Kasit outlines plan to boost relations with Cambodia

September 28, 2010
The Nation

But the row over Preah Vihear is unresolved, as the joint boundary committee has been unable to resume meetings to settle the boundary dispute (until minutes of previous meetings are approved by the Thai Parliament)

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said yesterday he was mapping out a new plan to restore diplomatic relations with Cambodia, by encouraging local authorities on the border to have more engagement with their counterparts.

The plan would set guidelines for local agencies and national administrators to try to boost relations with Cambodia after ties soured due to a diplomatic row between the two governments mostly over the appointment of ex-Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra as an adviser to Phnom Penh and disagreement over World Heritage listing of the Hindu temple at Preah Vihear.

The plan would encourage local agencies, both military and civilian, to have direct contact with Cambodian counterparts, he said.

Provinces bordering with Cambodia should create more activities to strengthen ties with their neighbours via cultural events, sports competition, academic exchanges as well as humanitarian cooperation, the minister said.

Local residents along the border should be registered in both countries to prevent them from being punished if they accidentally crossed the boundary line to collect forestry resources, he said.

"The authorities of the two countries should be flexible for local residents who accidentally cross the boundary merely to collect forestry items," he said.

And the military should conduct a joint operation to clear the border of landmines, he added.

The central government's plan to improve relations was that Thailand would continue giving economic assistance to Cambodia as well as increasing cultural exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, he said.

The Foreign Ministry would invite Cambodia's Information minister, rather than Foreign minister, as well as Cambodian media reps to visit Thailand to exchange information, he said.

"Now the situation is improving, we hope they will accept our invitation," he said.

Kasit's new plan was initiated after a meeting between Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen in New York last week.

The governments were at loggerheads over Thaksin's position as an economic adviser to Hun Sen and the Preah Vihear temple since last year. The two countries normalised diplomatic relations last month after Thaksin stepped down from that role. But the row over Preah Vihear is unresolved, as the joint boundary committee has been unable to resume meetings to settle the boundary dispute (until minutes of previous meetings are approved by the Thai Parliament).