Cambodia suspends call for UN intervention on border dispute pending Thai talks

Cambodia will pursue U.N. intervention to avoid a military confrontation with Thailand if talks between the two countries fail to produce a breakthrough, the Cambodian foreign minister said Friday. Cambodia is only postponing — not canceling — its request for the U.N. Security Council to hold an emergency meeting on the dispute over contested land near a historic temple, Hor Namhong told reporters. Foreign ministers from both countries are scheduled to meet Monday in the Cambodian city of Siem Reap. "This is a new step in our goodwill to try to find a solution to the problem through peaceful negotiations," Hor Namhong said after meeting with ambassadors to Cambodia from the Security Council's five permanent members. The session was called to inform diplomats about the Monday talks. He said he was "quite hopeful" that the... [read full story]