Bangkokpost
The government is out of line in blaming Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh for carrying bad news from Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. The double-barrelled attack on the new Puea Thai Party convert by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya is more a case of "shooting the messenger" than defending the Thai national interest. It is better to get the divisive and undiplomatic views of the Khmer leader out in the open, where they can be properly examined. The open and biased support for fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra is the responsibility of Mr Hun Sen, not Gen Chavalit.
That said, it also is clear that Gen Chavalit had his own motives for exposing the pro-Thaksin, anti-government stance of Mr Hun Sen. It is only difficult to accept that he acted against the country in publicising the stance of the Cambodian prime minister. Over the past year or more, Mr Hun Sen has become more aggressive in his statements against Thai authorities and Thailand in general. Last week's trip to Phnom Penh, when Gen Chavalit extracted the strong pro-Thaksin comments from Mr Hun Sen, finally made it clear why he has so frequently sought the chance to antagonise the Thai government and nation.
From mid-2008, after Thailand assumed the role of chairman of Asean, Mr Hun Sen has consistently taken hostile verbal pot-shots at the country. He tried to fan a movement to remove Thailand as Asean chairman, and continuously played up the disagreements over the border around Preah Vihear temple. Last month, in a vicious show of antagonism, Mr Hun Sen said he had ordered the Cambodian army to "shoot on sight" any Thai who intruded into what Cambodia claims as its border territory.
Many believed that Premier Hun Sen was acting loudly and aggressively in defence of his country - pandering dangerously to nationalist fervour, but at least acting in the interest of Cambodia. Thanks to the visit by Gen Chavalit, the motives behind the sharp anti-Thai statements have become clearer. Mr Hun Sen has now espoused his strong friendship with Mr Thaksin, and come clean on his belief that his friend has been victimised, in the manner of the democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma. That is a tough comparison even for strong Thaksin supporters to swallow; it only succeeded in angering Burmese democrats.
The government should not be attacking Gen Chavalit, but simply addressing problems with Cambodia with professional diplomacy. Gen Chavalit's trip to Cambodia has rubbed a raw spot between the two countries. But that is the fault of the stance of Mr Hun Sen. Gen Chavalit has said little out of line about Thaksin and his illegal self-exile. He favours some sort of amnesty for Thaksin, but in public, at least, has not supported statements by Mr Hun Sen implicating the government and courts in victimising Thaksin.
Mr Abhisit and Mr Kasit have simply stated the obvious by saying the government will not bow to pressure that might come from Gen Chavalit's foreign travels. Their duty is to defend the nation from unwarranted criticism from abroad. The only person running down Thailand lately has been Mr Hun Sen. Gen Chavalit, at worst, has exploited the government's attempt to cover up a serious breach of diplomacy by the Cambodian premier. Mr Hun Sen's own words, directed at Thailand and then repeated to the state-controlled media in Cambodia, make it clear what he thinks about this country, and why.
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