Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Improvement in Thailand-Cambodia relations blows cool breeze to ASEAN [to the benefit of Vietnam?]

Improvement in Thailand-Cambodia relations blows cool breeze to ASEAN

From left to right: Cabodian PM Hun Sen, Lao PM Buasone Bouphavanh , Thailand PM Abhisit Vejjajiva and Vietnamese PM Nguyen Tan Dung in the Hua Hin conference on Mekong River on April 5, 2010.

Wednesday, Apr 07,2010
Saigon Giai Phong (Viet Communist Party)

“Cambodia will not allow former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to use Cambodia as a political base to attack Thailand,” Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen declared during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand Suthep Thaugsuban on April 4 in Hua Hin, Thailand.

PM Hun Sen said during the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Summit, held for the first time in Hua Hin, that the Cambodian constitution prohibits such political activity. He added that Mr. Thaksin would not be allowed to enter Cambodia in the midst of Thailand’s political unrest.

Since a dispute over ownership of the historic Preah Vihear temple broke out in 2008, relations between Cambodia and Thailand have been strained.

Cambodia’s recent comments on the contentious issue of Mr. Thaksin, however, have led the public to believe that icy relations between the two Southeast Asian neighbors may be beginning to thaw.

Responding to the statement of his Cambodian counterpart, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva considered Mr. Hun Sen’s comments a positive signal towards the normalization of relations between Thailand and Cambodia.

PM Abhisit made the statement at a press conference April 5 after the closing of the MRC Summit.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand will consider re-deploying the ambassadorial ranks in Cambodia step-by-step,” said Prime Minister Abhisit.

Cambodia-Thailand relations soured gradually when Prime Minister Hun Sen appointed Mr. Thaksin as an economic advisor in October 2009 and rejected a request to extradite him to the Thai government.

The already-strained relations between the two countries were exacerbated by Cambodia’s appointment of Mr. Thaksin as an economic advisor and Thailand responded by re-calling the Thai Ambassador to Cambodia.

Cambodia retaliated likewise and refused aid from Thailand for a project to revamp the road linking Poipet to Siem Reap.

Most recently, just hours before Prime Minister Hun Sen traveled to Hua Hin to attend the MRC Summit, a group from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) staged a protest at the conference opposing Mr. Hun Sen.

The surprising statement by Mr. Hun Sen is being hailed by many as a breath of fresh air, dispelling Cambodia’s tense political relationship with Thailand.

Regarding the appointment of Mr. Thaksin as Cambodia’s economic adviser, PM Hun Sen asserted once again that Cambodia needs a consultant for economic development, but that the country clearly distinguishes personal relationships from national interest and will not let the "Thaksin issue" affect relations between Cambodia and Thailand.

In three day's time, the 16th ASEAN Summit will take place in Hanoi. The renewed positive Thai-Cambodian relations are seen as a good sign ahead of the major ASEAN event.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

countries of these four characters will soon be sinicized.

Anonymous said...

ពិតជាត្រូវមួយរយភាគរយហើយ សុទ្ទតែចំណេញយួនហានូយប្រាកដណាស់ បានជាមានបញ្ជារពីក្រុងហានូយអោយអ្នកលេងស្រុកខ្មែរលូនក្រាបទាំងចង់ពេបចំពោះមុខអាប់ភីShit នុះណា! ពេលណាទើបលោកអ្នកលេងហ៊ុន សែនរត់គេចរួចពីចុងកានុងរបស់ពួកអាយួនរន្ទះបាញ់នេះបានទៅលោក?
គឺពិតជាមានចុងកាំភ្លើងដំរង់ក្បាលហ៊ុន សែននិងគ្រួសារគាត់មែន ពីក្រុមសម្ងាត់យួនសឹងថារាប់ពាន់នាក់តាមគាត់យា៉ងកិតៗ
ដូចថ្មីៗនេះហ៊ុន សែនទាត់ចោលមិត្តថាក់សីន ក៏ជាបញ្ជារពីយួនដែរ មិនបាច់គិតក៏យល់ដែរ!

Anonymous said...

Something is wrong with this political lingerie picture of hun sen. Looking at the way in which hun sen, the PM of Cambodia is hanging on to Laos PM.as in contrast with other PMs...a Political Analyst might says that hun sen has no confidence and let alone a direction of leading Cambodia....that is why, Cambodian nation has become a hand pandling nation since hun sen as the Prime Minister. Shame! Shame! Shame! But then again, what can you expect from a jungle boy!

Anonymous said...

From a funny side of this high-profile picture and hand-holding soildarity sort of posture, one can see either Hun Sen was void of what was going on at that moment, thus void of what he and the trio were doing in syn, or he simply might not want to follow suite. My best is on the first scenario. He's just weird.

Anonymous said...

What is this circus, a barrier against the advancement of Chinese hegemony in Southeast Asia?
These four naked people are more fun to see.

Anonymous said...

A Hun Sen who brought VN and Thailand to invade Cambodia. According to weather prediction, there will be a lot of rain and thunder. And Hun Sen will be killed by thunder same as Hok Lungdy. don't forget to drink when thunder kill Hun Sen.

Khmer in Sydney CBD

Anonymous said...

It is a good thing that Hun Sen distance himself from the Siem and the Youn leader for their naked aggression on Cambodian sovereignty!

Good job Hun Sen!