No attack on Cambodia: Thai commander

By Thai News Agency,
The Nation

First Army Region Commander Lt Gen Udomdej Sitabutr (pictured) on Wednesday dismissed reports that Thai troops will attack Cambodia on July 1.

He said the Thai military has a clear stance that it will not invade other countries. "We will retaliate only after being attacked first."

Gen Udomdej said the Cambodian military has moved infantry units closer to the border province of Sa Kaew, but there has been no report of reinforcement of armoured vehicles or heavy weapons.

However he has ordered his troops to step up security measures including a strict check on people and vehicles which approach the border checkpoint and sought negotiation to ease problems such as talks by the regional border committee earlier scheduled in April.

Thailand on Saturday announced its departure from the World Heritage Convention (WHC) at the WHC meeting in Paris, saying the World Heritage Committee failed to heed its request seeking postponement of Cambodia's unilaterally proposed Preah Vihear temple management plan, as Thailand fears that it may threaten national sovereignty.

Ties between the neighbours have been strained since Preah Vihear temple was granted UN World Heritage status in July 2008.

Cambodia's Defence Ministry on Tuesday also denied that it has reinforced troops and weapons at the border with Thailand, China's Xinhua news agency reported.

The ministry also rejected the claim by Thailand's Army Region 2 spokesman Colonel Prawit Hookaew that there were some arms training such as grenade launcher and artillery taking place on Cambodian side.

On Monday, Col Prawit said that there was some redeployment and reinforcement of Cambodian troops along the border following Thailand's withdrawal of its membership from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Convention on Saturday.

"Royal Cambodian Armed Forces absolutely reject this badwilled fabrication by Thai troops to slander Cambodia and to prepare a scenario to intoxicate and lie to national and international communities," the ministry said in a statement. "This fabricated information by Thai troops is just a groundless argument in advance, aiming at attacking and invading Cambodian territory sometime in the future," it added.