Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said Tuesday morning that Thailand could not pull out troops from the disputed border area near Preah Vihear temple as demanded by Cambodian Prime Minister Hunsen now, local news network The Nation reported.
However, news from PHNOM PENH said that all 84 Thai troops withdrew around 1100 a.m. (0400 GMT) from the Veal Intry area where they entered Monday, after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen issued a deadline to Thailand Tuesday, said a Cambodian senior military officer.
The officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, didn't elaborate on the withdrawal.
Hun Sen here Tuesday set 12:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) as the ultimate time for the 84 Thai troops to pull out from the Veal Intry area, about 2,000 meters west of the Preah Vihear Temple.
Somchai said the joint committee of the two countries needed to reach an agreement on how to carry out the pullout first before it could be done.
Somchai said he will summon all agencies concerned to consult on the matter Tuesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat said Thai soldiers will not withdraw from the disputed border area near the Preah Vihear temple despite an ultimatum from Cambodia to withdraw by midday Tuesday.
"We are in our homeland. How can they expect us to leave our home?" he told reporters.
On Monday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said a "large- scale" armed conflict may happen, if the Thai troops fail to be withdrawn from the border area near the ancient temple of Preah Vihear immediately.
In July, tensions ran high after the ancient Preah Vihear Temple was awarded world heritage status by UNESCO, angering nationalists in Thailand who still claim ownership of the site.
The tension later turned into a military confrontation, in which up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops faced off for six weeks. In mid-August, most troops evacuated and just a few dozen soldiers stationed near the temple.
However, bilateral talks to discuss withdrawing troops from around the temple were postponed late August amid political turmoil in Thailand.
In October at the border area, at least one Cambodian soldier and two Thai troops were wounded during an exchange of gunfire, and two other Thai soldiers were seriously injured after stepping on a landmine.
(Xinhua News Agency October 14, 2008)
