Cambodian Buddhist monks sit on an artillery near a famed Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear Province, Cambodia. (Photo: AP)

The redeployment, slated to begin during the weekend, will first apply to Thai and Cambodian troops stationed inside the compound of a Buddhist pagoda near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, Cambodian Deputy Defense Minister Gen. Neang Phat said.

The number of troops from both countries will be reduced "to the lowest number possible," Neang Phat said, adding that security officials from the two countries had reached the agreement during a meeting on Wednesday in Thailand’s Surin province.

Neang Phat said that both countries will carry out troop redeployments from Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda compound during the weekend before foreign ministers of both countries meet in Thailand next Monday.

A similar step will be taken for troops stationed in areas surrounding the Buddhist pagoda and Preah Vihear temple after the foreign ministers’ meeting, he said.

Thai military officials were not immediately available for comment.

About 800 troops from Cambodia and 400 from Thailand have been facing off in the area for a month.

Moving troops from the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda is considered significant, since it is where the troops first deployed. The two sides came close to a shoot-out on July 17 when Cambodian monks sought to celebrate Buddhist lent in the pagoda.

Troops on both sides raised their weapons, but no shots were fired, and the Cambodians eventually backed down.

The border standoff erupted near the temple last month when UNESCO approved Cambodia’s application to have the complex named a World Heritage Site. Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej had backed the bid, sparking demonstrations by anti-government protesters who claimed the temple’s new status would undermine Thailand’s claim to the surrounding area.

In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded Preah Vihear and the land it occupies to Cambodia. The decision still rankles many Thais even though the temple is culturally Cambodian, sharing the Hindu-influenced style of the more famous Angkor complex.

The dispute has not been resolved despite two rounds of talks since last month, with the countries referring to two different maps.

Cambodia uses a French colonial map demarcating the border, which Thailand says favors Cambodia. Thailand relies on a map drawn up later with American technical assistance.

AFP Photo

ទាហាន​ខ្មែរ​ដើរ​នៅ​ក្នុង​បរិវេណ​ប្រាសាទ​ព្រះវិហារ នៅ​លើ​ភ្នំ​ដងរែក នៃ​ខេត្ត​ព្រះវិហារ នា​ថ្ងៃ​២១ កក្កដា ២០០៨ ។

លោក ខៀវ កាញារីទ្ធ បាន​ឲ្យ​ដឹង​ថា ៖ «យើង​គ្រាន់តែ​កំណត់​ថា​បើសិន​ជា ​នៅ​បញ្ហា​អ៊ីចឹង ប្រាកដ​ជា​ចៀស​មិន​រួច​ទេ​បញ្ហា​អន្តរជាតិ​នោះ ពីព្រោះ​បញ្ហា​ព្រំដែន​មាន​តែ ២​គត់ បើគាត់​មិន​ពិភាក្សា​ផ្អែក​លើ​ការអង្គុយ​តុ​ជាមួយ​គ្នា​ទេ យើង​អាច​លើក​បញ្ហា​ទៅ​តុលាការ​អន្តរជាតិ ។ តុលាការ​អន្តរជាតិ​វា​ត្រូវការ​ទាមទារ​ពេលវេលា​យូរ​បន្តិច​ហើយ ប៉ុន្តែ​បើ​ទៅ UN វា​អាច​ធ្វើ​បាន ប៉ុន្តែ​យើង​ចង់​ដោះស្រាយ​ឲ្យ​អស់​បញ្ហា​ហ្នឹង​សិន» ។

សេចក្តី​ព្រមាន​បាន​ធ្វើឡើង​បន្ទាប់ពី​មាន​សេចក្តី​រាយការណ៍​យោធា​មក​ថា ទាហាន​ថៃ​នៅតែ​បន្ត​ការបញ្ជូន​កម្លាំង​ទាហាន​ចូល​មក​កាន់កាប់​ក្នុង​តំបន់​ តាម​ព្រំប្រទល់​ខ្មែរ បើទោះបី​ជា​មាន​ការចរចា​រវាង​រដ្ឋមន្ត្រី​ក្រសួង​ការ​បរទេស​នៃ​ប្រទេស​ទាំង​ ២ នា​ពេល​ថ្មីៗ​កន្លង​មក​នេះ​ក៏ដោយ ។

សេចក្តី​ព្រមាន​នេះ​ដែរ​គឺ​នៅ​បន្ទាប់ពី​មាន​សេចក្តី​រាយការណ៍​ចុងក្រោយ​ មួយ​ដែល​និយាយ​ថា មាន​កម្លាំង​ទាហាន​ថៃ​ប្រមាណ​៧០​នាក់​បាន​ប៉ុនប៉ង​ចូល​មក​កាន់កាប់​ប្រាសាទ​ ខ្មែរ​បូរាណ​មួយ​ឈ្មោះ ប្រាសាទ​តាមាន់ធំ ស្ថិត​នៅ​ក្នុង​ខេត្ត​ឧត្តរមានជ័យ ។

មន្ត្រី​អ្នក​នាំ​ពាក្យ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​បាន​ថ្លែង​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ច័ន្ទ​នេះ​ថា ថៃ​ត្រូវតែ​គោរព​អធិបតេយ្យភាព​ជាតិ​ខ្មែរ​និង​ត្រូវ​ដោះស្រាយ​តាម​មធ្យោបាយ​ អហិង្សា​ការទូត ។

