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PHNOM PENH, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (pictured) said on Saturday that there was no fighting at border and he will recall some troops to help the farmers to planting crops after some areas had been hit by drought.

"We are monitoring to withdraw the troops from the frontiers and we need soldiers to help the local farmers during this time," the premier said at the opening ceremony of irrigation in Pursat province, southeastern part of Phnom Penh, citing that Thailand now has 30 soldiers at the border.

"But in case we have problem at the border, we can mobilize our troops so quickly to border area," he said, adding that "we are moving back our troops of Kompong Thom and Siem Reap provinces to their headquarters from the border."

"I hope there is no fight each other again there," he stresses. Cambodian and Thai troops have confronted at areas near the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple since July, 2008 when the UNESCO listed the temple as the World Heritage Site of Cambodia.

Moreover, Hun Sen said that "in modern age, we need to discuss the matters with each other and we do not want to see any people shed their blood."

Troops tension at border is becoming ease and both side plan to measure the areas soon to plant border markers.

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (pictured) said on Saturday that there was no fighting at border and he will recall some troops to help the farmers to planting crops after some areas had been hit by drought.

"We are monitoring to withdraw the troops from the frontiers and we need soldiers to help the local farmers during this time," the premier said at the opening ceremony of irrigation in Pursat province, southeastern part of Phnom Penh, citing that Thailand now has 30 soldiers at the border.

"But in case we have problem at the border, we can mobilize our troops so quickly to border area," he said, adding that "we are moving back our troops of Kompong Thom and Siem Reap provinces to their headquarters from the border."

"I hope there is no fight each other again there," he stresses. Cambodian and Thai troops have confronted at areas near the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple since July, 2008 when the UNESCO listed the temple as the World Heritage Site of Cambodia.

Moreover, Hun Sen said that "in modern age, we need to discuss the matters with each other and we do not want to see any people shed their blood."

Troops tension at border is becoming ease and both side plan to measure the areas soon to plant border markers.

On Thursday morning, Lieutenant General Kanit Sapitak, the Commander-in-chief, of Region 1, along with Lieutenant General Boonseng, the Commander of military Region 5 of Cambodia, chaired the opening ceremony of the agreement to develop the cooperation between Thai-Cambodian borders. The event was held on August 20-21, 2009 at Cozy beach hotel in Pattaya.
The agreement is for the two countries to cooperate on many issues, under the supervision of a regional border committee, including:
1. Maintaining a peaceful border,
2. Suppressing illegal narcotics,
3. Preventing vehicle theft,
4. Stopping the human trade and street kids problems, and
5. Reducing illegal alien workers.

On Thursday morning, Lieutenant General Kanit Sapitak, the Commander-in-chief, of Region 1, along with Lieutenant General Boonseng, the Commander of military Region 5 of Cambodia, chaired the opening ceremony of the agreement to develop the cooperation between Thai-Cambodian borders. The event was held on August 20-21, 2009 at Cozy beach hotel in Pattaya.
The agreement is for the two countries to cooperate on many issues, under the supervision of a regional border committee, including:
1. Maintaining a peaceful border,
2. Suppressing illegal narcotics,
3. Preventing vehicle theft,
4. Stopping the human trade and street kids problems, and
5. Reducing illegal alien workers.

High-ranking Thai military commanders are slated to meet their Cambodian counterparts later this month, in an effort to address the longstanding border dispute near Preah Vihear temple and an emerging maritime dispute, officials said Friday.

Already high military tensions escalated this week, when Thailand protested Cambodia’s push for further oil exploration in the Gulf of Thailand, especially near Kuth island. Thailand said this was an encroachment of its maritime borders, a claim Cambodia denies. Both sides have had soldiers entrenched near the Preah Vihear border for more than a year.

Gen. Songkitti Jaggabatra (pictured), supreme commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters, and his deputies, Adm. Apichart Pengsritong and Air Chief Marshal Bureerat Ratanavanich, will be accompanied by some 87 Thai military officials to visit Cambodia Aug. 24.

The delegation will meet with Gen. Pol Saroeun, commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, and other senior officials.

The visit “is intended to strengthen the relationship and cooperation between the two countries,” Defense Minister Gen. Tea Banh told VOA Khmer. “This visit will reduce military tension in border disputes.”

High-ranking Thai military commanders are slated to meet their Cambodian counterparts later this month, in an effort to address the longstanding border dispute near Preah Vihear temple and an emerging maritime dispute, officials said Friday.

Already high military tensions escalated this week, when Thailand protested Cambodia’s push for further oil exploration in the Gulf of Thailand, especially near Kuth island. Thailand said this was an encroachment of its maritime borders, a claim Cambodia denies. Both sides have had soldiers entrenched near the Preah Vihear border for more than a year.

Gen. Songkitti Jaggabatra (pictured), supreme commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters, and his deputies, Adm. Apichart Pengsritong and Air Chief Marshal Bureerat Ratanavanich, will be accompanied by some 87 Thai military officials to visit Cambodia Aug. 24.

The delegation will meet with Gen. Pol Saroeun, commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, and other senior officials.

The visit “is intended to strengthen the relationship and cooperation between the two countries,” Defense Minister Gen. Tea Banh told VOA Khmer. “This visit will reduce military tension in border disputes.”

High ranking Cambodian officials on Thursday rejected Thai allegations that a Cambodian navy patrol entered a disputed maritime area near Koh Kut in Trat province.

“We do not accept the Thai claim,” Tear Vinh told DAP News Cambodia on Thursday. “We will take measures as Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said, but everything is in our area.”

“If any party looks down on us, we will respond,” he added.

Mr. Koy Kuong (pictured), spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, told DAP News Cambodia that “So far, we have not seen any strongly-worded protest yet from the Thai party.”

“We will make an investigation if this take place, but our Cambodian navy personnel told us that they did not cross the Thai border,” Kuy Koung added.

The Thai Defense Ministry plans a strongly-worded protest over a claimed crossing into a disputed maritime area near Koh Kut in Trat province by a Cambodian patrol, Thursday’s Bangkok Post reported.

The protest will be lodged to the Foreign Ministry.

“Two Cambodian warships were seen patrolling in the disputed area last week,” said Bangkok Post. “[Our] source said that the Cambodian patrol was probably in respond to the Thai navy’s move to set up a new base on Koh Kut to reinforce its patrol missions following a report that Cambodia had allowed a French oil company to carry out surveys in the disputed area.”