Thursday, 7 August 2008

PM Welcomes France’s Presence in Peaceful Negotiation on Border Dispute

Phnom Penh, August 7, 2008

AKP -- “We welcome France to coordinate in the peaceful discussion between Cambodia and Thailand on border dispute,” Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said during his first public speech in Kampong Speu province on August 6, after the national election last month.

France is a key coordinator in solving Cambodian-Thai border dispute, because France is the country that signed a treaty on border with Thailand in 1904 and 1907 and led to the plantation of border demarcation posts in 1908. And this issue happened because of the map, so we would like to welcome France to coordinate in this dispute, he said.

His reaction was made following an information over Thai Foreign Minister’s proposition to have France as coordinator on this issue.

He also welcomed the request of the ex-Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai and the Thai Opposition Party Leader Abhisit Vejjajiva to solve the border dispute between the two countries in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2000.

The problem in Preah Vihear was also provoked by the extremists of the two countries, said the Cambodian premier.

“Thai extremists used the Preah Vihear problem to topple the Thai government while Cambodian extremists used the same issue to decrease the popularity of the Cambodian People’s Party,” underlined Samdech Techo Hun Sen.

“If I was not Prime Minister, the war between Cambodia and Thailand would erupt since July 15, when around a hundred of Thai troops encroached on Cambodian territory, in the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda, about 300 meters from the Preah Vihear Temple,” he said.

“To wage war is easy, just 2 minutes it would happen, but when would it finish? Who would suffer? How many Cambodian and Thai people would die?” he asked.

According to the Cambodian leader, another new round of meeting between both countries’ foreign ministers is scheduled on August 18 at Hua Hin, Thailand.

(By Mr. KHAN Sophirom)

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