លោក ខៀវ កាញារីទ្ធ បាន​មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​ថា ៖ «យើង​សង្ឃឹម​ថា​ថៃ​នឹង​ចេះ​ ដោះស្រាយ​បញ្ហា​ក្នុង​លក្ខណៈ​ជា​ប្រទេស​មួយ​ដែល​មាន​ភាពចាស់ទុំ​ផ្នែក​ នយោបាយ ការបញ្ជូន​កម្លាំង​ទ័ព​មិនមែន​ជា​បញ្ហា​ដែល​យើង​ថា​ជា​ប្រទេស​ដែល​មាន​ អរិយធម៌​មួយ​កើត​ទេ ចៀស​វាង​ការភាន់ច្រឡំ​រវាង​អំពី​ទំនាស់​ព្រំដែន និង​ដំណោះស្រាយ​នៃ​ទំនាស់​ព្រំដែន ។ យើង​មាន​គណៈកម្មការ​ពីរ មួយ​ទំនាស់​នៅ​តាម​ព្រំដែន រឿង​កំប៉ិក​កំប៉ុក រឿង​អី​ហ្នឹង គឺ​គណៈកម្មការ​ទទួល​បន្ទុក​ព្រំដែន​ទូទៅ ប៉ុន្តែ​មួយ​ទៀត យើង​មាន​គណៈកម្មការ​ព្រំដែន​ចម្រុះ​នោះ បើ​ថៃ​ចង់​ជជែក​អំពី​បញ្ហា​ព្រំដែន ដី​នៅ​ខាង​ណាៗ​គេ​ត្រូវ​ជជែក​នៅ​តុ​កៅអី​ជាមួយ​នឹង​គណៈកម្មការ​ជំនាញ មិន​មែន​កងទ័ព​ធ្វើ​ទេ» ។

ពី​ក្រុង​បាងកក​ឯណោះ​វិញ​មន្ត្រី​អ្នក​នាំ​ពាក្យ​ក្រសួង​ការ​បរទេស​ថៃ លោក ថារិទ្ធ ចារុងវ៉ាត់ បាន​ថ្លែង​ថា​ពិត​ជា​មាន​ទាហាន​ថៃ​បាន​រាយ​កម្លាំង​ជុំវិញ​ប្រាសាទ​តាមាន់ធំ ​នោះ​មែន ប៉ុន្តែ​ក្នុង​បរិវេណ​ចម្ងាយ​៨០​ម៉ែត្រ​ពី​ប្រាសាទ​នោះ​តែ​ប៉ុណ្ណោះ ដើម្បី​រារាំង​មិន​ឲ្យ​ទាហាន​ខ្មែរ​ចូល​ទៅ​កាន់កាប់​នៅ​ឯ​តំបន់​នោះ ។

កម្ពុជា​និង​ថៃ​ចាប់ផ្តើម​ដាក់​ពង្រាយ​ទ័ព​ប្រឈមមុខ​រឿង​ជម្លោះ​តំបន់​ ប្រាសាទ​ព្រះវិហារ តាំងពី​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១៥ កក្កដា បន្ទាប់ពី​ស្ថានភាព​ដែល​រាជ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ខ្មែរ​បាន​ដាក់​ប្រាសាទ​ព្រះវិហារ​ ចូល​ជា​បេតិកភណ្ឌ​ពិភពលោក ។

Cambodian election worker holds a ballot paper for counting at a polling station in Spean Touch school, northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 27 Jul 2008

CPP officials say they expect to add eight seats to their current 73 in the 121 member parliament, allowing them for the first time to rule without the support of smaller parties.

The main opposition Sam Rainsy Party says it has done better than expected in rural areas without increasing its vote in the cities.

The other eight opposition parties are thought to have faired poorly.

Speaking to reporters, opposition leader Sam Rainsy said that thousands of his supporters, mostly in Phnom Penh, had been unable to vote because their names had been removed from voter lists.

"The CPP has manipulated voter lists in order to disenfranchise non-CPP supporters," said Sam Rainsy. "In the next few days we are organizing a big demonstration - hundreds of thousands of people - whose names have been deleted, will join the demonstration to ask for their names to be put back in the voter lists."

International election monitors said it is too early to evaluate the extent of possible electoral abuses.  They say they are gathering data from observer teams and will be making full statements in a few days.

But anecdotal evidence from polling stations in and around Phnom Penh would suggest that many voters were unable to cast their ballots.  Pol Saman voted early in Phnom Penh:

"I saw a lot of people, more than a hundred at my station, who said: ‘Where is my name, you know, because I registered?’  And then you know: [they said] ‘Please help me.’ And then someone said: ‘You have to go somewhere, to your district’ - a waste of your time. ‘I do not want to go’ - many people were shouting like that.  And then many people, many many people, they got so upset.  And then some people said - ‘I do not vote, I give up," said Pol Saman.

The government strongly denies that it engaged in any electoral abuses. Ke Bun Khieng is the Campaign Deputy Director for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party:

Khieng says the election ran very smoothly, and voting was free and orderly and that everything was equal between the Cambodian People’s Party and the opposition parties.

The government credits its expected strong showing with a buoyant economy and infrastructural improvements.

The CPP is also thought to have benefited from Prime Minister Hun Sen’s handling of a tense border dispute with Thailand, which has raised fears of another war here.