Cambodia Says Thai Claims on Military Training Affects Relations

10 14, 2010
Victoria Chelsea
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Cambodia’s foreign ministry issued a press release on Wednesday afternoon saying the allegation made by Thailand is causing greater harms to the two countries’ relations.

“Cambodia strongly and totally rejects the allegation made by the Department of Special Investigation of Thailand (DSI), as reported by the press, that Cambodia has allowed armed training on its territory for members of the Red-shirt group to commit acts of terror against Thai government and plot assassination of top Thai government officials,” it said in the press release.

“Such unsubstantiated and malignant claim made by the DSI is causing greater harm to the Thai-Cambodia relations and, in effect, appears as an impediment to the efforts for improving ties between the two countries,” it said.

The Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the statement several hours after Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen denied the charges while delivering speech to graduate students.

In addition to his denial, Hun Sen assured that Cambodia has obligation “to fight against terrorism” and Cambodia has no interest in interfering into the “internal affairs of Thailand”.

Cambodia and Thailand have had border dispute in 2008, about a week after Cambodia’s ancient Preah Vihear Temple was registered as World Heritage Site.

After then several rounds of gun fires were exchanged, and relations between the two nations were on and off until in recent weeks, while military presence from both sides remained at the border area near Preah Vihear Temple.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Wednesday that in his last recent meeting with Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejajjiva, in Brussels, Belgium on the sidelines of the ASEM Summit, he had discussed two particular points regarding the ratifications to be approved by Thailand parliament on agreements agreed earlier by the two governments and the second of which was on redeployment of the armed forces from the border area near the temple.

The two leaders will meet again later this month in Hanoi, Vietnam.