Thai PM: Thailand, Cambodia to talk Monday on border dispute

BANGKOK, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said Thursday that his Cambodian counterpart has told him that Cambodia would withdraw its petition filed earlier with the United Nations Security Council on a border dispute, and that the two sides will hold a bilateral talk on Monday.

Samak told reporters that he just talked to Cambodian premier Hun Sen, and the two agreed to hold a meeting on ministerial levelin Siem Reap, Cambodia on July 28, according to a report on the Bangkok Post website.

Thailand's former Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama had resigned from the post early this month, following a court ruling that found it an unconstitutional act for Noppadon to sign the Thai-Cambodian Joint Communique in June, which endorsed Thailand's support for Cambodia's application with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to list the ancient Preah Vihear temple at the disputed border area as World Heritage Site.

The UNESCO approved the application from Cambodia earlier this month despite Thailand's withdrawal of support, 46 years after the International Court of Justice ruled to confirm Cambodia's ownership of the 11th-century Hindu temple, which had been claimed by both Cambodia and Thailand.

The two neighbors have also been engaged in a conflict about a 4.6-square km border area claimed by both sides adjacent to the temple, an issue which was boiled again amidst Thailand's recent domestic political turmoil. The opponents of the Samak government claimed its earlier endorsement of support for Cambodia' s World Heritage bid would put Thailand at a disadvantage in border demarcation.

The atmosphere has intensified after both countries dispatched more troops to the disputed border area.

Samak's remarks on Thursday came after the Cambodia filed a complaint with the Security Council to ask for UN to help resolve the border dispute, but ASEAN, the regional bloc of which Thailand and Cambodia are both members, has expressed the wish to leave the matter be solved on a bilateral level, rather than to bother the UN.

It is not known yet if the Samak-government would complete the expected cabinet reshuffle to have the Foreign Ministry top post filled by Monday so that to have a proper representative to be engaged in the talks with the Cambodian Foreign Minister.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council convened an one-hour special session on the Thai-Cambodia border row Thursday upon Cambodia's petition to decide whether to referee, but has postponed a resolution decision, according to Thai Ambassador to the UN Don Pramudwinai.

The Security Council is expected to reconvene the discussion later in the evening Bangkok time, according the Thai envoy to the UN.