On 11 June, Cambodian Government-run Phnom Penh Television Kampuchea in Cambodian at 0542 GMT carried a 90-minute recorded report, following its midday newscast, on Prime Minister Hun Sen presiding over a ceremony to open a site for the construction of the 975-meter Prek Kdam bridge, with loan from the Chinese Government, on the morning of 11 June. The Chinese Ambassador was also present at the event.
In his 80-minute speech, commenting on "accusations made by a Thai army general against the Cambodian Muslims," Hun Sen said, "Today, as Cambodia's prime minister, I wish to comment on some irresponsible remarks made by the Thai military spokesman. And I hope that the Thai Prime Minister, His Excellency Surayud [Chulanont], would correct the spokesman, because it is too severe for the Cambodian Muslim compatriots, who are accused of being the base for the JI [Jemaah Islamiyah] terrorists in Asia and traveling to the upper part of Thailand to join the separatist movement in the southern region of Thailand."
Hun Sen then recalled the "grenade explosions in Bangkok" on 31 December last year, and he said he thought that it was "because of the incompetence of the Thai security [forces], then blame was laid on Cambodia instead. Should it be a shame that the Thai authorities, with enormous military and police forces, allowed grenades to be shipped hundreds of kilometers from Cambodia to Bangkok? I think that they should not comment on such a story, because they debased their competent authorities outright and paint colors on other people. They were so weak. For instance, if the bombs were really taken from Cambodia, the Thai competent authorities were too weak, allowing the grenades to be shipped hundreds of kilometers from Cambodia to Thailand, to Bangkok. As such, the military and police authorities of Thailand are so incompetent." "And then a few months later," Hun Sen added, "they said they did not have concrete evidence. If you did not have evidence, why did you claim that the grenades were sent from Cambodia?"
On the accusations against Cambodian Muslims, Hun Sen said they had long existed, but he had "not thought that Cambodia was even accused of being a training base for the JI group." He added he felt hurt with the "blame laid on the Cambodian Muslim compatriots, who want just to live in peace and enjoy benefits like the other people." Now they were "accused being terrorists. It is too severe. It is very severe."
Hun Sen also recalled that last year, he told a Thai military general of the Thaksin government directly that the "Muslim compatriots in Cambodia were not that stupid to the point that they went and served as mercenaries for the separatist in south Thailand. I wish to ask: only confronting with the Thai Muslim compatriots is still not enough for the Thai Government. Why does it also need to confront with the Muslims in Cambodia at present?"
Hun Sen said, "Today, I wish to clearly spell out our positions."
1. Cambodia "respects Thailand's independence and sovereignty. In the past, Thailand had its own problems that were its internal affairs. The [words indistinct] and the coup d'etat in Bangkok were all of the internal aspects."
Elaborating on the position, Hun Sen said he had told Thai Prime Minister Surayud during his recent visit to Cambodia after the military coup that Thailand's decisions were its own affairs. And recently, he added, the Thai "Constitutional Court dissolved the Thai Rak Thai Party led by Thaksin and imposed a ban on politicians, Cambodia did comment that it was a violation of democratic rights or something."
2. Cambodia wishes to "appeal to the Thai Government or to the Thai military leadership not to internationalize Thailand's internal affairs through painting colors on other people, including Cambodia. They are asked not to internationalize its internal affairs."
3. If they have something that needs to be resolved, Cambodia is "already prepared to negotiate at all levels, including the prime ministerial level, the foreign ministerial level, the defense ministerial level, or the interior ministerial level and to hold constructive talks to look for preventive measures. I wish to make it clear that in Cambodia, if there certainly have been JI terrorists, they would not have been allowed to go to Thailand, Cambodia would have routed them in the country outright. It is because the question regarding terrorists is not a separate issue of Thailand, but a problem of Cambodia too." Hun Sen warned against the Thai army general "using such language on the pages of newspapers."
Hun Sen asked all the Muslim people in Cambodia "not to worry," and he said, "The Royal Government will always be with you." [applause] "Any unjust accusations are unacceptable." He added that he, as the head of the Royal Government of Cambodia [RGC], wished to "appeal to the Thai side to calm down and understand that Cambodia is not a safe haven for anybody to attack Thailand." He also said, "If there certainly be JI terrorists in Cambodia, they did not need to go to Bangkok, they would be attacked here outright." "They [Thais] were weak," he remarked, "but they put the blame on other people."
