Cambodia informs UN Security Council of alleged Thai incursion
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Cambodia and Thailand will begin talks Monday aimed at resolving a lingering dispute over territory near a World Heritage Site temple, where more than 4,000 troops from the two sides have been deployed.
Cambodia's mission at the United Nations has submitted a letter to the chairman of the Security Council and the chairman of the General Assembly to "draw their attention to the current situation on the Cambodian-Thai border," Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said Sunday.
"Cambodia is not asking for UN intervention. We still stick to Prime Minister Hun Sen's instructions to try to solve the problem peacefully between the two sides," the minister said.
The conflict over territory surrounding the ancient Hindu temple escalated earlier this month when UNESCO approved Cambodia's application to have the complex named a World Heritage Site. Thai activists say the new status undermines Thailand's claim to the compound of a nearby Buddhist pagoda.