Kasit proposes Asean arbitration

Published: 8/10/2009 at 06:37 PM
Online news: Local News

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya plans to propose the setting up of a neutral organisation to handle disputes between countries in the region at the Asean Summit scheduled to be held on Oct 23-25.

Mr Kasit said on Thursday he believed this could be a venue for Thailand and Cambodia to solve their border dispute.

He said the government will adhere to the principle of peaceful negotiations and non-violence in dealing with the dispute over the 4.6-square-kilometre area around the Preah Vihear temple and overlapping territoiral waters.

Mr Kasit insisted Thailand has not lost the 4.6-square-kilometre area to Cambodia.

"I will seek approval at the Asean Summit for the establishment of neutral organisation to settle disputes between Asean countries. This may provide an avenue for Thailand and Cambodia to settle the dispute," Mr Kasit said

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The minister said Thailand and Cambodia leaders have agreed to resort to solve the problem through peaceful means. Sometimes a rumour was spread and that was something of internal politics, he said, citing for example the report that Cambodian President Hun Sen had said whoever intruded on his land would be shot.

Mr Kasit said the Thai-Cambodian border dispute has been dealt with in a transparent manner without any hidden agenda.

He saw no reasons for the People's Alliance for Democracy to have raised the Thai-Cambodian border dispute to attack the government, which had not done anything against the law.