People's Daily Online (China)
Thailand and Cambodia recalled their respective ambassadors on Nov. 5 after Phnom Penh appointed former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as an economic adviser of Cambodia and personal advisor to Prime Minister Hun Sen, and strained bilateral ties thus further escalated. Both sides, however, still leave some leeway for the relaxation of tension between them.
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Sunday afternoon announced that ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra would visit Cambodia this week in his new role as economic adviser to his government. Moreover, Hun Sen said, Thaksin would address a group of 300 Cambodians. "Thaksin will be at the Minister of Economy and Finance on Nov. 12 to do a briefing with 300 Cambodian economic experts," he told a new conference at Phnom Penh International Airport. Apparently, this move of his showed to the world that he was not scared or "intimidated" by Bangkok's recall of its ambassador to Cambodia.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen appointed Thaksin as his economic adviser, and criticized or decried judicial injustice in Thailand, thus seriously hurting the national dignity or self-respect of Thai people. A Thai newspaper named "Bangkok Post", therefore, in an editorial referred to this act as "a huge slap in the face of Thailand."
Subsequently, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva in his television address on Sunday, November 8th defended his own actions in an ongoing spat and called on Thais to get united and "to protect the honor" or pride of his country.
Thailand is angrily claiming that Thaksin's acceptance of Hun Sen's appointment is definitely dwarfing or "downgrading" the former Thai prime minister himself and the whole Thailand as well, some Thai media have commented.
Recent polls indicate that most Thais do not favor or endorse the move of Thaksin Shinawata's. On the contrary, a latest poll put the support rate of incumbent Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at 69 percent as against the previous rate of 23 percent，for the popularity of the Abhisit Vejjajiva government has soared after its diplomatic protest against Phnom Penh's appointment of Thaksin Shinawata as Cambodia's economic adviser and ensuing announcement for the withdrawal of Thai ambassador from Cambodia.
Nevertheless, Thailand has underscored that it has gone into actions to prompt Hun Sen to change his mind instead of making things worse. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday, Nov. 8th noted that the Thai-Cambodian diplomatic ties would not affect the bilateral economic and trade relations between the two Southeast Asian neighbors. Meanwhile, Hun Sen also announced in Phnom Penh Sunday that he would withdraw an elite unit of paratroopers (Brigade 911) from disputed territory near a historic border temple, Preah Vihear Temple, where Thailand maintains it is its territory.
Furthermore, the International community is reluctant to see the strained Thai-Cambodian relations deteriorating. Singaporean foreign minister George Yeo has also said that he did not want to see the strained Thai-Cambodian ties would affect negatively the ASEAN's image.
Meanwhile, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, the secretary general of the ASEAN, acknowledged that the APEC CEO Summit will be held in Singapore in mid November 2009 alongside the APEC Learders' Meeting as well as the ASEAN-U.S. Summit. At this critical moment, the ASEAN Secretary General appealed for Cambodian-Thai maximum restraint and called on ASEAN foreign ministers to assist the two ASEAN member states to settle their bilateral disputes amicably and as soon as possible.
By People's Daily resident reporter in Thailand Ren Jianmin and translated by PD Online
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Sunday afternoon announced that ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra would visit Cambodia this week in his new role as economic adviser to his government. Moreover, Hun Sen said, Thaksin would address a group of 300 Cambodians. "Thaksin will be at the Minister of Economy and Finance on Nov. 12 to do a briefing with 300 Cambodian economic experts," he told a new conference at Phnom Penh International Airport. Apparently, this move of his showed to the world that he was not scared or "intimidated" by Bangkok's recall of its ambassador to Cambodia.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen appointed Thaksin as his economic adviser, and criticized or decried judicial injustice in Thailand, thus seriously hurting the national dignity or self-respect of Thai people. A Thai newspaper named "Bangkok Post", therefore, in an editorial referred to this act as "a huge slap in the face of Thailand."
Subsequently, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva in his television address on Sunday, November 8th defended his own actions in an ongoing spat and called on Thais to get united and "to protect the honor" or pride of his country.
Thailand is angrily claiming that Thaksin's acceptance of Hun Sen's appointment is definitely dwarfing or "downgrading" the former Thai prime minister himself and the whole Thailand as well, some Thai media have commented.
Recent polls indicate that most Thais do not favor or endorse the move of Thaksin Shinawata's. On the contrary, a latest poll put the support rate of incumbent Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at 69 percent as against the previous rate of 23 percent，for the popularity of the Abhisit Vejjajiva government has soared after its diplomatic protest against Phnom Penh's appointment of Thaksin Shinawata as Cambodia's economic adviser and ensuing announcement for the withdrawal of Thai ambassador from Cambodia.
