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Thailand 'pulls back' from border Gunshots on Thai-Cambodia border
(1 day later)
Cambodia's military says that Thai troops have pulled back from a disputed border zone after its prime minister issued an ultimatum. Thai and Cambodian troops have exchanged gunfire along a disputed section of their border.
There was no immediate Thai confirmation of the reports which came shortly before the Cambodian deadline was due to expire. The exchange, said to have lasted 10 minutes, apparently happened near the ancient Preah Vihear temple complex.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had warned of a potential "battle zone". Thailand has now urged its nationals to leave Cambodia. Tensions have been high since July, when hundreds of soldiers on both sides faced off metres apart.
Earlier, Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat reportedly said that troops would not leave the area. Both countries claim they own the area around the temple, which recently became a Unesco World Heritage site.
Singapore's foreign ministry has reportedly called for both countries to show restraint and "resolve the issue through negotiations without resorting to force". "Cambodian and Thai troops are opening fire at each other now," Brigadier Bun Thean, a Cambodian army commander, told the French news agency AFP from the scene.
Tension has been high since July, when hundreds of soldiers on both sides faced off only metres apart. "Our troops prevented Thai troops from entering our territory, but they started to open fire at our troops right away," he added.
Thai TV reporters confirmed they witnessed both sides exchanging gunfire.
Both sides agreed in August to reduce troop numbers, but last week Cambodia said that 500 Thai troops had massed in the area.
On Tuesday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen issued a deadline for Thailand to reposition its troops, saying they had entered Cambodian territory.
Thailand denied that its troops had entered Cambodia.
Temple tensionsTemple tensions
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had given Thailand until noon (0500 GMT) to pull out its troops but did not say what would be the consequences of failing to do so. The stand-off between the two countries centres on 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, which sits on a jungle-clad escarpment dividing the countries.
Cambodian army commander Brig Gen Yim Pin later said that all Thai troops had retreated and were about 1km (half a mile) from the contested territory. class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7507425.stm">Political tensions driving temple row class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7352186.stm">In pictures: Preah Vihear
He told the Associated Press that the "tense situation [had] now eased".
Thailand's foreign minister was quoted by Reuters news agency on Tuesday as telling a reporter in Bangkok: "We are in our homeland - how can they expect us to leave our home?"
The stand-off between the two countries centres on 4.6 sq km (1.8 square miles) of scrub near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, which sits on a jungle-clad escarpment dividing the countries.
An international court awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but land surrounding it remains the subject of rival territorial claims.An international court awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but land surrounding it remains the subject of rival territorial claims.
The decision by the UN in June to list Preah Vihear as a Unesco World Heritage Site reignited lingering nationalist tensions over the issue.The decision by the UN in June to list Preah Vihear as a Unesco World Heritage Site reignited lingering nationalist tensions over the issue.
In early July Cambodian troops detained three Thai protesters who had entered the site illegally, sparking the military stand-off.In early July Cambodian troops detained three Thai protesters who had entered the site illegally, sparking the military stand-off.
The two sides have already held several rounds of talks on the issue, but failed to reach agreement.The two sides have already held several rounds of talks on the issue, but failed to reach agreement.
Tensions between the two countries date back centuries when the Thai and Khmer monarchs fought each other for territory and power.
In 2003, the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh was torched by rioters angry over the alleged comments of a Thai actress who said that the Angkor Wat temple complex should be returned to Thailand.
Are you in the vicinity of the Thai-Cambodian border? Have you heard or witnessed hostilities between troops? Send us your comments and experiences.
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