Surin blasted over military drill remarks

Hor Namhong: Concerned

09/03/2010
Achara Ashayagachat
Bangkok Post

Cambodia has criticised Surin Pitsuwan for comments he made about its recent military exercise, accusing the Asean secretary-general of interfering in its internal affairs.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said in a letter sent on Sunday to the Asean secretariat that Mr Surin should not be concerned with the Cambodian army exercise, "which would in no way send wrong signals that the region is unstable".

The letter was in response to comments attributed to Mr Surin by the Malaysian national news agency Bernama that the Cambodian army's exercise on Thursday in Kompong Chhnang province, about 90km from Phnom Penh, "might have signalled as though the region was unstable" and that "we are very concerned with such developments".

Hor Namhong said in his letter that Cambodia had chosen to conduct the exercise far from the border with Thailand to avoid misunderstanding and comments from the Thai side.

"As a former foreign minister of Thailand [Mr Surin was foreign minister from 1997 to 2001], you know very well that the conduct of army exercises by any country anywhere in the world is absolutely a normal practice," the veteran Cambodian minister said.

"Even Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had said that Thailand had no problem with the exercise as 'we also had our own drills recently'."

Hor Namhong reminded Mr Surin the Thai army had, not long ago, conducted military exercises near the Cambodian border and "even overshot its artillery into Cambodian territory". Cambodia, however, had not reacted or made any comment.

The Cambodian armed forces, the minister said, would never undertake any action against any country, adding "their job is solely to protect Cambodia's sovereignty and territorial integrity".

"I strongly believe that in your capacity as secretary-general of Asean, you should not make any wrong statement which may bring about a bad image to an Asean member country, and thus to Asean as a whole," Hor Namhong said.

Mr Surin should not make any statement "which could be considered as interference in the internal affairs of Cambodia, a member of Asean. Normally, and in principle, an Asean secretary-general should exercise some self-restraint while making any comments or statements concerning an Asean member country."

The letter was sent to all Asean foreign ministers and Cambodian media outlets, a copy of which was seen by the Bangkok Post. The Asean secretary-general could not be reached for comment.