Friday, November 06, 2009

Thai-Cambodia row not good for ASEAN: Singapore

SINGAPORE, Nov 6 (AFP) - Singapore expressed concern Friday over the worsening diplomatic row between Thailand and Cambodia, saying "it is not good" for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"Singapore is concerned about the deteriorating relationship between Thailand and Cambodia. It is not good for ASEAN," a spokesman for the city-state's foreign ministry said.

"We hope that both our friends will keep the larger interest of ASEAN in mind and find a way to resolve their differences quickly in a spirit of good neighbourliness."

Thailand on Friday threatened to close its border with Cambodia in a spiralling diplomatic row over Phnom Penh's naming of fugitive former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra as an economic adviser.

The warning came a day after the two countries recalled their respective ambassadors due to the dispute over the appointment of Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and lives abroad to avoid a jail term for corruption.

Cambodia, Singapore and Thailand are members of ASEAN along with Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

That what you alow the injustice amd the tugs rule Cambodia!

Review your Paris Accord,FOOLs!!!!

Anonymous said...

That's what, you are allowing the injustice and the tugs rule Cambodia!

Review the Paris Accord,FOOLs!!!!
And give the power to the people of Cambodia to groups of tugs!

Fire and disease will spread if you are not help containt it!

NOw you see what we Cambodian have suffer since 1975! And lost second hope of justice after 1993! Do you job right UN.

Anonymous said...

លោកសៀមអើយបើបិតព្រុំប្រទល់សូមឲ្យបិតជារាងរហូតកុំឲ្យបើកវិញអូរខេ!សូមលោកសៀមយក
លោកសមរង្សីទៅនៅស្រុកលោកទៀតទៅពលរដ្ធ
ខ្មែរមិនចង់បានទេហើយពលរដ្ធខ្មែរថែមលោកគឹម
សុខាឲ្យមួយទៀត។បើលោកសៀមយកអ្នកទាំងពីរ
នេះចេញពីស្រុកខ្មែរយើងជាប្រជាជនខ្មែរអបអរសាទលោកសៀម!

11:04 PM

Anonymous said...

Singapore is responsible for the row escalation.It has a lot to lose in its single handed backing ASEAN common market, if Siam indefinitely severed relations with Cambodia.

It's likely the former Indo-China states may opt to back each other up. The trio plus Burma vote no confidence in ASEAN charter.

Burma has many bones to pick with Siam in backing ethnics guerilla warfare along its border already.

Bilateral derailing of Cambodia complaint over Siam violations of its border resulted heavy lost for the Pyrania Singapore which is used to nib from both sides of the problems.
Shame on Singapore's hypocrisy!

Anonymous said...

Did Singpapore say anything when the Thai troops were sent (still are) to occupy Cambodia territories around Preah Vihear Temple? Why did not Singapore say it was bad for ASEAN? Why now? Doubled standards?

Anonymous said...

ASEAN is useless.

Anonymous said...

Now let us be objective here. Singapore isn't saying that Cambodia is wrong and Thailand is right. Singapore is asking for restraint from both sides. Even for Preah Vihear issue, Singapore asked for restraint from both sides. And this is being fair to both countries by not taking sides.

Anyway, for this issue...I feel it's Cambodia's fault. Did Hun Sen have to appoint Thaksin as economic adviser? I'm sure he knew the reprecussions of such an appointment but he chose to do it anyway. If you actually look at it, Hun Sen is risking Cambodia's ties with Thailand for his personal friendship with Thaksin.
Is this fair to Cambodia? Cambodia doesn't belong to Hun Sen alone. He has no right to make an appointment or decision based on his personal friendship and thereby risking thai business deals, thai loans and not to mention risking the livelihood of Cambodians who live and work at the Thai-Cambodian border.

I ask for your objectivity on this issue. Nationalistic sentiments will only worsen the situation.

Anonymous said...

The Thais are a bunch of loonie ultra-nationalists...What is the matter with them??? It's true that Cambodia does not have economic experts of that caliber. That's why Samdech Hun Sen has the insight to import foreign know-how such as Lee Myung Bak of South Korea before he became Prime Minister and now former PM Thaksin of Thailand. The Thais are ungrateful bastards who owe so much to Cambodia for the past 800 years because they borrowed so much language and culture from the Khmers. The Thais have no power or influence beyond their borders. The Cambodians are indeed clever enough to recognise the special skill and talent possessed by Thaksin. Of course they resentful even though he has been discarded by Thailand. One must not forget that all of Thailand was once Khmer land and Bangkok was a Khmer river-bank village. 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...The world is laughing at Thailand.

Achar Penh