Saturday, June 27, 2009
PHNOM PENH (AFP) — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen hosted one of Thailand's deputy premiers at his home on Saturday in an attempt to diffuse a long-standing border row with friendly chat.
Hun Sen's wife cooked lunch for Suthep Thaugsuban and Thai Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon at his residence in southern Kandal province, Suthep said, after tensions recently escalated over the UNESCO listing of an ancient temple.
Troops from both sides have built up on the Thai-Cambodia frontier in recent days near the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple, where seven soldiers have died in clashes since tensions flared last year.
Thailand's decision to ask world heritage body UNESCO to reconsider listing the temple has angered Hun Sen, but despite claiming the issue would not be discussed Saturday, Suthep said they had agreed to reduce tensions at the site.
"Prime Minister Hun Sen asked me to convey the message to our Prime Minister Abhisit (Vejjajiva) and the Thai people that Cambodia will try to reduce tensions (along the border) to assist economic cooperation between the two countries," Suthep told reporters after returning to Thailand.
"We should let bygones be bygones, forget the nightmare of the past and look forward to a positive future for both countries," he said.
Suthep also announced that a dam would be constructed in Cambodia to channel water to Thailand's eastern seaboard.
Foreign ministry spokesman Kuoy Kong said the pair had simply had a "friendly talk".
Hun Sen vowed on Thursday to take a hard stance on the dispute over the temple, the ownership of which was awarded to Cambodia by the World Court in 1962, sparking decades of tensions.
Unrest flared in July 2008 after UNESCO granted world heritage status to the ancient Khmer temple with its crumbling stone staircases and elegant carvings.
Hun Sen's wife cooked lunch for Suthep Thaugsuban and Thai Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon at his residence in southern Kandal province, Suthep said, after tensions recently escalated over the UNESCO listing of an ancient temple.
Troops from both sides have built up on the Thai-Cambodia frontier in recent days near the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple, where seven soldiers have died in clashes since tensions flared last year.
Thailand's decision to ask world heritage body UNESCO to reconsider listing the temple has angered Hun Sen, but despite claiming the issue would not be discussed Saturday, Suthep said they had agreed to reduce tensions at the site.
"Prime Minister Hun Sen asked me to convey the message to our Prime Minister Abhisit (Vejjajiva) and the Thai people that Cambodia will try to reduce tensions (along the border) to assist economic cooperation between the two countries," Suthep told reporters after returning to Thailand.
"We should let bygones be bygones, forget the nightmare of the past and look forward to a positive future for both countries," he said.
Suthep also announced that a dam would be constructed in Cambodia to channel water to Thailand's eastern seaboard.
Foreign ministry spokesman Kuoy Kong said the pair had simply had a "friendly talk".
Hun Sen vowed on Thursday to take a hard stance on the dispute over the temple, the ownership of which was awarded to Cambodia by the World Court in 1962, sparking decades of tensions.
Unrest flared in July 2008 after UNESCO granted world heritage status to the ancient Khmer temple with its crumbling stone staircases and elegant carvings.
9 comments:
Rather sad to see things at such a pass. Troops getting killed and what not. Let the temple be a zone of peace. This is Ben from Israeli Uncensored News
I remember when I was in school that thai want to capture Angkor wat they sent top 4 lieutenants as the surrenders and later those 4 was the main key of the thai attack the Angkor Wat city and one more time was at Longvek city.so thai can not cheat Khmer's sentiment.
Bun Rany cooked and bend over for him too...finally 4.6km of lands are split half/half, joints development....haha! Thai still win win!
Sutep must have made an offer Hun Xen could not refuse.
Kuoy Pichet
Politics is politics, but politics does not spill blood is the best. Thais can't be trusted. Thay can never win us if PM uses the existing mechanisms i.e. laws and/or accords to solve the problems while keeping the foreign nations informed on any developments with this country. It would make things easier to convence the US public (assuming that They would seek help from US should it be a war) to support us or international communities against the agressors.
Surya
Ben! Can you do that pray one more time, but this time for the Palestinian people, because their lands always consider by Isreal as a dispute territory.
Thank you Zion people.
THE STRONGEST KHMER ARMY BASE, THAI RAID AND DESTROYED BY USING MONEY TO LURE KHMER PEOPLE, WHY KHMER KEPT FORGETTING?? BECAUSE OF THE MONEY, THAI ARMY HAD DESTROYED KHMER LANDS AND CAPTURED KHMER TEMPELE THROUGHOUT....MONEY IS THE ROOT OF EVIL!!
correction = captured khmer lands and temples
Thai is borns to be lier! and knew how to play soft and very sweet tricks....Khmer during ancient time are too straight and kind da dumb!
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