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Phnom Penh: The Cambodian government said on Thursday it will not back down from a demand that hundreds of Thai troops leave disputed land near a historic temple, contending that its Southeast Asian neighbour is trying to "permanently occupy" the site.
But Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith also insisted that his country's military will do everything it can to avoid a clash with Thai soldiers stationed a few hundred yards from the 11th century Preah Vihear temple.
Military tensions between the two countries over 4.6 square kilometres of land intensified earlier this month after Unesco approved a Cambodian application to have the temple designated a World Heritage Site.
Thailand sent troops to the border July 15 after anti-government demonstrators attacked Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's government for supporting Cambodia's application.
They claim the temple's new status will undermine Thailand's claim to land around the temple. Cambodia followed suit with its own troop deployment.
Thailand wants the dispute solved bilaterally. On Wednesday the country's UN ambassador, Don Pramudwinai, accused Cambodia of bringing the quarrel before the Security Council because "the Cambodian target is not only Preah Vihear but the entire common border."
Cambodian says some 4,000 troops from both countries are massed in the area around Preah Vihear.
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