Foreign Ministry: Cambodian premier to attend ASEAN Summit

BANGKOK, Oct 2 (TNA) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen will attend the 15th Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) Summit in the Thai seaside report of Hua Hin at the end of this month, a senior Thai foreign ministry official said on Friday.

Speaking to journalists after a preparatory meeting planning arrangements for the upcoming ASEAN summit scheduled for October 23-25, Veerasak Futrakul, Permanent-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, said bilateral talks between Thai and Cambodian leaders regarding the border dispute near the ancient Preah Vihear temple has not yet been set up.

The Thai permanent-secretary for foreign affairs added that an attempt to solve the border dispute is underway through the existing mechanism agreed by both sides.

Tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border near the 11th century temple renewed after the Cambodian premier announced on Monday that he had ordered his troops to shoot any intruders from Thailand who stepped on Cambodian soil.

Mr Hun Sen's stern statement came shortly after yellow-shirt protesters of Thailand's Peoples’ Alliance for Democracy (PAD) rallied in the Thai province of Si Sa Ket to oppose Cambodia's plan to build new structures in the contested 4.6 square kilometres zone surrounding Preah Vihear temple and clashed with local police and residents.

The United Nations cultural body UNESCO approved Cambodia's sole bid in July last year to list the 11th century temple as a world heritage site while the question of sovereignty over the land has never been clearly resolved.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva however shunned Mr Hun Sen's threat, saying his remarks were aimed for his domestic benefit and had happened many times.

He also affirmed the situation at the border is normal, the kingdom also remains ready to protect its sovereignty.

Thai official rebukes Angelina Jolie for making [Rohingya] refugee plea

Thursday, February 12, 2009
The Canadian Press

BANGKOK — A senior Thai diplomat has rebuked Hollywood star Angelina Jolie for speaking out on behalf of Muslim refugees from Myanmar.

Jolie is deeply involved in the plight of refugees in her capacity as a United Nations goodwill ambassador. She called on the Thai government to respect the human rights of Myanmar's Rohinyga "boat people" while touring a camp in northern Thailand for other refugees.

Virasakdi Futrakul, permanent secretary of Thailand's foreign ministry, said Jolie's mission last week was to inspect a camp that houses refugees mostly from Myanmar's ethnic Karenni minority - and not the Rohinyga.

He said Jolie's comments were out of place as "it was not the purpose of her visit."

The Rohingya, who are denied citizenship in their native land, have been trying to land in Thailand after treacherous sea journeys in recent months only to be towed back to sea and cast adrift by the Thai navy.

UNHCR spokeswoman Kitt McKinsey declined to comment on Virasakdi's remark.

"She was extremely touched by the plight of the Rohingya people. She expressed the hope that the human rights of the Rohingya people will be respected just as the human rights of everyone in the world should be respected," McKinsey said last week.

Thailand, Cambodia to discuss Phra Vihear issue

(BangkokPost.com) - Weerasak Futrakul, permanent secretary to the Foreign Ministry has reportedly been appointed to hold talks with deputy prime minister Sok An of Cambodia on Tuesday to discuss the controversy over making the Phra Vihear temple a Unesco heritage site.

Both parties claim they want to find a solution to rights to a controversial piece of land spanning which surrounds the temple. The temple is Cambodia, but land around it is still in dispute.

The Thai government has offered its full support for Cambodia's proposal to register the temple as a Unesco World Heritage site but plans to propose that a contract be drawn up.

If both governments are unable to reach a deal on the issue Tuesday, they may consider delaying the talks to a later date.