In Media
Cambodia must display its sincerity in order to resolve the conflict over the Preah Vihear temple issue. Central to this is a 4.6-sqkm disputed area around the ancient temple.
As no bilateral agreement has been reached, both sides should not trespass into this area. However, Cambodian villagers have encroached there, setting up houses as if it were their own territory. Thailand has submitted several protests to the Cambodian government, but the latter has taken no action.
Now that the Preah Vihear temple has been listed as a World Heritage site, fear is growing in Thailand that Cambodia might try to take over the disputed area as well. Thailand must act to protect its territorial integrity.
Tensions rose last week after Cambodian and Thai troops entered the disputed area. Both sides subsequently sent reinforcements ahead of last Monday's meeting of the two countries' defence officials, which ended without a solution.
The disputed area should be a no man's land, with no one being allowed to enter or stay there. Judging from the watershed boundary, most of the disputed area should be considered inside Thai territory.
And while both sides are finding a solution, all the Cambodian people now living in the disputed area must be moved out. These illegal settlements are the starting point of the problem, and they must be resolved first. Once the area is cleared, troops from both countries can be stationed within the same radius from the no man's land.
One final point. Since Cambodia only asked to list the temple as a World Heritage site, it technically recognised that the disputed area did not belong to Cambodia.
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