Cambodia claims more Thai troops on its soil

PHNOM PENH-Cambodia on Thursday claimed that Thai troops entered its territory for the third day running, saying some 400 soldiers are now in the country.Seng Vuthy, deputy commander of Cambodia's military in the region, told Kyodo News that more than 1,000 Thai protesters have also gathered at the border just in front of the gate of the Preah Vihear temple.
Seng Vuthy declined to say how many Cambodian troops were in the area, but other military sources in Preah Vihear province said the number of Cambodian soldiers has escalated to nearly 1,000.Thailand insists it has no troops in Cambodia but only in an undemarcated area of the border near the Cambodia-controlled Preah Vihear temple, which has been at the center of a bitter 50-year dispute between the two countries.Phay Siphan, spokesman of the Council of Ministers, told Kyodo News that Cambodia is still seeking a peaceful solution with Thailand.The spokesman, meanwhile, quoted Prime Minister Hun Sen as saying that any response involving the use of force "must be avoided." Cambodia on Tuesday and Wednesday claimed that Thai soldiers had entered its territory in the vicinity of the temple.On Tuesday,three Thais-a Buddhist monk, a clergyman and a clergywoman-were briefly detained after allegedly entering the temple illegally.In a move to ease tensions over the military standoff, Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh is planning to hold talks with his Thai counterpart on Monday in Sakeo province in Thailand to discuss the issue, a government official said.The ancient cliff-top temple was last week inscribed as a World Heritage site, capping seven years of efforts by Phnom Penh over Bangkok's objections.Thailand had occupied the area from 1949 when Cambodia was a French protectorate, but Cambodia won possession of the temple through an International Court of Justice ruling in 1962.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D91VEQA00&show_article=1&catnum=0

As in the days of Noah....