Mass of Troops at Preah Vihear to Withdraw
Military commanders on both sides agreed in talks Wednesday to remove the majority of troops from a pagoda at the center of the crisis.
Cambodiaand Thailandare set to withdraw the mass of their troops near Preah Vihear temple over theweekend, a top Cambodian military commander said Thursday. The withdrawal follows a meeting between high-rankingmilitary commanders on both sides in Surin province Wednesday. "The redeployment of the armed forces that bothcountries have agreed to will be complete before the meeting of foreign affairsministers in Hua Hin, Thailand,"Aug. 18 and Aug. 19, said Gen. Neang Phat, secretary of state for the Ministryof Defense, who is head of Cambodia'sPreah Vihear negotiating task force. The reconfiguration of the maximum number of troops possiblewould take place on either Saturday or Sunday, he said, declining to give theexact number of soldiers that would remain at the Keo SikhaKiri Svara pagoda and its surrounding areas. The pagoda has been at the center of the crisis since Thaitroops occupied it on July 15, leading to a build-up of thousands of soldierson both sides and the deployment of artillery and other armed vehicles. Both sides will keep 10 soldiers each inside the pagoda and45 personnel in a 1-kilometer perimeter around the pagoda, the Bangkok Postreported Thursday, citing a Thai official present at Wednesday's meeting. Both sides agreed during the meeting that soldiers who stayin the temple area will not be equipped with heavy arms, and trenches in thearea would be refilled, Neang Phat said. Neither side will establish camps inside the pagoda, butthey will be allowed to stay in tents nearby, Neang Phat said. The commanders will meet again following the bilateraldiscussions between foreign ministers, he said. Thai soldiers must allow Cambodian soldiers and civilians toreach Ta Moan Thom temple, from Thursday, he added.