Cambodia To Withdraw Some 480 Military Personnel from the PDZ

AKP Phnom Penh, July 13, 2012 —

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation H.E. Hor Namhong this morning said Cambodia will withdraw some 480 military personnel from the Provisional Demilitarized Zone (PDZ) near the 11th century Khmer sacred Preah Vihear Temple.

“The withdrawal is a sign showing Cambodia’s strong will to implement the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s order of last year,” he said.

Cambodia can withdraw all military personnel from the PDZ in 24 hours, but it depends on other side, he said.

On July 18, 2011, the ICJ ordered Cambodia and Thailand to immediately withdraw their arms personnel from 17 kilometers on the disputed border area near Preah Vihear Temple.

The dispute over Preah Vihear flared up in July 2008 after the UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee approved Cambodia’s request to list the temple as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.

This dispute had led to deadly gun exchanges until Pheu Thai Party, led by Prime Minister Her Excellency Yingluck Shinawatra, won a landslide victory in July last year.

By KHAN Sophirom