Thais, Cambodia face diplomatic pressure to end dispute

PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia (Reuters) - Thailand and Cambodia faced growing diplomatic pressure on Wednesday to end a standoff on a stretch of border surrounding a 900-year-old clifftop temple as guns held silent for a second day.

Reuters witnesses said about 20 Thai tanks were sent to a military camp in Kantaralak district in Thailand's Sri Sa Ket province close to the disputed border, but Thai army officials said they were not reinforcing troops in the area.

Thailand and Cambodia blame each other for provoking intense exchanges of fire that killed at least three Thais and eight Cambodians since Friday. At least 34 Thais and 55 Cambodians were wounded, according to official statements from the two sides.

Diplomats at the U.N. Security Council said the 15-nation body would most likely discuss the issue on Monday after the United States, China and the Association of South East Asian Nations urged both sides to show restraint. They said the format and participation of the meeting remain unclear.

Bilateral talks could take place in New York, possibly on Monday when Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya is to brief the Security Council, said his spokesman, Thani Thongpakdi. His Cambodian counterpart, Hor Namhong, is also due in New York.

"There is a possibility that the two will meet on the sidelines," said Thani, adding that this year's ASEAN chair, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, would also be in New York.

Thailand and Cambodia are both members of ASEAN, which plans to form a European-style single market by 2015 and has urged bilateral talks to end the fiercest fighting on the border since the 1990s, when Cambodia's Khmer Rouge forces operated in the area.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ruled out bilateral talks, though he stressed the need for mediation. He also said in a speech in Phnom Penh his country was at war with Thailand.

"This war must be solved at the United Nations," he said, adding that Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was a "cheat."

Thailand's foreign minister said Hun Sen was a "naughty boy."

"I have to say we have a naughty boy hounding (us) next door," Kasit told a parliamentary hearing.

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At the border, both sides held their fire for a second day after a clash on Friday set off four days of fighting in the 4.6-square-km (2-square-mile) contested area around the Preah Vihear temple claimed by the neighbors.

"The situation remains calm but what happens next depends on the Thai troops," Chea Dara, Deputy Commander of the Cambodian army, told Reuters.

Cambodian troops continued to dig trenches around the temple.

Three Cambodian soldiers interviewed by Reuters on Wednesday said the number of Cambodians killed was likely to be higher than the government had indicated. They declined to be identified because they were not authorized to comment.

"There are many more deaths and injuries. People would be shocked," said one soldier, adding that his deputy commander was killed in a clash on Sunday when a Thai shell hit the area near their unit.

Their statements could not be immediately confirmed by the Cambodian government.

In Cambodia's northern frontier areas, schools and temples have been turned into shelters for displaced people.

Reasons behind the fighting remain unclear. Some analysts say hawkish Thai generals and nationalist allies may be trying to topple Thailand's government or create a pretext to stage another coup and cancel elections expected this year.

Others say it may be a breakdown in communication channels at a time of strained relations over Cambodia's flying of a national flag in the disputed area and laying of a stone tablet inscribed with "This is Cambodia."

(Additional reporting by Prapan Chankaew in Ban Sangam, Ambika Ahuja in Bangkok, Damir Sagolj in Preah Vihear and Louis Charbonneau in New York; writing by Jason Szep; editing by Robert Birsel, Daniel Magnowski and Mohammad Zargham)