Wednesday, 5 January 2011

Thai Protesters Demand Cambodia Release Seven Thai Nationals

http://english.ntdtv.com/

via CAAI

2011-01-04



About 150 protesters rally at the Thai-Cambodia border of Sa Kaew Province Tuesday. They are demanding the release of seven Thais who were detained and charged with illegal entry into Cambodian territory.

The detainees entered the disputed territory along the border on December 29th.

The protest leader says the land where the Cambodian army arrested the men, belongs to Thailand.

[Chaiwat Sinsuwong, Protest Leader]:
"The land deed document was issued by the Thai government in 1974. The document was verified by Thai authorities last year."

Protesters carried banners and Thai national flags during the peaceful demonstration.

They also urged the Thai government to speed up the process to release the detained men.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva also calls for their immediate release and says a case concerning a disputed border area should be settled out of court.

The 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple is at the center of the dispute.

The International Court of Justice awarded Preah Vihear to Cambodia in 1962 but Thailand lays claim too much of the land surrounding it.

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