VZCZCXRO3253
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #0638 2400849
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 280849Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1126
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS PHNOM PENH 000638 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, P, D 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MOPS KTIA CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA WITHDRAWS TROOPS; STILL WAITS FOR THAI 
MOVEMENT ON PREAH VIHEAR 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION ON THE 
INTERNET. 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  SUMMARY:  Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) 
sources confirmed a recent reduction in Cambodian troops from 
around the disputed Preah Vihear border area, but could not 
readily give the full scope or extent of those movements. The 
senior RGC border official assigned to the Preah Vihear 
dispute noted that Cambodia is "still waiting" for the Thai 
parliament's approval of already agreed communiques marking a 
clear path forward for border negotiations, including joint 
demining and demarcation, but expressed deep skepticism that 
the Thai government would act soon.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Following through on a public vow made by Prime 
Minister Hun Sen on August 22, senior military leaders from 
the Cambodian and Thai armed forces met on August 24 in Phnom 
Penh, and declared an end to hostilities on the border.  Thai 
General Songkitti Jaggabatra announced that "the border will 
not be the cause of any further disputes."  Cambodian troops 
started withdrawing from the Preah Vihear temple area on 
August 26.  Military officials in Phnom Penh could not yet 
confirm how substantial these withdrawals have been, but 
field commanders have confirmed the target is a 50 percent 
reduction in the Cambodian troop presence.  Var Kim Hong, 
Senior Minister and Chairman of the Border Committees, told 
Pol/Econ Chief that Deputy Prime Minster and Minister of 
Foreign Affairs Hor Namhong had raised the Preah Vihear 
border dispute with both Thai Prime Minister Abhisit 
Vejjajiva (Aug. 4) and Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya 
(Aug. 5) during participation in the Cambodian-Thailand Joint 
Policy Commission in Bangkok.  Hor Namhong "pushed to have 
the Thai parliament agree to the communiques we already 
negotiated with the Thai," said Var Kim Hong.  Commenting 
that it is already the end of August, he said the RGC was 
"still waiting." 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Confirming the Cambodian troop reductions, Var Kim 
Hong also noted that Thai soldiers still had not withdrawn 
from the small pagoda at the base of the Preah Vihear temple 
and thus agreed-upon joint demining and border demarcation in 
that area could not commence.  Citing a "negative" article in 
Bangkok's English-language daily "The Nation" on August 27 
which took a stand against the Abhisit government settling 
the Preah Vihear dispute, Var Kim Hong expressed skepticism 
that the Thai government would honor the agreements made with 
his Thai counterpart in the bilateral Joint Border 
Commission.  Nonetheless, he said, Cambodia would keep 
waiting. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Separately, when questioned at the opening ceremony 
for a Kampong Speu health center refurbished by U.S. Marines, 
on August 27, the Ambassador noted to the local press that 
reports of the withdrawal were an encouraging development and 
a positive sign that showed the border dispute could be 
solved by peaceful means. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  COMMENT:  The Cambodian troop withdrawals from 
Preah Vihear follow the very positive talks between the Thai 
and Cambodian commanders in chief in Phnom Penh earlier in 
the week.  If the Thai military responded with troop 
"re-deployments" to match, including from sensitive areas in 
the disputed territory which they had not occupied before 
July 2008, then a first concrete and positive step to resolve 
this dispute bilaterally will have been completed, providing 
a good basis for further diplomatic progress. 
RODLEY