DPA
Phnom Penh - Thailand's fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra was scheduled to leave Phnom Penh for Dubai Thursday after a 24-hour visit, Cambodian government spokesman Prak Sokhon said. The visit was Thaksin's third to the Cambodian capital since being named an economic adviser in October, a move that put further strains on the already tense relationship between Thailand and Cambodia.
Prak Sokhon said he did not know whether Thaksin would meet with members of Puea Thai, the opposition political party in Thailand with which he is linked. On his previous visits, Thaksin met with his political supporters from Thailand, who have vowed to escalate anti-government protests there.
"He is free to come and go [from Cambodia]," Prak Sokhon said when asked about the purpose of Thaksin's visit. "He doesn't need to have a motive to come here."
Earlier, Khieu Kanharith, the minister of information, said Thaksin arrived in Cambodia Wednesday on a visit to impart economic advice to the administration, adding that Thaksin had dined with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen late Wednesday.
Khieu Kanharith said Thaksin would not hold a press briefing on this visit. On Thaksin's first visit late last year, he addressed an economic conference of government officials, to which the press had limited access.
The visit was unlikely to improve ties between Thailand and Cambodia, which remain at their lowest level in years.
Cambodia appointed Thaksin, who has a two-year jail sentence still to serve in Thailand for abuse of power, as an adviser to the government and to Hun Sen.
Those appointments and Phnom Penh's refusal to extradite Thaksin outraged Bangkok and saw both countries withdraw their ambassadors and senior embassy staff. The ambassadors have yet to return.
This month, the Cambodian government rejected a demand by Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya that Phnom Penh dismiss Thaksin as an adviser before relations between the two countries could improve.
Bangkok considers the appointment of Thaksin, the de facto opposition leader, as interference in its internal politics.
Thaksin was prime minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006 before being toppled in a bloodless coup. He fled the country and has lived in self-imposed exile, mostly in Dubai, since August 2008.
The relationship between the two neighbours has been tense for more than a year with a number of clashes reported between troops from both countries over a disputed piece of land near the 11th-century Preah Vihear border temple in northern Cambodia.
Prak Sokhon said he did not know whether Thaksin would meet with members of Puea Thai, the opposition political party in Thailand with which he is linked. On his previous visits, Thaksin met with his political supporters from Thailand, who have vowed to escalate anti-government protests there.
"He is free to come and go [from Cambodia]," Prak Sokhon said when asked about the purpose of Thaksin's visit. "He doesn't need to have a motive to come here."
Earlier, Khieu Kanharith, the minister of information, said Thaksin arrived in Cambodia Wednesday on a visit to impart economic advice to the administration, adding that Thaksin had dined with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen late Wednesday.
Khieu Kanharith said Thaksin would not hold a press briefing on this visit. On Thaksin's first visit late last year, he addressed an economic conference of government officials, to which the press had limited access.
The visit was unlikely to improve ties between Thailand and Cambodia, which remain at their lowest level in years.
Cambodia appointed Thaksin, who has a two-year jail sentence still to serve in Thailand for abuse of power, as an adviser to the government and to Hun Sen.
Those appointments and Phnom Penh's refusal to extradite Thaksin outraged Bangkok and saw both countries withdraw their ambassadors and senior embassy staff. The ambassadors have yet to return.
This month, the Cambodian government rejected a demand by Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya that Phnom Penh dismiss Thaksin as an adviser before relations between the two countries could improve.
Bangkok considers the appointment of Thaksin, the de facto opposition leader, as interference in its internal politics.
Thaksin was prime minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006 before being toppled in a bloodless coup. He fled the country and has lived in self-imposed exile, mostly in Dubai, since August 2008.
The relationship between the two neighbours has been tense for more than a year with a number of clashes reported between troops from both countries over a disputed piece of land near the 11th-century Preah Vihear border temple in northern Cambodia.
2 comments:
Hun Sen is playing with fire by appointing Thaksin as his advisor.
Thaksin is the criminal escaping from the law of his own country and now he is using Cambodia as base for his political revenge to his own people. Cambodia constitution doesn't allow any one use it terrotory for political base. King Sihakmony awares of this but he plays dumb the same thing as his lop lop father.
All writers, please review the word when you mentioned the relations between the two countries were getting worse and/or downgraded while Cambodia appointed Thaksin as Economic Adviser to Hun Sen and his government and/or refused to extradite Thaksin to Thais' govt. In fact, Hun Sen did this; is to nail down on Thailand's invasion to Cambodia on 15 July 2008. Cambodian govt should have had recalled thier Ambassador since then but Cambodian govt tried to keep their patience in a high level in order to solve the border issues peacefully with the existing mechanisms. Furthermore, the Cambodian govt informed thai several times that "relations will be normal" when Thai govt pull out their troops from the disputed areas/borders and keep the situation as before 15 July 08.
In contradiction, Thai's govt especially Kasit and Abhisit tried to fuel a fire onto Cambodia from one to another by using many forms and means in order to divert thier internal political strife by using Khmer's Preah Vihear temple as a hostage. And of course, they wanted to keep the border situation as it is now and as long as possible in order to play their political game and gains. This is very unethical and unacceptable behaviour as a civilized country.
Hence, the issue is not because of Thaksin's appointment that made Cambodian-Thai relations getting worse..!
Cambodian's Preah Vihear Temple has been listed for the purpose of the world's humanity and culture. But the Temple has now been blasted with blood between Thai and Thai; and between Thai and Cambodia while Cambodia wants only peace on it own country.
The relations between the two countries now are very fragile situation and it can be turned into the stronger clash again, if Thai govt is still using Khmer's Preah Vihear temple as thier political purpose. However, Thai must review its stand on Khmer's Preah Vihear Temple and relations before it's too late..! The involved world bodies should deal with Thailand on this Preah Vihear and the border issues with their recognized maps stored at the UN body.
Post a Comment