Abhisit regime must go, PM says
Photo by: Kem Sovanarra
Hun Sen displays the phone records of convicted Thai spy Sivarak Chutipong during a speech at the Ministry of Education on Wednesday.
Hun Sen displays the phone records of convicted Thai spy Sivarak Chutipong during a speech at the Ministry of Education on Wednesday.
PRIME Minister Hun Sen said Wednesday that frayed relations with Thailand cannot be normalised while the current Thai government is in power, accusing the neighbouring country of continuing to breach Cambodia’s border in disputed territory near Preah Vihear temple.
Speaking at a scholarship ceremony at the National Institute of Education, Hun Sen held forth on the diplomatic fallout that has followed in the wake of fugitive former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s visit to Cambodia last month as a newly appointed economic adviser to the government. Thailand withdrew its ambassador to Phnom Penh in protest of Thaksin’s appointment, with Cambodia immediately following suit.
“I will wait to see the establishment of a new government in Thailand, so that they will send back their ambassador,” Hun Sen said. “You accuse us of abusing the Thai justice system, but you forget to mention that you are invading Cambodian territory,” he added.
Hun Sen also defended the arrest of Sivarak Chutipong, a 31-year-old Thai engineer who received a prison sentence for leaking Thaksin’s flight schedule to the Thai embassy in November and was subsequently pardoned last week.
“If we did not act in advance, then for sure at this time, at this hour, Thaksin would be dead or jailed in a Thai prison,” Hun Sen said.
Sam Rainsy Party spokesman Yim Sovann said Hun Sen was playing “political games” in his dealings with Thailand, and questioned the necessity of Thaksin’s controversial appointment as government economics adviser.
Thaksin spoke with officials at the Council for the Development of Cambodia on Wednesday about tourism and foreign investment, though Yim Sovann said the former Thai leader’s counsel thus far has not been particularly revelatory.
“I have … noticed that what Thaksin advises the government of Cambodia is not different from what our Cambodian economic experts and what our MPs from the opposition party advise,” he said.
Though the SRP spokesman did not dispute Hun Sen and Thaksin’s characterisation of Sivarak as a “political victim”, he said that the Thai was not alone in this distinction.
“A lot of political victims are staying in Prey Sar prison,” he said.
In a statement on Wednesday, meanwhile, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya defended Kamrob Palawatwichai, the former first secretary of the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh. Kamrob was expelled by the Cambodian government last month for his alleged involvement in the leaking of Thaksin’s flight schedule.
“Kamrob performed his normal duty in accordance with Thai judicial enforcement to have extradition of convicted Thaksin,” Kasit said in a statement, according to Thailand’s The Nation newspaper.
In Jakarta, officials at the ASEAN secretariat urged Thailand and Cambodia to seek a diplomatic solution to their dispute.
“The dispute is one thing, but the most important thing is that the incident would not pose risk to the ASEAN’s solidarity,” ASEAN task force chairman Tommy Koh was quoted as saying by the Xinhua news agency, adding that members of the bloc have attempted to broker solutions to the conflict.
Speaking at a scholarship ceremony at the National Institute of Education, Hun Sen held forth on the diplomatic fallout that has followed in the wake of fugitive former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s visit to Cambodia last month as a newly appointed economic adviser to the government. Thailand withdrew its ambassador to Phnom Penh in protest of Thaksin’s appointment, with Cambodia immediately following suit.
“I will wait to see the establishment of a new government in Thailand, so that they will send back their ambassador,” Hun Sen said. “You accuse us of abusing the Thai justice system, but you forget to mention that you are invading Cambodian territory,” he added.
Hun Sen also defended the arrest of Sivarak Chutipong, a 31-year-old Thai engineer who received a prison sentence for leaking Thaksin’s flight schedule to the Thai embassy in November and was subsequently pardoned last week.
“If we did not act in advance, then for sure at this time, at this hour, Thaksin would be dead or jailed in a Thai prison,” Hun Sen said.
Sam Rainsy Party spokesman Yim Sovann said Hun Sen was playing “political games” in his dealings with Thailand, and questioned the necessity of Thaksin’s controversial appointment as government economics adviser.
