Thailand says it is committed to peace with Cambodia

Apr 28, 2011
DPA

Jakarta - Thailand said Thursday that it was committed to resolving a border dispute with Cambodia peacefully and welcomed Indonesian observers to monitor a ceasefire.

The remarks by Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya came after a senior Cambodian military source said that military commanders from both sides agreed a ceasefire during a morning meeting.

Kasit said Thailand was 'sincere and earnest' in its desire for peace, noting that Bangkok was a major investor and source of development assistance for Cambodia.

Kasit, speaking after talks with his Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa in Jakarta, said that the conflict had displaced 50,000 Thais living near the border with Cambodia.

'So it could not be conceived, however, that we could be aggressive and start military activities in order to hurt our own people,' he said.

Natalegawa said Thailand welcomed the role of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a mediator in the conflict.

'This involves the continued welcoming of the Indonesian observer team to the border area as well as the continued welcoming of the appropriate engagement of Indonesia as the current chair of ASEAN,' he said.

In Bangkok, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the armies agreed to a ceasefire, while Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan said that fighting had stopped. He said military commanders on the ground had met and agreed to work together to ensure peace held.

Natalegawa said he was not privy to the information when asked about the news of a ceasefire. Kasit declined to comment.

Fighting between the two ASEAN members broke out on Friday and has left at least 15 people dead, and about 60 people wounded on both sides.

On Wednesday, Thailand pulled out of ceasefire talks scheduled to take place in Phnom Penh after Cambodian media reported that Bangkok had only agreed to talks because it was losing.

Cambodia said Wednesday that more than 31,000 of its citizens had fled the border region, while Thai officials said a similar number of its civilians had been evacuated from their villages.

Thailand has blamed UNESCO for escalating the tensions with its decision in 2008 to list the 11th-century temple of Preah Vihear as a World Heritage Site, despite Thai claims that a 4.6-square-kilometre area near the temple is still the subject of a five-decade border demarcation dispute.