Hun Sen said, "I hope that Bangkok would understand this situation" and that if need be, Cambodia could also "contribute to the process of seeking peace for Thailand." "If division had gone up to that level," he added, "Cambodia can also be the meeting venues for solving Thailand's problems." He also said there was "no problem between Cambodia and Thailand. Talks can be held everywhere" and that the two countries could "cooperate to fight terrorists both in Thailand and Cambodia. Anywhere, terrorism is not a separate issue of anyone. It is a common issue of everybody." He further said that Cambodia, albeit poor, were not "willing to serve as mercenaries in Thailand" and that Cambodia "only sent troops to Sudan" under the UN supervision and that it would "not allow anybody [in Cambodia] to send forces to serve as troops in foreign countries."
Hun Sen then asked the Muslim people in Cambodia "not to be afraid that the government suspected them of anything," and he again called on Thailand "not to internationalize its internal problems, linking them to the Muslim compatriots here," which was "not the RGC's political line."
Hun Sen said the remarks by the Thai army general had affected the "two countries' good relations" and that what was worst was that Cambodia was accused of being a "safe haven for terrorists and fraught with JI elements." However, he added, the remarks were "not from Prime Minister Surayud, but from the spokesman. And I hope that Prime Minister Surayud would instruct the spokesman to rectify his comments."
Before concluding comments on the remarks by the Thai army general, Hun Sen repeated that he "hoped Thailand would not internationalize its internal affairs, linking them to the Muslims in Cambodia" and that if need be, "Cambodia would host talks" in either Kaoh Kong, Phnom Penh, or Siemreab. Hun Sen emphatically said, "I firmly believe that Thailand is intelligent enough to solve its internal problems in which Cambodia has never interfered, but it is asked not to implicate Cambodia through making unfounded and baseless accusations. I appeal to all our people to continue strengthening solidarity with Thailand. The problem concerns only the Thai spokesman. It is not a conflict between Cambodia and Thailand. It is only with the spokesman."
In his 80-minute speech, commenting on "accusations made by a Thai army general against the Cambodian Muslims," Hun Sen said, "Today, as Cambodia's prime minister, I wish to comment on some irresponsible remarks made by the Thai military spokesman. And I hope that the Thai Prime Minister, His Excellency Surayud [Chulanont], would correct the spokesman, because it is too severe for the Cambodian Muslim compatriots, who are accused of being the base for the JI [Jemaah Islamiyah] terrorists in Asia and traveling to the upper part of Thailand to join the separatist movement in the southern region of Thailand."
Hun Sen then recalled the "grenade explosions in Bangkok" on 31 December last year, and he said he thought that it was "because of the incompetence of the Thai security [forces], then blame was laid on Cambodia instead. Should it be a shame that the Thai authorities, with enormous military and police forces, allowed grenades to be shipped hundreds of kilometers from Cambodia to Bangkok? I think that they should not comment on such a story, because they debased their competent authorities outright and paint colors on other people. They were so weak. For instance, if the bombs were really taken from Cambodia, the Thai competent authorities were too weak, allowing the grenades to be shipped hundreds of kilometers from Cambodia to Thailand, to Bangkok. As such, the military and police authorities of Thailand are so incompetent." "And then a few months later," Hun Sen added, "they said they did not have concrete evidence. If you did not have evidence, why did you claim that the grenades were sent from Cambodia?"
On the accusations against Cambodian Muslims, Hun Sen said they had long existed, but he had "not thought that Cambodia was even accused of being a training base for the JI group." He added he felt hurt with the "blame laid on the Cambodian Muslim compatriots, who want just to live in peace and enjoy benefits like the other people." Now they were "accused being terrorists. It is too severe. It is very severe."
Hun Sen also recalled that last year, he told a Thai military general of the Thaksin government directly that the "Muslim compatriots in Cambodia were not that stupid to the point that they went and served as mercenaries for the separatist in south Thailand. I wish to ask: only confronting with the Thai Muslim compatriots is still not enough for the Thai Government. Why does it also need to confront with the Muslims in Cambodia at present?"
Hun Sen said, "Today, I wish to clearly spell out our positions."
1. Cambodia "respects Thailand's independence and sovereignty. In the past, Thailand had its own problems that were its internal affairs. The [words indistinct] and the coup d'etat in Bangkok were all of the internal aspects."
Elaborating on the position, Hun Sen said he had told Thai Prime Minister Surayud during his recent visit to Cambodia after the military coup that Thailand's decisions were its own affairs. And recently, he added, the Thai "Constitutional Court dissolved the Thai Rak Thai Party led by Thaksin and imposed a ban on politicians, Cambodia did comment that it was a violation of democratic rights or something."
