Thai, Cambodian troops meet at disputed border
Sunday, 19 October 2008
PREAH VIHEAR, (Cambodia), Oct 18 (AFP): Thai and Cambodian commanders brought troops together on their disputed border Saturday for informal talks aimed at preventing further skirmishes after deadly gunfights earlier this week.
Cambodian Major General Srey Deok and Thai Colonel Chayan Huaysoongnern ordered troops not to fire their weapons again and had their captains shake hands on the frontline of their standoff near the ancient Preah Vihear temple.
"Let's tell our soldiers to sit down and talk together. We (commanders) have good feeling, but our soldiers have not yet felt good," Srey Deok said as the commanders sat surrounded by their troops.
The two sides agreed that low-level officers should now meet regularly to reduce tensions between the forces after two Cambodian soldiers were killed and several men from both sides injured after shooting broke out on Wednesday.
The two commanders also agreed to fill in bunkers dug in the area, building on an earlier agreement to begin joint border patrols. No timetable has yet been set for either action.
Cambodian Major General Srey Deok and Thai Colonel Chayan Huaysoongnern ordered troops not to fire their weapons again and had their captains shake hands on the frontline of their standoff near the ancient Preah Vihear temple.
"Let's tell our soldiers to sit down and talk together. We (commanders) have good feeling, but our soldiers have not yet felt good," Srey Deok said as the commanders sat surrounded by their troops.
The two sides agreed that low-level officers should now meet regularly to reduce tensions between the forces after two Cambodian soldiers were killed and several men from both sides injured after shooting broke out on Wednesday.
The two commanders also agreed to fill in bunkers dug in the area, building on an earlier agreement to begin joint border patrols. No timetable has yet been set for either action.