US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK3333

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 003333 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV, USPACOM FOR FPA HUSO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/18/2015 
TAGS: PBTS, PGOV, PREL, CB, TH, CAMBODIA 
SUBJECT: THAIS CONTENT WITH LOCAL NEGOTIATIONS TO DEFUSE 
BORDER TENSIONS WITH CAMBODIA AT ANCIENT KHMER TEMPLE 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Robert J. Clarke, Reason: 1.4 (d) 
 
 1. Summary: Recent news stories about a dispute at a 
historically sensitive ancient Khmer temple at the border 
between Thailand and Cambodia inaccurately reported increased 
Thai troop deployments and explosion of a landmine inside the 
temple.  Tensions at this temple site, which flare 
periodically, apparently have led to negotiations between 
local officials.  Royal Thai Government (RTG) authorities say 
encroachment and environmental damage by a growing community 
of Cambodian villagers and vendors in the area surrounding 
Preah Vihear (AKA Prasat Khao Phra Viharn in the Thai 
language) temple are behind the tensions.  They are not 
overly concerned, however, and expect the local negotiations 
to defuse the situation.  The Thai Minister of Defense will 
visit Phnom Penh next month and told the Thai press that he 
will raise the border dispute as one of a number of bilateral 
issues. End Summary. 
 
BACKGROUND 
 
2. (U) During the week of May 16, Thai news coverage of a 
reported border dispute in Si Saket province included claims 
that the Thai Army had sent up to 500 troops to reinforce the 
Thai - Cambodian border, that Thai troops had begun 
construction of quarters and the deployment of artillery 
around the temple and that a landmine had exploded in the 
ground around Preah Vihear temple.  Prasat Khao Phra Viharn 
(as it is referred to in the Thai language) or Preah Vihear 
(in Khmer) was once under the jurisdiction of Thailand. 
Since July 15, 1962, jurisdiction of the site has reverted to 
Cambodia following a territorial case resolution in the 
International Court of Justice.  However, the easiest access 
to the site is from the Thai side of the border, meaning a 
border checkpoint essentially serves as the entrance to this 
historically significant temple, which has religious and 
historical ties to both Ankhor Wat in Cambodia's Siem Riap 
Province, and Thailand's Phanom Rung temple in Buriram 
Province and Phi Mai temple in Nakhon Ratchasima Province. 
 
MFA STATES RELATIONS WITH CAMBODIA "NORMAL" 
 
3. (C)  Poloff spoke with the Cambodian desk officer at the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Mongkol Visitstump who 
stated that, "For the record, relations between Cambodia and 
Thailand are normal."  He said that the border area at Preah 
Vihear has been an issue for years and recent developments 
did not signify a significant deterioration in relations with 
Cambodia.  He denied media reports that up to 500 new troops 
had been sent to the area and claimed that the border 
remained open.  Mongkol said that local officials on both 
sides of the border were working on the latest disagreement 
and that the RTG would leave it to the local officials to 
resolve the latest issues, as they had in the past.  Mongkol 
noted that the "rapidly growing" Cambodian community in the 
area around Preah Vihear was creating environmental damage 
and polluting the Thai border area, especially local water 
sources. 
 
4. (U) Embassy officers contacted various local officials, 
including the Thai District Chief and local Police commanders 
to clarify the situation.  Local Thai administrative 
officials said that the Thai border checkpoint was not closed 
during recent disputes with Cambodian villagers encroaching 
in the zone around the temple.  The police officials did 
state, however, that while the Thai checkpoint remains 
officially open, Cambodian officials have closed the entrance 
gate to the temple, effectively closing the only border 
crossing point in the immediate area.  All of our contacts 
denied the reports of increased Thai Army personnel 
deployments, or any landmine incidents, as a consequence of 
tensions. 
 
5.  (U)  An Embassy officer spoke with officials at the 
Thailand Mine Action Center (TMAC), who stated they had no 
information or comments to offer on the reported landmine 
incident.  Poloff contacted an expatriate NGO worker at 
Jesuit Relief Services (JRS) in Bangkok, which coordinates 
landmine awareness and removal with TMAC.  She stated that 
JRS had seen the media report but no official incident report 
had reached her office.  She did noted that the area is 
heavily mined and that TMAC and a local Thai foundation have 
an active demining project along the Thai side of the border. 
 She was unaware of any demining that had taken place on the 
Cambodian side. 
 
6. (C)  Comment:  This latest incident is indicative of how 
the Thai media will sometimes run sensationalist material 
without regard to how it might stir up nationalist sentiments 
and heighten tensions between Thailand and Cambodia.  This 
type of careless reporting can have serious consequences. 
For example, the sacking of the Thai Embassy by a mob of 
demonstrators in Phnom Penh in January 2003 was partially 
triggered by false reports in Cambodia that a Thai actress 
had claimed Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand.  Thai reporting 
fanned the flames in Bangkok and almost sparked a 
retaliation.  This time -- while there are still real 
differences to be resolved between the two nations on access 
and the development of tourism at Preah Vihear -- the local 
negotiations appear to be enough to keep the situation under 
control.  The Thai MFA is taking the latest flare-up in 
stride and, at the height of media attention on this "border 
tension," Prime Ministers Thaksin and Hun Sen were amiably 
having dinner together in Bangkok at a welcoming event for 
the Miss Universe contestants.  Thai Defense Minister Tamarak 
told journalists he will include this matter on his agenda 
when he visits Phnom Penh in a few weeks.  The Thai public 
does not appear to be at all fired up by this cycle of 
misreporting by the Thai media.  End Comment. 
ARVIZU