. It has been closed to the public since mid-July. The two sides agreed to hold further border committee-level meetings on the Preah Vihear on August 29 and in early October, after which there will be another foreign ministers meeting. 'Both sides agreed to consider raising the issue of Ta Moan at the next foreign ministers meeting,' said Tej, reading a joint statement. Ta Muan, a 13th century temple also on the Thai-Cambodian border, is also claimed by the two countries. It was not discussed at Tuesday's meeting. Preah Vihear is located about 400 kilometres north-east of Bangkok and 300 kilometres north of Phnom Penh on a cliff that defines the border between Si Sa Khet and Preah Vihear provinces in Thailand and Cambodia, respectively. Over the weekend, both Thailand and Cambodia withdrew hundreds of troops from around Preah Vihear, each leaving 30 soldiers posted in the contested zone. The two foreign ministers last met July 28 to try to defuse the temple spat, which was then in danger of turning into a military conflict. Separate claims on the area surrounding Preah Vihear turned into a military standoff after UNESCO agreed to name the Hindu sanctuary a World Heritage Site. Tensions built after the border temple of Preah Vihear was awarded Cambodian World Heritage status by UNESCO on July 7 despite Thai objections, and three Thai nationals were arrested in the disputed zone around the temple on July 15. The threesome were released but both sides sent hundreds of troops to the border area, raising fears on a military showdown. Although Thailand has long accepted a 1962 ruling of the International Court of Justice that granted Cambodia sovereignty over the temple, it has disputed Cambodia's claim to the area surrounding the temple complex. Many Thai historians and academics refute The Hague court's ruling, claiming it was based on a faulty 1907 border map drawn up by the French, who were the colonial masters of Cambodia at the time. The court ruled that since Thailand had not officially objected to the border demarcation placing the temple in Cambodia, it had forfeited the temple, but the court stopped short of ruling on the legitimacy of the French-drawn map's border. Thailand claims that a 4.6-square-kilometre plot of land adjoining the temple is still disputed. In fact, the 798-kilometre-long Thai-Cambodia border still has many areas claimed by both countries, with Preah Vihear being just the most controversial to date. The temple dispute has stoked nationalistic sentiments on both sides on the border.