Thaksin spoke with officials at the Council for the Development of Cambodia on Wednesday about tourism and foreign investment, though Yim Sovann said the former Thai leader’s counsel thus far has not been particularly revelatory.
“I have … noticed that what Thaksin advises the government of Cambodia is not different from what our Cambodian economic experts and what our MPs from the opposition party advise,” he said.
Though the SRP spokesman did not dispute Hun Sen and Thaksin’s characterisation of Sivarak as a “political victim”, he said that the Thai was not alone in this distinction.
“A lot of political victims are staying in Prey Sar prison,” he said.
In a statement on Wednesday, meanwhile, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya defended Kamrob Palawatwichai, the former first secretary of the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh. Kamrob was expelled by the Cambodian government last month for his alleged involvement in the leaking of Thaksin’s flight schedule.
“Kamrob performed his normal duty in accordance with Thai judicial enforcement to have extradition of convicted Thaksin,” Kasit said in a statement, according to Thailand’s The Nation newspaper.
In Jakarta, officials at the ASEAN secretariat urged Thailand and Cambodia to seek a diplomatic solution to their dispute.
“The dispute is one thing, but the most important thing is that the incident would not pose risk to the ASEAN’s solidarity,” ASEAN task force chairman Tommy Koh was quoted as saying by the Xinhua news agency, adding that members of the bloc have attempted to broker solutions to the conflict.
7 comments:
Ah Chhkout Hun Xen vie lop lop euy!!
He is so crazy !!!!Very foolish!!
Personally, dont think the 2 leaders can work together. Current Bangkok administration is to hot headed, decided to recall its ambassador, torn up the agreement on joint maritime exploration - which is crucial to Cambodia economy (some may dispute that but that is okay because everyone entitle to their opinion). Hope that everything would change for the better and believe that Thailand internal affair can be fixed - dissolve ot the parliament and go ahead with election.
Hun Sen is interfering in the internal affair of another country. Hun Sen is wrong to think that he can topple the Abhisit govt. by public berating and castigating the Abhisit govt. Hun Sen's action would make Thai people to unite behind Abhisit.
Hun Sen's foolish action is dangerous and detrimental to Cambodia's national interests.
Ah kwack if u know that ah thai invaded cambodia territory, why don't u send soldiers to fight take back the khmer land?
Having had victories against much weaker Opposition parties in Cambodia, Mr Hun Sen is growing in confidence and now thinks that he can take on the Thais. What a joke! I hope that his actions in the last couple of months have woen up the Khmer people who are able to vote, and that they then vote him and all his cronies out of office. Then again, knowing his records, he will probably attempt another coup to get rid of the election winner.
I'm surprised to listen to Hun Sen's undiplomatic speech attacking neigboring country. I am Thai who can speak some Khmer. I have many good Khmer friends. I love Khmer and Cambodia. Culturally we are so close. We should not allow bad leaders to generate hate between the people of the two countries. The rulers come and will be gone. But the friendship between the two peoples will be forever. Hun Sen has been too long in power. He gets wealthier but the Khmers get poorer. It's the same like Thaksin. Thailand has done some bad things to Cambodia in the past. They were done by stupid Thai rulers. We Thai people do not agree. Do not let Hun Sen arouse nationalism by saying bad things against the Thai people.
12:00 AM, thanks for your inputs here and thanks for your admission of past Thai mistakes committed towards Cambodia.
I agree that Khmers and Thai people are the second closest cousins after the Lao people. We have a lot in common- culturally and linguistically.
What Hun Sen have done in the past two months- like appointing Thaksin that upsets the Thai government and taunting Abhisit almost everyday- is not the best way to resolve the Khmer-Thai conflict. The best way to resolve the conflict between the two nations is to engage politically and diplomatically and through legal channels.
With Hun Sen and Thai leaders are as far away from each other as ever, I can't see the Khmer-Thai border issues can be resolved any time sooner. On the contrary, diplomatic tensions can led to military tensions, who knows. Anyway, thanks for sharing your thought with us Khmers.
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