"If Cambodia does resort to the use of force in accordance with its so-called ultimatum, Thailand will have to exercise its right of self-defence as provided under the Charter of the United Nations," said the Thai Foreign Ministry in a statement issued to the press.
After meeting Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat in Phnom Penh on Monday, Hun Sen told reporters that he had warned the Thais to withdraw their troops from a disputed area around the Preah Vihear temple on the Thai-Cambodian border or face fighting.
"They must move tonight or tomorrow. If they don't, there will be fighting," he said.
Thailand's foreign ministry expressed "surprise" at Hun Sen's fighting words, noting that it went against the "sprit of neighbourliness" between fellow members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Although Thailand and Cambodia are fellow members of ASEAN, the two neighbours have a long history of animosity.
Thailand and Cambodia nearly came to blows over the Preah Vihear temple in July this year, shortly after UNESCO named the ancient Hindu temple a World Heritage Site despite Thai objections.
The temple, the object of disputed claims between Thailand and Cambodia since the 1950s, was granted to Cambodia by a ruling of the International Court of Justice in 1962.
But land adjacent to the temple compound, including its main entrance on the Thai side, remains under dispute.
Both sides beefed up their troops in the area, situated about 400 kilometres north-east of Bangkok, after some ultra-nationalist Thais crossed into the disputed zone in a show of protest against the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s ruling.
The border conflict was calmed in late August when both sides agreed to settle the matter through bilateral talks held by a joint border committee.
The talks have been hampered by repeated claims of incursions into Cambodian territory and by Thailand's chaotic domestic political situation.
Thailand's current government under the People Power party (PPP) has had four different foreign ministers in four months - Noppadon Pattama, Dej Bunnag, Saroj Chawanavira and the current one, Sompong.
Cambodia has been pressing to have the border spat settled by a regional or international body, but Thailand has insisted it could be handled bilaterally.
The Thai Foreign Ministry acknowledged that Thai troops had undertaken a "de-mining effort" in the disputed area around Preah Vihear, which the Thais call Phra Viharn.
"We are also conducting investigations to verify whether the landmines in the area are old mines or recently deployed in the violation of the Ottawa Mine Ban Convention," said the ministry in a statement.
source bangkok post
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