Preah Vihear sits on a disputed patch of land bordering Thailand and Cambodia. At first glance, there’s not much here worth fighting over – a beautiful ruin of a temple and little else of value.
But possession of Preah Vihear is a matter of national pride, contested by two ancient Asian monarchies.
A centuries-old rivalry erupted again last July, as UNESCO recognized Preah Vihear’s World Heritage status in Cambodia’s name. Thai nationalists immediately decried the move, claiming Thai ownership of the temple site and inciting a diplomatic incident.
More than 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops ended up occupying the area, both sides threatening violence until diplomats from both sides agreed to a de-escalation of forces in August.
War once again threatened to erupt on October 15, as Thai and Cambodian forces opened fire on each other in the vicinity of Preah Vihear. The gunfire claimed the lives of two Cambodian soldiers and wounded several on both sides. Ten Thai soldiers were captured by the Cambodian forces.
Despite the provocation, both sides stayed calm – Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong called it "an incident between soldiers, not an invasion."
Namhong reassured the Thai government that the captured Thai soldiers would be returned if the government asked for them back.
"The Prime Minister has ordered that the 10 soldiers be treated well," Namhong told reporters. "We remain committed to solving the problems through peaceful means."
On the Thai side, spokesman Sansern Kaewkumnerd told reporters that "the army commander has emphasized that we will not react disproportionately, which may exacerbate the problem."
Negotiators from both sides went ahead with a meeting near the temple. Both sides have sent reinforcements, but are back at an impasse.
How has this remote temple ruin become the center of a cross-country controversy? Blame Preah Vihear's unique geography, as well as centuries of rivalry between the disputing countries.
Geography. The temple is located at the top of a 1,500 foot-high cliff. Its isolated location made it a perfect staging ground for the Khmer Rouge, who stayed in the area until 1998. To this day, the area around the temple is littered with rusting artillery pieces and live personnel mines.
Preah Vihear is more easily reached from Thailand - a paved road takes visitors with ease up to the temple site, while the trail on the Dangrek escarpment on the Cambodian side is steep and dangerous.
The area remains thickly forested and infested with mines left over from the Khmer Rouge era - hundreds have died along this trail, temple visitors and war refugees alike.
Nationalism. While there’s little to gain materially in this conflict – apart from the tourist income to be gained from temple visitors – both sides feel they have huge stakes in the matter.
National pride is involved - not a small thing when you’re dealing with two ancient kingdoms with deeply-held grudges!
For instance, many Thais still seethe at the memory of a 1962 World Court ruling that officially recognized Preah Vihear as Cambodian territory, despite a fund-raising effort in which every Thai citizen donated one baht to support Thailand's legal team.
And many Cambodians can't forget how the Thai government helped prolong the wars of the 70s and 80s by supporting the Khmer Rouge against the country's Vietnamese occupiers.
Going back even further, Thailand's rivalry with Cambodia stretches back hundreds of years, dating back to when Thailand was known as Siam, had its capital in Ayutthaya, and contended with the neighboring Khmer Empire.
