PHNOM PENH: Cambodian foreign Minister Hor Namhong said today that his country will withdraw over 480 soldiers from provisional demilitarized zone of 11th century Khmer Preah Vihear temple on July 18. “We want to show our goodwill to deal the border issues peacefully,” Minister said at the closing ceremony of ASEAN Foreign Ministerial Meeting in Phnom Penh. He adds: Thai PM Yingluck and Samdech PM Hun Sen will hold bilateral talk at Siem Reap province, where Myanmar President Thein Sein, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton also join the US- ASEAN Business Council. The meeting focused on investment in the country and the region and US engagement in ASEAN.
Last year, Cambodia and Thailand waged war over border issues but finally ASEAN cannot help Cambodia. UN Security Council urged Indonesia as ASEAN chairman to mediate the issues but Thailand did not want to see the Indonesian observers at the border. Cambodia seeks the interpretation from international court’s justice (ICJ) over the land area which claims by Thai side. At the end, Thai PM Yingluck came to power in Bangkok. The situation of border has eased. (SEA Weekly)
