Troop pullout from disputed area must be done with Indonesian presence: Cambodian DPM

 PHNOM PENH, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian deputy prime minister Tea Banh, Minister of Defense, on Wednesday reiterated that it is impossible to withdraw troops from the newly defined demilitarized zone surrounding the 11 century Preah Vihear temple without the presence of Indonesian observers.
   “It is impossible that Cambodia and Thailand withdraw troops from the zone without the presence of Indonesian observers because the International Court of Justice has clearly indicated that the pullout must be done with the presence of Indonesian observers,” he told reporters. “It’s the court’s order, we have to comply with it.”
   The minister’s remark came after Thai media reported on Tuesday that Thai Defense Minister Gen. Yuthasak Sasiprapa said it might not be necessary for Indonesian observers to be sent to the disputed area near the Preah Vihear temple if Thailand and Cambodia can reach agreement on solving their problems.
   “If the two countries agreed on this, the International Court of Justice would be notified that it was not necessary for Indonesian observers to be sent into the disputed area and the border problem would be settled through bilateral mechanisms,” the Bangkok Post quoted Gen. Yuthasak as saying on Tuesday.
   The International Court of Justice on July 18 ordered Cambodia and Thailand to immediately withdraw their military personnel currently present in the provisional demilitarized zone around the area of Preah Vihear temple and also ordered both parties to continue cooperating within ASEAN and allow appointed observers access to the provisional demilitarized zone.
   Cambodia and Thailand have had sporadic border conflict over territorial dispute near the Preah Vihear temple since the UNESCO listed Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.
   Since then, both sides have built up military forces along the border and periodic clashes have happened, resulting in the deaths of troops and civilians on both sides.
   However, the military tension has been eased since the former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's Pheu Thai Party won a landslide victory in the general elections on July 3.