Cambodia's Prime Minster Hun Sen (L) shake hands with Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva in front of a Khmer artefact in Pattaya April 10, 2009. (REUTERS/Sakchai Lalit/Pool)Fri Apr 10, 2009
PATTAYA, Thailand (Reuters) - The prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia met briefly on Friday, a week after border clashes killed two Thais, and expressed sorrow over the incident, but a Thai official said there may be future "hiccups".
Soldiers from the two Southeast Asian countries exchanged rocket and rifle fire last Friday on a disputed stretch of their border, the latest flare-up in an ancient feud over the 900-year-old Preah Vihear Hindu temple.
"We don't expect to solve the problem in the next few days, or the next few weeks. Occasionally there will be certain hiccups," Thai government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn told reporters after the meeting.
"What we have to do is make sure that the security agencies and forces in the area, that are in and out of the area all the time, understand each other."
After the bilateral meeting on the sidelines of an Asian summit in the Thai beach town of Pattaya, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva presented Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen with an ancient Khmer artefact.
The two shook hands, then Hun Sen leaned over to kiss the artefact, a large smiling face apparently made of terracotta.
In February, after an earlier border skirmish, Hun Sen reportedly threatened not to attend the East Asia Summit, which brings together 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with leaders of China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.
Soldiers from the two Southeast Asian countries exchanged rocket and rifle fire last Friday on a disputed stretch of their border, the latest flare-up in an ancient feud over the 900-year-old Preah Vihear Hindu temple.
"We don't expect to solve the problem in the next few days, or the next few weeks. Occasionally there will be certain hiccups," Thai government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn told reporters after the meeting.
"What we have to do is make sure that the security agencies and forces in the area, that are in and out of the area all the time, understand each other."
After the bilateral meeting on the sidelines of an Asian summit in the Thai beach town of Pattaya, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva presented Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen with an ancient Khmer artefact.
The two shook hands, then Hun Sen leaned over to kiss the artefact, a large smiling face apparently made of terracotta.
In February, after an earlier border skirmish, Hun Sen reportedly threatened not to attend the East Asia Summit, which brings together 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with leaders of China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.
8 comments:
PM Hun Sen is not that old, old, but the Thai PM shows youthfulness. Cambodia should prepare younger leaders to have successful continuity.
Hor Nam Hong, Keat Chhon, Chea Sim, Heng Samrin, etc., need to make way for fresh and younger people. They should stop being greedy and hogging all the power.
If Thailand knows what belongs to Cambodia, they should hand over the land which belongs to Cambodia as well.
This carving of giant head was stolen from Angkor Thom gate.
Just to pay attention to what they said "certain hiccups". Mind their jets, air raid and tanks with more soldiers a long the frontline. Be prepared, we just need to be cautious with those invaders! Never trust their words, they are liars and still lost in their history, don't really know where to stop their greediness to grab neighbor's land.
Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam should be working in solidarity among themselves and other southeast asian nations. Everything should work under agreed set of rules for commerce, politics and cultures. The region should focus more on intellectual, economic, cultural, and scientific collaboration so that every person in the region can enjoy life to the fullest possible. The feuds over egos, nationalism, and land boundary, do not really achieve any goal for regular people.
11:37pm do not expect these old school people such as hor nam hong, chea sim, heng somrin to give up power anytime soon. Do not forget that these people came to power as a result of the viet's invasion of cambodia; and they are steered left and right by viet boss. the cpp is a political machine for viets.
It's true, these old guards are even more Hanoi-leaning than Hun Sen. They are must have a role to keep Hun Sen from veering away from the chosen path. The indoctrination these people received is deeply embedded in their brains.
Cambodia got one stone, Thailand got lands...
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