Rong Chhun: Authorization or not, the demonstration against Abhisit will go on

11 June 2009
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

On Wednesday, Rong Chhun, President of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions, declared that the meeting for the march starting from in front of the old National Assembly building to be held on Friday, the day when Abhisit Vejjajiva, Thailand PM, will visit Cambodia, will take place even if the city hall does not authorize it. Rong Chhun said that he sent a letter to inform the Phnom Penh city hall already about the planned meeting to express the people’s opinion and the ensuing march. He said that even without the authorization from the city hall, “we must hold [this demonstration against Abhisit] because this is an issue that affects the nation as a whole, and this no longer an individual issue.” Chea Mony, President of the Free Trade Union of Workers in the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC), also declared that he will join the demonstration. He said that this is an occasion for Cambodian people to express their opinion about Thailand’s aggression on Cambodian territories, as well a show of the expression of opinion to the Thai authority. He said that, even with the prevention from the city hall, “we will hold [this demonstration] because this is our national interest, and the city hall should protect those who come to express their opinion on 12 June.”

Abhisit will bring in more debt for future generations of Cambodians

PM to visit Cambodia Friday

11/06/2009
BangkokPost.com

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will make an official visit to Cambodia on Friday for bilateral talks, including discussions on the continuing border dispute near Preah Vihear temple and the sea border in the Gulf of Thailand.

It will be hisd first trip to Cambodia since taking office in December.

Mr Abhisit said on Thursday he had to cancel his planned visit to Cambodia on April 18 because of the anti-government riots in Bangkok.

He will meet Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to discuss expansion of bilateral cooperation, such as the construction of roads connecting the two countries, the development of water resources, electricity sales and tourism promotion.

Thailand will offer low-interest loans to Cambodia, and will return seven Khmer artifacts smuggled into Thailand by thieves about 10 years ago and later seized by police, he said.

Mr Abhisit said he will also meet Thai businessmen in Phnom Penh to discuss their problems and try and help them if possible.

[Thai] Prime Minister’s Official Visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia

June 8, 2009
Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, will pay an official visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia on 12 June 2009 at the invitation of Somdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The visit is primarily aimed at enhancing the close and cordial ties and bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

During the visit, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will be granted a royal audience with His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni, the King of Cambodia. He will hold bilateral talks with Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and will pay courtesy calls on Samdech Akka Moha Thamma Pothisal Chea Sim, President of the Senate, and Samdech Akka Moha Ponhea Chakrei Heng Samrin, President of the National Assembly.

This visit is not just a goodwill visit, but is also a testimony of Thailand’s commitment to further strengthening of bilateral relations and cooperation with Cambodia. The visit will show Thailand’s determination to find ways and means to resolve the various outstanding issues in the spirit of good neighbourliness and as members of ASEAN family. These issues include land and maritime boundary, cooperation on the promotion of peace and stability in the border areas, development and utilization of land transportation network, cooperation in energy, promotion of trade, investment and tourism to collectively cope with the various challenges as a result of the global financial crisis.

In addition, Thai and Cambodian Prime Ministers will witness the ceremony to hand over 7 pieces of Khmer artifact by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand to representative of the Royal Government of Cambodia. These artifacts were smuggled from Cambodia and were seized by the Thai authorities. The return of these artifacts to Cambodia represents Thailand’s commitment to the Agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand to Combat against Illicit Trafficking and Cross-border Smuggling of Movable Cultural Property and to Restitute It to the Country of Origin which was signed on 14 June 2000.

Thai premier reschedules visit to Cambodia this week

PHNOM PENH, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has rescheduled his visit to Cambodia this Friday, a Cambodian government official said Monday.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong told Xinhua that Abhisit will make a one-day official visit on Friday, and during which a handover of 7 pieces of Cambodian artifacts stolen by illegal smugglers will be officiated.

The Thai premier had earlier scheduled to visit Cambodia on April 18, but he cancelled it after the abrupt internal political problems.

According to Koy Kuong, Abhisit's visit to Cambodia will strengthen bilateral relations and the two countries' border issues that have turned into violence for nearly a year will be touched.

If the visit to Cambodia by Abhisit Vejjajiva is to be materialized as planned it will be his first ever official visit to this country since he came to office late last year.

It is a normal visit to be paid by any newly elected head of state or government to its neighboring countries, especially for those from among the 10 member states of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

ASEAN comprises of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Abhisit to visit Cambodia on June 12

Thai PM to visit Malaysia and Cambodia next month

May 20, 2009
The Nation

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will make separate familiarisation trips to Malaysia and Cambodia next month.

He will visit Malaysia on June 8 and Cambodia on June 12.

In Cambodia, Abhisit will return seven of eight artefacts which were smuggled from Cambodia and confiscated in a raid in the Thai soil.

Thai government will be responsible for Bt336,980 expense of the packaging and transporting of the artefacts to Cambodia.

Abhisit had returned an artefact to his Khmer counterpart; Hun Sen, on the sideline of the Asean Summit in Pattaya in April.

Abhisit will make an official visit to South Korea from May 30 to June 2.

Abhisit to visit Cambodia on 12 June and he will return 7 Cambodian artefacts

PM: Reshuffle unnecessary

20/05/2009
BangkokPost.com

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Wednesday no coalition partners had proposed the changes to the cabinet yet, and he believed a change of ministers was not necessary at the moment.

Mr Abhisit said there was no pressure on the Democrat party to reshuffle the cabinet.

If any of the coalition allies wanted to replace a particular minister within their quota, then that was an internal matter for that party to decide.

The Bhumjaithai party would decide if Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister and Bhumjaithai MP Chartchai Pookyaporn should be replaced.

However, he was of the view Mr Chartchai had been doing his job well.

The prime minister insisted he had never planned to reshuffle the cabinet after six months in office.

Mr Abhisit said the government was closely monitoring the situation in Burma, where democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is on trial behind closed doors, and was ready to help promote democracy there.

He also believed the executive decree authorising the Ministry of Finance to seek 400 billion baht in loans for urgent economic projects would not suffer a setback while it was being considered by the Constitution Court.

The Constitution Court has been asked to rule on the legitimacy of the decree, a move engineered by the opposition Puea Thai party to block the raising of the loans.

Mr Abhisit said the government believed the decree was lawful, and it would take no more than a month to implement it.

On the current political situation, he called on different sides to respect each other views if they want the country to move in a positive direction.

The prime minister is to make an official visit to Phnom Penh on June 12, during which he will return seven artifacts to Cambodia.