2. Cambodia wishes to "appeal to the Thai Government or to the Thai military leadership not to internationalize Thailand's internal affairs through painting colors on other people, including Cambodia. They are asked not to internationalize its internal affairs."
3. If they have something that needs to be resolved, Cambodia is "already prepared to negotiate at all levels, including the prime ministerial level, the foreign ministerial level, the defense ministerial level, or the interior ministerial level and to hold constructive talks to look for preventive measures. I wish to make it clear that in Cambodia, if there certainly have been JI terrorists, they would not have been allowed to go to Thailand, Cambodia would have routed them in the country outright. It is because the question regarding terrorists is not a separate issue of Thailand, but a problem of Cambodia too." Hun Sen warned against the Thai army general "using such language on the pages of newspapers."
Hun Sen asked all the Muslim people in Cambodia "not to worry," and he said, "The Royal Government will always be with you." [applause] "Any unjust accusations are unacceptable." He added that he, as the head of the Royal Government of Cambodia [RGC], wished to "appeal to the Thai side to calm down and understand that Cambodia is not a safe haven for anybody to attack Thailand." He also said, "If there certainly be JI terrorists in Cambodia, they did not need to go to Bangkok, they would be attacked here outright." "They [Thais] were weak," he remarked, "but they put the blame on other people."
Hun Sen said, "I hope that Bangkok would understand this situation" and that if need be, Cambodia could also "contribute to the process of seeking peace for Thailand." "If division had gone up to that level," he added, "Cambodia can also be the meeting venues for solving Thailand's problems." He also said there was "no problem between Cambodia and Thailand. Talks can be held everywhere" and that the two countries could "cooperate to fight terrorists both in Thailand and Cambodia. Anywhere, terrorism is not a separate issue of anyone. It is a common issue of everybody." He further said that Cambodia, albeit poor, were not "willing to serve as mercenaries in Thailand" and that Cambodia "only sent troops to Sudan" under the UN supervision and that it would "not allow anybody [in Cambodia] to send forces to serve as troops in foreign countries."
Hun Sen then asked the Muslim people in Cambodia "not to be afraid that the government suspected them of anything," and he again called on Thailand "not to internationalize its internal problems, linking them to the Muslim compatriots here," which was "not the RGC's political line."
Hun Sen said the remarks by the Thai army general had affected the "two countries' good relations" and that what was worst was that Cambodia was accused of being a "safe haven for terrorists and fraught with JI elements." However, he added, the remarks were "not from Prime Minister Surayud, but from the spokesman. And I hope that Prime Minister Surayud would instruct the spokesman to rectify his comments."
Before concluding comments on the remarks by the Thai army general, Hun Sen repeated that he "hoped Thailand would not internationalize its internal affairs, linking them to the Muslims in Cambodia" and that if need be, "Cambodia would host talks" in either Kaoh Kong, Phnom Penh, or Siemreab. Hun Sen emphatically said, "I firmly believe that Thailand is intelligent enough to solve its internal problems in which Cambodia has never interfered, but it is asked not to implicate Cambodia through making unfounded and baseless accusations. I appeal to all our people to continue strengthening solidarity with Thailand. The problem concerns only the Thai spokesman. It is not a conflict between Cambodia and Thailand. It is only with the spokesman."
3 comments:
Wait and see the competency of Cambodian law enforcement.
When a fat lady sing then the story will be previaled.
Don't pour water before it rains.
Very clever, cunning maneuvering HunSen, and though it lacks persuasiveness and/or consistency. It wasn't all bad.
Hun Sen, what if the 2008 election isn't approaching, will you be backing up for the Khmer Muslims? Now, I see that minority will come to vote for you. ALL YOU NEED NOW IS THAT FARMERS' CROPS WERE DESTROY BY FLOOD & DROUGHT. AND YOU GO DONATING RICES AND SALTS, THEN YOU WILL SECURE YOUR SEAT!!!!!!!!
A VERY CUNNING MOVE INDEED.
How on Earth the fucken Thaicong can blame on Cambodia for the Muslim unrest in Southern Thailane? This whole problem of Muslim unrest is located between Thailane and Malaysia and geographically it is impossible for any Khmer Muslim to get involve!
Let face it! If the fucken Thaicong can't take on Malaysian Muslim and they always take on weaker Khmer Muslim! ahahhahahah! Why do you think the Thaicong always mistreated the stupid Khmer Buddhists for many years? It is because Cambodia is one weak country on this planet!
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