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Phnom Penh: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday said that he might skip a regional summit to be held in Thailand next month if a dispute over an ancient temple on the border between the two countries continues.

Hun Sen said he might send the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to the meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Thailand is set to host the 15th ASEAN summit on October 23-25 at the coastal town of Hua Hin.

Hun Sen, meanwhile, said he will never hold talks with Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on the 4.6 square kilometre area near the temple as long as his counterpart uses a particular map drawn up by Thailand.

The Premier also alleged that the border dispute was caused by internal problems of Thailand.

Since the border issue erupted last year, many rounds of talks at different levels including defence and foreign ministerial levels have been held but a concrete agreement or solution has proved elusive. The overall territorial dispute stems partly from the use of different border maps.

Monday, September 28, 2009
Bureau Report