Thailand won’t negotiate with Cambodia as long as Thaksin advises
Thailand won’t negotiate with Cambodia as long as Thaksin advises
BANGKOK, Nov 27 – Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Kasit Piromya on Friday asserted that Thailand will not open negotiations to settle the diplomatic row with its neighbour Cambodia as the problem was caused by its neighbour when Cambodia appointed fugitive ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra as its economic adviser.
Mr Kasit commented as former Thai foreign minister Surakiart Sathirathai advised the Abhisit Vejjajiva government to open talks with the Cambodian government first to end recent diplomatic falling out which deteriorated relations between the two kingdoms.
The minister reaffirmed that Thailand will not begin negotiations as long as the fugitive ex-Thai premier remains in the post and the Cambodian government still “meddles” with Mr Thaksin.
He said that it is not about “losing face” because Thailand has its own dignity, saying the problem was initiated by the Cambodian government and should be ended by Phnom Penh.
Mr Kasit also denied a news report that the Thai foreign ministry has submitted a letter to the Cambodian government calling for Mr Thaksin’s dismissal, saying that the ministry has already disclosed what it had done, and that it has nothing to hide.
The foreign ministry has done everything in its power to help the detained Thai engineer being held in a Cambodian prison over spying charges and provided a lawyer for him, but the case must proceed under the Cambodian judicial process, he said.
Diplomatic ties between Thailand and Cambodia worsened after the Cambodian government appointed the fugitive ex-Thai premier as its economic adviser and personal adviser to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Both countries recalled their respective ambassadors in retaliatory action, while the Cambodian government rejected Thailand’s request to extradite Mr Thaksin.
The Cambodian authorities then arrested Siwarak Chutipong, an employee of Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS), charging him with acquiring secret information considered to affecting Cambodia’s national security after he was accused of releasing Thaksin Shinawatra’s flight schedule to a Thai embassy official in Phnom Penh.
Meanwhile, Cambodian Defence Minister Gen Tea Banh who is now attending the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) meeting in the Thai seaside resort of Pattaya south-east of Bangkok on Friday reiterated that legal action against Mr Siwarak will proceed under international legal practices and with fair treatment.
Gen Tea Banh expressed confidence that problems will be sorted out and Cambodia will not complicate the case of the Thai engineer by mixing it with other issues.
However, he said the period of detention depends on the legal procedure and the court ruling.
The Cambodian defence minister reasserted that the arrest of the Thai citizen has nothing to do with politics, but is because his actions are an offence under Cambodian law.
THAI-CAMBODIA DISPUTE
Thai-Khmer armed forces plan major role in resolving dispute
Pattaya – The Thai and Cambodian military yesterday cemented their roles as pacifying forces amid the Bangkok-Phnom Penh diplomatic showdown, declaring readiness to use their good offices to help patch things up.
Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and his Cambodian counterpart, Tea Banh, spent yesterday mapping out guidelines for future cooperation and identified specific programmes to serve as a platform for such cooperation.
The meeting, carried out in the context of the General Border Committee, a long-standing forum between military top brass from the two countries, sought to safeguard the current comfort level and not let political fallout affect existing cooperation.
A senior officer from Thailand’s Second Army Area with a long history of working with Cambodian authorities said it might seem odd to permit the two militaries to take the leading role in ironing out the differences. But he added the two sides had no political baggage, and would like to close the chapter of past decades, especially during the turbulent period of the Khmer Rogue years, as well as the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia.
It’s believed that Cambodian leader Hun Sen never wanted to provoke a military confrontation, hence the decision to permit Tea Banh to maintain good relations with the Thai side.
Among Prawit’s delegation were Defence Ministry permanent secretary General Songkitti Jakkrabatra, Army chief General Anupong Paochinda, Navy chief Admiral Kamthorn Phumhiran, Air Chief Marshal Itthaporn Supawong, First Army Area commander Lt-General Kanit Sapitak and Second Army Area commander Lt-General Weewalit Jonsamrit.
The two sides agreed to use peaceful means to settle any disagreement. Communications from the ministerial to the operational levels will be kept open at all times.
Both sides want to ensure normal cross-border trade and other activities to “maintain best interests of peoples of the two countries,” Prawit said.
When asked about a Thai engineer arrested on spying charges, Tea Banh said the issue was one for Cambodia’s courts of law, which will handle the case without prejudice.
Tea Banh said he hoped this cooperation between the countries’ military at least will help “contain the situation from getting worse”.
THAI-CAMBODIA ROW
Abhisit is the most difficult Thai PM : Hun Sen
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday described Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva as the most difficult Thai premier he has worked with.
The mutual ties which has been sour for months would be normalised only if Thailand has a new government, Hun Sen told reporters in Phnom Penh.
He claimed that Abhisit phoned him during the weekend after Phnom Penh government sent a note to inform Bangkok last week that it decided to cancel its request to receive a loan of US$41 million for a road construction from a Thai border province.
“Abhisit called me, for the first time, on the weekend, asking me to withdraw the note. He said Thailand is still willing to give the loans to Cambodia,” Hun Sen said.
Abhisit was informed that Cambodia needed an official letter from him. The Thai premier agreed but later failed to sign and send the letter by 10am as promised on Saturday.
“Abhisit as the most difficult person to work with among the Thai PMs I have worked with,” Hun Sen said.
Hun Sen further criticised Abhisit government for looking down on Cambodia by threatening to withdraw its aids for Cambodia following fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra’s visit to Phnom Penh in early November.
Hun Sen told reporters that from now on Cambodia would not accept any aid from Thailand.
“We decided to stop receiving any aid and assistance from Thailand. Cambodia can not allow itself to be humiliated,” said Prime Minister Hun Sen.
He referred what he called threats by Thailand to withdraw its aids to Cambodia in a diplomatic spat between the two neighbouring countries.