Cambodia insists troops will remain near disputed temple site for now

The Cambodian government said 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 neighbor 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 (meters) from the 11th century Preah Vihear temple near their border. "We cannot soften our position because this is a violation of our territorial integrity," he told a news conference. "Thailand is trying to turn its aggression into a permanent occupation." Military tensions between the two countries over 1.8 square miles (4.6 square kilometers) of land intensified earlier this month after UNESCO approved a... [read full story]