Sunday, November 08, 2009

Hun Sen Says Diplomatic Spat Won't Spread: Hun Sen blinks first?

Border not likely to feel Thaksin heat

Cambodian Premier Hun Sen Says Diplomatic Spat Won't Spread

8/11/2009
Bangkok Post

The diplomat spat between Thailand and Cambodia is unlikely to spread to the border, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen predicted yesterday.

Relations between the countries have worsened dramatically as Thailand protests against Cambodia's invitation to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to act as its adviser.

Each country has recalled its ambassadors, and on Thursday Thailand decided to scrap talks on the maritime boundary and joint development of the Gulf of Thailand.

Japan and other Asean members are worried by the potential of the dispute to grow further.

However, Hun Sen, in his first comment on the spat yesterday, said the situation on the border is stable.

"The situation in the border areas is stable although there have been verbal exchanges between the two countries over the past two to three months," Hun Sen was quoted as telling Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in Tokyo yesterday. A Japanese Foreign Ministry official gave the media an account of his comments.

Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia, Prasas Prasasvinitchai, from Phnom Penh on Thursday to protest against Hun Sen's decision to appoint Thaksin as his personal adviser and adviser to the Cambodian government.

Cambodia's ambassador to Thailand returned to her country the next day.

Thaksin's appointment as adviser was made on Oct 27 and announced last Wednesday.

The Thai, Cambodian and Japanese prime ministers attended a summit between Japan and the Mekong countries which ended yesterday. The Thai and Cambodian prime ministers did not have talks. The Japanese prime minister was quoted as saying that Tokyo was concerned about the spat. "I hope the problem improves, as you are important neighbours in the Mekong River region," Mr Hatoyama said.

Mr Hatoyama also met Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who said he wanted to keep the problem from worsening, the official said.

Mr Abhisit reaffirmed the government's intention to seek Thaksin's extradition if he visited Cambodia.

Thaksin was convicted for conflicts of interest in a property deal, but fled abroad while on bail.

"We do not accept the view that this is a political case. Rather, it is a straight-forward application of our laws," Mr Abhisit said. Asked if Bangkok would seal its border with Cambodia, Mr Abhisit replied: "At the moment, we don't have plans to do that."

The conflicts prompted Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan to urge other members to help Cambodia and Thailand settle their differences.

He wrote to all Asean foreign ministers on Friday, saying he had received many expressions of concern by Asean's dialogue partners and friends over the deterioration of relations between Cambodia and Thailand. He said the dispute could undermine the credibility of Asean, ahead of key meetings next week.

'We can't afford to be seen as being so seriously divided prior to the upcoming Apec [Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation] economic leaders meeting, and the Asean-US leaders meeting in Singapore this month," he said.

Asean members are obliged to offer assistance to help fellow member states settle bilateral disputes. Mr Surin called on the two countries to exercise restraint and avoid any actions that might cause more tension. The Apec summit will take place next Saturday and Sunday, and the summit between Asean and the US next Sunday.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Trust Hun Sen and let him do the job. I know he is very capable. SR should focus on LEGAL Means against the east.

Anonymous said...

6:13 AM

I agree with you 100%. Both political party leaders should balance each other as far as our neighbors are concern. No need to just focus on Thailand. We need to focus on both sides.

Anonymous said...

When Thai invade our preah vihear region,HUN SEN and his crack head followers were up in arm but when YUON stole our land right in front of them ,they all are silent why?.Are these people no longer khmer?.

Anonymous said...

No, they are 101% Khmer but they just want to leave that matter to our hero Sam Rangsey.

Anonymous said...

This is a dumb wars if it about to start.
Cambodian do not need Taksin for Thais have an excuse to beat khmer up.
Wait and see I think we are khmer play a looser chest.

Anonymous said...

The Thais are a bunch of loonies ultra-nationalists...What is the matter with them??? It's true that Cambodia do not have economic experts, that's why Samdech Hun Sen imports foreign know-how like Lee Myung Bak and now Thaksin. The Thais are ingrateful bastards who owe so much to Cambodia for the past 800 years. They are imperialists who can not exert control beyond their borders...Instead of fostering fraternal friendship between our two peoples (Khmer-Thai) which share so much in common, they choose the wrong path to self-destruction and humiliation. In the eyes of the world, they are indeed a crazy disturbed people...

Anonymous said...

YOUN AND SIAM ARE THE SAME.
YOUN IS APPLAUDING WHEN SEEING KHMER-THAI CONFLICT.

I DON'T KNOW WHEN KHMER COULD REPAY ALL THE FAVOR TO VIETNAMESE SINCE 1979 AND IF THE REAL FIGHTING HAPPEN AT KHMER-THAI BORDER THEN KHMER WILL OWE MORE FAVOR TO VIETNAMESE BECAUSE HUN XEN IS CONFRONTING WITH THAILAND OVER PREVIHEAR ISSUE RELYING ON VIETNAMESE TROOP.

Anonymous said...

Vietnam doesn't want cambodia to focus on their border issues between viet/cambodia, after Sam Rainsy pulling out some border stake at Svay Reing, they kept put pressure on cambodia to focus on Thai/cambodia instead, i think vietnam is behind all of these conflicts...

Anonymous said...

Suthep is right! former PM Thaksins trying to use cambodia as a military base to strike Abhisit Govt...

Anonymous said...

HUN SEN IS PLAYING DANGEROUS GAME BY FIRST HE BETRAY HIS OWN PEOPLE, NOW HE IS ALIENATE THAI PEOPLE, HOW IS HE GOING TO KEEP PEACE IN THE REGION.
I THINK IT TIME THAT US AND THAI SEND THEIR COMMANDO TO GET RID OF THIS MONSTER AND THE REST OF DUM PEASANT CPP MEMBER.

Anonymous said...

To Hun Sen (Leader of the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime)

Since you and the CPP assassinated, executed, killed and murdered jurnalists, political opponents, leaders of the free trade union, innocent men, innocent women and innocent children;

Do you have any plan to assassinate the Thai prime minister (Abhisit Vejjajiva)?

Are you going to send Brigade 70 (Hun Sen's Death Squad Unit) to assassinate the Thai prime minister (Abhisit Vejjajiva)?

Is it true, you only kill your own peoples, you will not kill Thai and Veitnamese peoples that cannot get enough of our land?

Is it true, you only kill innocent Khmer peoples with no weapon in their hands?