VOA标准英语10月-Thailand, Cambodia Working to Resolve Border Disp

Thailand and Cambodia have moved to end hostilities¹ by agreeing to joint² patrols in diplomatic efforts to end a border dispute that flared³ into conflict this week over an ancient temple complex. But as Ron Corben reports for VOA from Bangkok, Thai foreign affairs officials have raised alarm over the discovery of land mines in Thai territory.

Thai military officials said the joint patrols in the disputed border region were agreed to, following talks between commanders from both Thailand and Cambodia.
　

Cambodian soldiers patrol on the road up to the famed Preah Vihear temple near Thai border, 16 Oct 2008

A Thai army spokesman said the aim of the agreement for joint patrols was to reduce chances of a misunderstanding that may lead to another clash.

The urgent talks and diplomatic efforts by Thailand followed a deadly clash a day earlier that left at least two Cambodian soldiers dead and several other troops on both sides wounded. Some Thai troops were also detained by Cambodian forces.

The dispute concerns land around the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice granted sovereignty over the temple to Cambodia, but a main access route to it lies in Thailand.

For decades, a lingering disagreement over the area was nearly dormant⁴, but it revived in July when Thai nationalists protested Cambodia's successful request to have the temple declared a U.N. World Heritage site.

But Thai foreign ministry⁵ officials, in a briefing to foreign diplomats⁶ in Bangkok, accused Cambodia of laying Russian-made PMN-2 anti-personnel mines inside Thai territory.

In briefing notes, Thailand said unarmed Thai rangers⁷ had come under fire from Cambodian troops inside Thailand on October 3, with "injuries on both sides". The report said on October 6 two Thai paramilitary rangers were badly injured, later losing limbs after stepping on mines in an area previously⁸ cleared.

The director general of treaties and legal affairs, Virachn Plasai, said the uncovering of the newly laid mines marked a dangerous turn given both Thailand and Cambodia are state parties to the 1997 Ottawa convention banning land mines.

"What we find of grave concern is the discovery of these land mines newly planted. So we believe that is a grave threat for the international community as a whole because we believe that we have banned them, now they are back," said Virachn.

Talks on the dispute ended unsuccessfully on Monday, and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen then declared that Thai troops had crossed the border.

The Thai Foreign Ministry said the ultimatum⁹ by the Camboidan Prime Minister stood in "stark¹⁰ contradiction" to the Cambodian Government's earlier position the issue should be settled bilaterally¹¹ by peaceful means.

The deputy leader of the opposition¹² Democrat¹³ Party, Korn Chatikavanij, said the tensions put at risk the outcome of a leaders' summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations - ASEAN - due in Bangkok in December.

"It is a situation we all want to avoid and we hope cool heads will prevail. We were as a country looking forward to chairing the ASEAN summit later on this year. I do not see how that is going to turn out. This is an unnecessary and unfortunate series of incidents," said Korn.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern about the fighting and has called for both countries to peacefully resolve the dispute. In Washington, the U.S. State Department also urged both governments to avoid violence.

About 400 Thais left Cambodia after Bangkok urged citizens to return home if they did not have urgent business across the border. And hundreds of Cambodians were reported earlier to have left their homes near the temple.

1 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

2 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

3 Flared   

adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The match flared and went out. 火柴闪亮了一下就熄了。
• The fire flared up when we thought it was out. 我们以为火已经熄灭，但它突然又燃烧起来。

4 dormant   

adj.暂停活动的；休眠的；潜伏的

参考例句：

• Many animals are in a dormant state during winter.在冬天许多动物都处于睡眠状态。
• This dormant volcano suddenly fired up.这座休眠火山突然爆发了。

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 rangers   

护林者( ranger的名词复数 )； 突击队员

参考例句：

• Do you know where the Rangers Stadium is? 你知道Rangers体育场在哪吗？ 来自超越目标英语 第3册
• Now I'm a Rangers' fan, so I like to be near the stadium. 现在我是Rangers的爱好者，所以我想离体育场近一点。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

8 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

9 ultimatum   

n.最后通牒

参考例句：

• This time the proposal was couched as an ultimatum.这一次该提议是以最后通牒的形式提出来的。
• The cabinet met today to discuss how to respond to the ultimatum.内阁今天开会商量如何应对这道最后通牒。

10 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

11 bilaterally   

[医]adv.两侧，双向地

参考例句：

• The data in the Performance Test shall be Bilaterally recorded and confirmed. 在生产线考核期间的数据应由双方共同记录并确认。
• Anatomic constraints may preclude the insertion a transarticular screw unilaterally or bilaterally. 解剖制约可能妨碍单边或双边插入关节螺钉。

12 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

13 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。