Nevertheless, Thailand has underscored that it has gone into actions to prompt Hun Sen to change his mind instead of making things worse. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday, Nov. 8th noted that the Thai-Cambodian diplomatic ties would not affect the bilateral economic and trade relations between the two Southeast Asian neighbors. Meanwhile, Hun Sen also announced in Phnom Penh Sunday that he would withdraw an elite unit of paratroopers (Brigade 911) from disputed territory near a historic border temple, Preah Vihear Temple, where Thailand maintains it is its territory.
Furthermore, the International community is reluctant to see the strained Thai-Cambodian relations deteriorating. Singaporean foreign minister George Yeo has also said that he did not want to see the strained Thai-Cambodian ties would affect negatively the ASEAN's image.
Meanwhile, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, the secretary general of the ASEAN, acknowledged that the APEC CEO Summit will be held in Singapore in mid November 2009 alongside the APEC Learders' Meeting as well as the ASEAN-U.S. Summit. At this critical moment, the ASEAN Secretary General appealed for Cambodian-Thai maximum restraint and called on ASEAN foreign ministers to assist the two ASEAN member states to settle their bilateral disputes amicably and as soon as possible.
By People's Daily resident reporter in Thailand Ren Jianmin and translated by PD Online
5 comments:
As I understand , you are talking about self respect of Thai people. You expected, that we Khmer respect you. Did you respect the Khmer people ?
You always look down on Khmer descents and treated them as third class citizen.
Now there is no way that Cambodia regard Thai as superior than Cambodia. We will face each other in battle field if war is collided.
We always said that Thai is a nation of thieves. They robbed Cambodian time after time and never satisfied.
You has been insulted, humiliated Cambodia so many decades or centuries. You must show yourself as a grown up nation.
KhmerIssan,
World view: Hun Sen shows lack of class and tact
Monday, October 26, 2009
YOU can take the man out of the jungle but you cannot take the jungle out of the man, or so the saying goes. At this moment, that could be said about mercurial Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen after the verbal sparring of the last few days.
"Millions of Thai people, the red shirts, support Thaksin (Shinawatra, ex-PM). Why, as a friend, can't I support Thaksin? Without the 2006 coup these things would not have happened," said Hun Sen shortly after arriving in Cha-am for the annual Asean Summit.
Throwing caution and discretion to the wind, the Cambodian leader argued further: "Many people talk about Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar (Burma), why not talk about Thaksin? That cannot be referred to as interference."
Perhaps the Cambodian premier thought he was still leading some Khmer Rouge faction, and did not think that as prime minister of his country there was a need to be considerate to others' feelings, much less diplomatic protocol.
His provocative recent statements really ripped at the heart of so many Thais at a time when the country is bogged down with internal strife. One wonders what Hun Sen would have got out of rubbing more salt on open wounds.
Sadly, he has permitted himself to be part of a cheap ploy by fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra to steal the spotlight from a major international event that brought together leaders from 16 Asian and other nations, including India, Australia and New Zealand.
Thaksin had the audacity to tell Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to show some manners by not putting domestic politics over regional concerns. What else could one expect from Thaksin? But what is Hun Sen's motivation? Is he desperate for attention and recognition at an international gathering after being in power for nearly three decades but with nothing much to show for it?
Holding on to power by any means and turning his once war-torn country into his personal playground would not count for much in terms of achievements in this day and age. Under his rule, Cambodia continues to be one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
But then again, what else can you expect from a man who is doing his best to obstruct the UN tribunal from putting more members of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime on trial?
Hun Sen knows better than anyone about realpolitik when he staged a coup in early 1997 that delayed Cambodia's admission into Asean. Deep down, he still resents Asean and its treatment of his government.
Incidentally, it was the Thai government that was instrumental in helping him and Cambodia's return to the Asean fold and eventually the grouping's membership.
One also wonders what was Hun Sen's logic in comparing Thaksin with Burmese pro-democracy leader Suu Kyi. Is he bereft of any sense of proportion? Comparing Thaksin to Suu Kyi is an insult to the millions of Burmese people who are suffering at the hands of the ruling junta.
The Asean Summit should have been an occasion to consolidate among members. But instead, it has been sidetracked into trivial personal issues. The Nation/ANN
Reference
The Brunei Times, 26 October 2009.
If you believe everything written by unprofessional Thai media, you are like a person born yesterday. Everything they write is not pure journalism rather tabloid media. Everything is tainted; no real news to absorb. The Thai people are good at running their mouths...
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?
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