-AROUND 200 Sovanna Shopping Centre vendors were threatened by district police and prevented from boarding buses set to take them to Prime Minister Hun Sen's Kandal province residence on Thursday, where they had planned to protest high rents at the mall.
"This morning we rented two buses, but district police came to warn the drivers that if they took us to the prime minister's house they would have a problem," said Thea Neapy, a shoe seller at Sovanna.
"A lot of district police with guns banned us from getting into the bus ... and said we have no right to go to the PM's house."
Thea Neapy accused the police of having been paid off by the market owner, who "knows that if we go to Hun Sen's house he will help us".
Driver Thy Na said police told him not to allow market vendors into his vehicle and told him to "go back home" if he didn't want "problems".Yem Dany, a cloth vendor at the market, said she was kicked by police outside the mall as the buses left the scene.
"They have no right to kick me like this. If they are so strong, they should go to Preah Vihear and fight with the Thais instead," she said.
Vendors from the mall, located in Chamkarmon district, managed to meet with representatives of the prime minister after making their way to Takhmao in tuk-tuks and private cars.
Two tuk-tuks full of protesters were stopped and detained by police near Takhmao Bridge, one vendor said, but were released after the police received a phone call from Hun Sen's staff.
They were then invited to speak with Nouv Ra, the prime minister's Cabinet chief, who said he would forward their concerns to City Hall.
"We told him we would like to reduce the price by 30 percent because of the economic crisis," said the vendor, who declined to be named.
"We will close our shops until we get a resolution."
Chesda Metrey, the head of Sovanna Shopping Centre, said the mall had "a lot of problems", and that he would not reduce the rental price for vendors.
"The vendors should already know our policy. We reduce the price by 13 percent for vendors who are under a 10-year lease, and 10 percent for a two-year lease," he said.
Chamkarmon district police Chief Ouch Sokhon declined to comment when contacted Thursday.
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-The Defence Ministry will not discuss the withdrawal of Thai troops from the disputed area near the Preah Vihear temple ruins during the Thai delegation's visit to Phnom Penh today.
Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon made clear the stance yesterday in response to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's condition that he would discuss the temple issue only if it concerned the withdrawal of Thai soldiers.
The Thai delegation of about 15 officials, including Gen Prawit and Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, is set to arrive in Phnom Penh today for talks after Thailand protested against the Unesco's World Heritage Committee's decision to register the Hindu temple ruins unilaterally on behalf of Cambodia last year.
Mr Suthep said yesterday he would go to Cambodia as planned on a mission to clarify with Hun Sen Thailand's objections to the listing of the Preah Vihear temple ruins.
He said his trip was aimed at strengthening bilateral ties.
Gen Prawit told reporters that Thai troops had to remain in the 4.6-square-kilometre area around Preah Vihear because it belonged to Thailand and both nations had reached an agreement that the land dispute would be handled by the Joint Boundary Committee (JBC).
About 3,000 Thai soldiers entered the disputed area on July 15 last year after Unesco listed the Preah Vihear temple on behalf of Cambodia.
"The Thai cabinet considers Unesco as a peace-oriented organisation. The rules and regulations that govern the World Heritage listing must be recognised by both countries.
"We believe that Unesco failed to observe the rules and regulations, so we must protest against Unesco and demand it respond," Gen Prawit said.
In response to reports of Cambodia's military reinforcements in the area, army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda said yesterday that Thailand would not start any violent actions and would not be reckless.
Lt Gen Wibulsak Neepal, commander of the 2nd Army, said Cambodia had deployed a number of soldiers and heavy weaponry and its forces in the area were nearly double those of Thailand's.
However, he confirmed that Thai soldiers there were prepared for any eventuality
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-But Preah Vihear's Heritage status is not on agenda, Hun Sen says.
PRIME Minister Hun Sen on Thursday announced plans to hold unofficial talks with Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan on Saturday, but said they would be limited to discussions of Thai troop withdrawals.
"I will only welcome an explanation about the withdrawal of Thai soldiers out of Cambodia's territory," Hun Sen said in a speech at a graduation ceremony in Phnom Penh, adding that the World Heritage status of Preah Vihear temple would not be on the agenda.
"I would like to reaffirm in principle Cambodia's position not to accept an explanation by Suthep Thausuban over the Preah Vihear issue," he said.
On Wednesday UNESCO rejected Thai demands to place the Preah Vihear issue on the agenda of the World Heritage Committee's annual meeting in Seville, Spain.
Giovanni Boccardi, chief of UNESCO's East Asia and Pacific Unit, said the Preah Vihear issue would not be raised because the meeting would "strictly" adhere to an agenda already in place.
Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said Thai attempts to put the temple on the agenda one year after its World Heritage inscription were improper.
