By Prensa Latina,
Singapore : The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is making big efforts to mediate in the Cambodia-Thailand dispute over the Preah Vihear Temple, a Humankind’s Heritage site.
The annual meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers opened under the impact of the dispute between two member countries, which failed to reach an agreement on Monday to settle their differences and keep their troops on alert on either side of the border.
Cambodia reported the situation to the United Nations and informed its people on the deployment of Thai troops in the temple.
According to a letter from the Cambodian Foreign Ministry to the country, Thai soldiers entered the national territory in Preah Vihear, posing a military threat.
At the same time, Cambodian authorities asked the ASEAN to set up an interministerial group made up of Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and Laos to mediate in the dispute and prevent a military confrontation.
“Thai troops with artillery and tanks are stationed along the border, becoming a serious threat not only to Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity but also to peace and stability in the region,” Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said in a letter to the Singaporean presidency of ASEAN.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on both countries to settle the conflict peacefully and preserve traditional relations of good neighborhood.
The Khmer ruins claimed by the two countries have been under Cambodian sovereignty since 1962 by virtue of a ruling of the International Court of The Hague. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared the Preah Vihear Temple Humankind’s Heritage on July 7.