Thai, Cambodia troops clash again near temple, 1 killed

Sat Feb 5, 2011 11:05am GMT

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By Ambika Ahuja

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged fire on their border for a second day on Saturday in a clash that killed a Thai soldier, the latest flare-up in a long-running feud over land around an 11th-century temple.

Southeast Asia's regional grouping, of which both Thailand and Cambodia are members, said the deteriorating situation was undermining confidence in the region and would affect its economic recovery.

The Thai soldier was killed, and four were wounded, in a 4.6-sq-km (two-sq-mile) disputed area around the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, a jungle-clad escarpment claimed by both countries, said Thai army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd.

The neighbours fought with rocket-propelled grenades and guns for about 25 minutes from 6:15 a.m. (2315 GMT Friday) before reaching a cease-fire in the early afternoon and agreeing not to reinforce troops, the spokesman said.

That followed an intense two-hour clash on Friday in which three Cambodians, including two soldiers, and a Thai villager were killed, the first fatalities in the militarised border area since a Thai soldier was shot dead on January 31, 2010.

Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan said one of the Cambodians killed on Friday was a tourist visiting the temple overlooking northern Cambodia. He said 10 Cambodian soldiers were wounded, but there were no fatalities on Saturday.

The United States has urged both sides to show restraint.

The fighting is the latest flare-up in on-again off-again tension between the neighbours and could inflame passions among Thai pro-establishment "yellow shirt" protesters demanding Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva take a tougher line against Cambodia. Continued...

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<p>Cambodian soldiers load ammunition near Preah Vihear temple after a brief clash with Thai troops early February 5, 2011. REUTERS/Pheara</p>

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