Thai government won't issue statement on Hun Sen's remarks

CHA-AM, Oct 24 (TNA) -- The Thai government has no plan to issue a statement in response to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s recent remarks that the Cambodian government is willing to allow ousted, former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to take refuge in that country, according to Panitan Wattanayakorn, deputy secretary-general to the Thai premier.

Dr Panitan, acting government spokesman, said the two prime ministers also have no schedule to meet on the sidelines of the current 15th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit being held in the Thai resorts of Hua Hin and Cha-am.

Every ASEAN member wants to see the grouping to move forward and to continue enjoying warm relations, Dr Panitan said. Opinions expressed over the two countries’ politics should be considered as personal and Thailand will not issue a statement.

Thailand wants to solve problems “in a peaceful manner” and to arrive at similar opinions, he said. Thailand doesn’t want problems within ASEAN or with its neighbours.

Mr Hun Sen reiterated on Friday upon his arrival for the ASEAN summit that his government would allow Mr Thaksin, now in a self-imposed exile, to take refuge in Cambodia and that Cambodia would not extradite him.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Friday said that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen may have received incorrect information about Mr Thaksin, and should not allow himself to be used as a 'pawn'.

Ousted in a bloodless coup in September 2006, Mr Thaksin has been living in exile, mostly in the United Arab Emirates, after being sentenced to a two-year prison term for abusing his power when he was prime minister to help his ex-wife purchase prime land in Bangkok’s Ratchadapisek Road.

Thai Foreign Minister: Thailand and Cambodia still have positive ties

Led by Veera Somkwamkid, the PAD submitted a letter of protest to the Cambodian leader through the Thai foreign ministry’s Department of ASEAN Affairs, represented by Vitavas Srivihok, which demanded that Cambodia withdraw troops from the contested 4.6 square kilometer area adjacent to Preah Vihear temple.

They also threatened to protest at the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok next month if the Cambodian leader fails to act on their demand.

HUA HIN, Oct 24 (TNA) - Thailand and Cambodia still enjoy good bilateral relations, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya affirmed Saturday, and the kingdom would not let any problem related to a single person harm the good cooperation.

Mr Kasit said that cooperation between Thailand and Cambodia continues and that border trading operates without problems. The two countries are friends and would not let any sole issue affect their good relations.

During most of the past 10 months since Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva assumed office, he said, the prime minister had emphasized that he would not let any single issue to obstruct cooperation in other fields.

He said that Mr Abhisit had clearly clarified Thailand's stance regarding former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra following the remarks made by Mr Hun Sen.

The Cambodian premier asserted that Mr Thaksin could remain in Cambodia as his guest and could be his economic advisor. Mr Hun Sen added that he was not interfering in Thailand's internal affairs but that Cambodia has the right to exercise its sovereignty and make such a decision.

In response, Mr Abhisit said that Mr Hun Sen may have received incorrect information about Mr Thaksin and should not allow himself to be used as a 'pawn'.

Ousted in a bloodless coup, ex-premier Thaksin jumped bail and fled his sentencing to a two-year jail term for malfeasance in the controversial Bangkok Ratchadapisek land purchase case. The toppled Thai premier now spends most of his time in the United Arab Emirates after his status as a visitor was rejected by a number of countries including both the United Kingdom and Germany.

As for the protest letter submitted to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen by the People’s Alliance's for Democracy (PAD), Mr Kasit said he believed this was the move of some groups, not the whole PAD.

He said some PAD groups may have felt that the Thai-Cambodian border disputes were not going be solved as quickly as they wish, and that they consequently wanted to put pressure on the involved parties.

Led by Veera Somkwamkid, the PAD submitted a letter of protest to the Cambodian leader through the Thai foreign ministry’s Department of ASEAN Affairs, represented by Vitavas Srivihok, which demanded that Cambodia withdraw troops from the contested 4.6 square kilometer area adjacent to Preah Vihear temple.

They also threatened to protest at the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok next month if the Cambodian leader fails to act on their demand.

Mr Kasit said Thailand and Cambodia are fellow ASEAN members and should cooperate and live together peacefully. Both countries should observe the same rules and the leaders should not do anything that could lead to misunderstanding.

Tensions between Cambodia and Thailand over the surroundings of Preah Vihear boiled over into violence last year when the temple was granted World Heritage status by the United Nations Educational Science and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Ensuring history's right on both sides is key to better ties

Tuesday January 29, 2008
THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL
Bangkok Post

One of the keys to closer ties between Thailand and Cambodia lies with the Thai-Cambodian Association that was set up a year after the 2003 riots.

And for the association, a way to prevent violence recurring is to create a proper understanding of Thai-Cambodian history. Trying to correct history textbooks is a good way to start.

But five years on, there hasn't been much progress on this front even though academics from the two countries have met frequently to discuss the textbooks.

''What is different in the textbooks [about Thai-Cambodian history] is that the two countries write history differently,'' Dhonburi Rajabhat University vice-president Prayoon Songsilp said.

Ms Prayoon said it might be wise if the two countries studied each other's history more and softened the words used in textbooks.

The future is also encouraging as Thailand is helping Cambodia design a curriculum for the Thai language at the bachelor's degree level at the University of Cambodia in a task expected to be completed next year, she said.

Allowing Cambodian students to learn Thai in universities also shows that the Cambodian government is more open about education these days, she said. In the past the Phnom Penh government feared Thai influence, she added.

The Thai-Cambodian Association has also launched more than 30 projects - mostly in arts and culture, literature and student exchanges, Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said.

''We believe that Cambodian people have a better attitude towards these projects,'' he said, citing the good response from Cambodian university students who know the Thai language who have been invited to visit Thailand. ''They know Thailand better,'' he added.

Bangkok has taken Thai movies and songs to Cambodia to show to Cambodians and the two countries also have cooperated to produce dictionaries as well as projects on reading and writing the Thai language for students at the secondary to university level.