Thailand asks Cambodia to use bilateral solution in border dispute

BANGKOK, Oct 16 (TNA) – Thailand called on Cambodia to use bilateral forums to resolve the border dispute and reaffirmed that Thailand is committed to using peaceful means to solve the border dispute, Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat (pictured) said Thursday. Responding to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's urging that Thailand and Cambodia exercise utmost restraint and that the two countries expedite bilateral talks so their differences can be resolved peacefully, Mr. Tharit said Thailand was committed to restraint and bilateral negotiations to solve the border dispute when Cambodia brought the issue to multilateral forums, ASEAN and the United Nations Security Council in July. Mr. Tharit, Director-General of the Department of Information, added that Thailand maintained its stance to resolve differences at bilateral talks. "When the economic problem is doomed, why do we have to waste money and our personnel on that issue. It's non-sense to exercise power to end row. We reaffirm again and again that we exercise restraint and finally the two sides have to return to peaceful negotiations. Please do not use provocation." he said. Thailand won't start the fight and will use only the same level of weaponry to return the fight to avoid further violence and worsen the situation, even the kingdom has more advanced armaments, he said. (TNA)