Thailand Phnom Penh (Bangkok), Apr 25 (Kyodo) Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natelegawa has postponed visits today to Cambodia and Thailand, where he was to have overseen the signing of a document that would have paved the way for deployment of Indonesian observers at the disputed border areas between the two countries. Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong suggested the postponement stems from Thailand's unwillingness to approve the proposed terms of reference for dispatch of the Indonesian observers to the disputed area near the ancient temple of Preah Vihear. A Thai Foreign Ministry official said Marty's scheduled trip to the two countries, as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, was postponed because they have yet to conclude negotiations on the details of the document. Marty was to have met with Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong in Phnom Penh to get his signature and then fly to Bangkok later today to get that of Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya. Thailand earlier signed an agreement relating to the observers at February 22 at a meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers in Jakarta, but it has repeatedly objected to the terms of reference proposed by Indonesia as ASEAN chair. By contrast, Cambodia has accepted all drafts of the ASEAN chair's terms of reference and has urged Indonesia to dispatch the observers at the earliest possible opportunity, even allowing their unilateral stationing on Cambodian soil while Thailand refuses them. Cambodia and Thailand have been at loggerheads over the border disputes since 2008 and a number of clashes between their armies have taken place since then. The latest round of clashes began Friday and continued over the weekend, leaving at least 11 soldiers dead and dozens injured on both sides.
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