"Thailand's aim was dismissed, but the Thais still continue, and we don't know when they will stop," he told reporters Thursday at the Foreign Ministry.
Hun Sen said Cambodia was willing to risk conflict over the issue and ordered soldiers at the border to protect the country against Thai incursions.
Srey Doek, commander of RCAF Division 3, said Thursday that the situation at the border was normal but that troops were on alert.
"We have raised Thai troop withdrawals with the Thai military commanders many times but have received no positive response," he said.
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-Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Friday insisted on going to Cambodia to meet Prime Minister Hun Sen, even though the Cam,bodian leader has refused to discuss the Preah Vihear temple row.
Mr Suthep said his visit to Cambodia on Saturday was aimed at strengthening ties. He said he would not engage in any talks that would lead to conflict.
Although the temple row would not be on the table, the deputy prime minister said relations between Thailand and Cambodia would improve after the visit.
Mr Suthep was originally assigned by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to clarify Thailand's position against the enscription of the temple by the World Heritage Committee, on the application of Cambodia, which was later formally approved by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).
But Mr Hun Sen has refused to discuss the ancient temple with Mr Suthep.
Both sides have sent reinforcements to the area.
Second Army commander Wibulsak Neepal admitted on Friday he was worried about the renewed potential for hosilities.
Lt Gen Wibulsak said troops were now confronting each other and this could boil over into a fight if the two governments do not find ways to calm the conflict.
However, the Thai-Cambodia border remained calm. Army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda said there had been no confrontation and the situation would not lead to violence.
He confirmed Thai troops have been reinforced following reports that extra Cambodian troops and artillery had been deployed to the area.
Gen Anupong said the two sides agree they do not want to fight.
Thai soldiers had been warned to be alert, but not to initiate a clash with Cambodian troops.
"We will not be the first to start fighting," Gen Anupong told reporters.
"The local commander told me the situation is still calm. Forces from both countries deployed at the temple are constantly in contact with each other and there is no indication that it could lead to confrontation," he said.
Tension along the border has risen since Thailand decided to petition against the listing of the ancient khmer temple by the World Heritage Committee, which approved the application by Phnom Penh. Thailand has repeatedly argued the old temple should be jointly registered as a world heritage site,m even though it is in Cambodian territory. Access to the temple is through Thailand.
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-Deputy Prime Minister for security affairs Suthep Thaugsuban said on Tuesday he will on Saturday visit Cambodia to meet Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and explain the case Thailand is making to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) about the registration of the Preah Vihear ancient temple as a World Heritage site by Cambodia.
Mr Suthep said the petition is a matter between the Thai government and Unesco, and had nothing to do with Cambodia, which owns the temple.
If all conflict was cleared up, the situation between the two neighbouring countries would improve, he said.
He believed neither Thailand nor Cambodia wanted any problem with each other.
Army chief Anupong Paojinda made a visit to the Thai-Cambodian border area near Preah Vihear temple on Tuesday morning.
His trip followed reports Cambodia had sent troop reinforcements, extra 130mm artillery pieces and T-54 tanks to the border.
News media in Cambodia earlier reported there were unusual movements of Thai troops in expectation that the situation would become tense after Thailand asked Unesco to review the registration of the Preah Vihear temple as a world heritage site.
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong also said his country was ready for any situation which might follow the reinforcement of troops on the Thai side of the border.
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-Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva believes he will be able to explain to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen Thailand's intention to oppose Cambodia's unilateral listing of the Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site at next week's meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Seville, Spain.
He was responding to Hun Sen's expression of "deep regret" over Mr Abhisit's suggestion the two countries should jointly administer the temple.
The prime minister said he tries to be careful every time he gives an interview on this matter, to avoid spaking another clash of troops in disputed areas of the border around Preah Vihear.
The Thai government wants the two countries to cooperate in this and many other areas, he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban reiterated that the issue is between Thailand and the World Heritage Committee, which under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), and not between Thailand and Cambodia.
He said Thailand and Cambodia are neighbours, and the Thai government tries to prevent new conflicts arising.
Mr Suthep said he also would find time to meet Hun Sen to explain this matter.
On Thursday, Hun Sen said Thailand's plan to approach Unesco afresh on the matter threatened to violate Cambodia's sovereignty.
"I deeply regret that he has raised this issue now because this was not part of our decisions last week," he said at the Cambodian Foreign Ministry. "I doubt his plan will be successful."
Mr Abhisit met Hun Sen in Phnom Penh for talks last week.
The temple was granted to Cambodia in a 1962 under an International Court of Justice ruling. Thailand and Cambodia both claim the land around the site.
In July last year, the World Heritage Committe gave Preah Vihear temple World Heritage site status at the request of Cambodai, despite Thail objections.
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