PREAH VIHEAR, CAMBODIA, July 24, 2008: Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen agreed Thursday not to refer both countries’ ongoing land dispute to the UN Security Council, but resume to bilateral means to solve it, said a senior official.
According to the premiers’ oral agreement, both sides will initiate foreign minister negotiations on Monday in Siem Reap province of Cambodia to seek solution for their nine-day military stalemate in the border area near the Preah Vihear Temple, he said. “We have shown good will and we await the outcome in Siem Reap,” he added.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded the 11-century classic Khmer-style Preah Vihear Temple, together with the land it occupies, to Cambodia. The decision has rankled the Thais ever since. Besides, both sides also have different versions of historical maps to define their border, which has aggravated the dispute.