Cambodian and Thai troops have commenced to withdraw from the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda near the Preah Vihear Temple and the surrounding area in the eponymous Cambodian province, said a government official Saturday.
Both sides had agreed to redeploy the troops like prior to July 15, the troops were therefore withdrawn and the month-long military face-off at the border area was becoming less tense, Khieu Kanharith, Cambodian Information Minister and government spokesman, told Xinhua.
"We agree that we don't use the word 'withdraw.' We have to say that we 'redeploy' the troops like before July 15, because it is a reasonable word," he added.
In addition, a bilateral foreign ministers' meeting will be held on Aug. 18 in Hua Hin province of Thailand to solve the remaining matters of a peaceful resolution, he said.
Meanwhile, Bun Leng, Cambodian village chief at the Preah Vihear area told Xinhua by phone that the Thai troops began to withdraw from the pagoda in late evening Friday.
"Thai troops are leaving in small groups one after another from our land to their land," he said.
The situation was relieving near the Preah Vihear Temple, there would be no troops soon in the area, and the local people could do their business as normal again, he added.
However, Meng Ly, police chief of neighboring Otdar Meanchey province of Cambodia, told Xinhua that Thai troops were still deployed at the Tamone Toch and Tamone Thom temples in the province and no sign of withdrawal could be seen.
"The situation is only becoming better, as Thai troops allowed Cambodian civilians to visit the two temples in small groups," he added.
On July 15, Thai troops went into the border area to fetch three trespassers who had intended to claim Thai sovereignty over the Preah Vihear Temple. The troops stationed there ever since, thus triggering the military stalemate.
The same day, Thai troops occupied the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda, which is situated on the only way leading to the Preah Vihear Temple.
In the following days, both sides gradually increased their military personnel to a thousand strong at the border area to show their determination for territorial sovereignty.
On July 28, foreign ministers from Cambodia and Thailand held a meeting in Siem Reap province and agreed to mull the possibility of evacuating troops from the border.
On Aug. 3, Thai troops entered the Tamone Toch and Tamone Thom temples, thus aggravating the standoff.
The Preah Vihear Temple straddles the Cambodian-Thai border atop the Dangrek Mountain and was listed as a World Heritage Site on July 7 by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice decided that the 11- century temple and the land around belongs to Cambodia, which rankled the Thais and has led to continuous disputes in late years.
(Xinhua News Agency August 16, 2008)
