PM: Unworried over Cambodia's Day of Anger event

Source: Mcot.net

BANGKOK, July 14 - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said nothing to be particularly worried over Cambodia's plan to hold its annual Day of Anger on July 15, as no report indicated any troubles, but the government would not be negligent in order to avoid fresh problems.

The Day of Anger is normally an annual event when Cambodians pay their respects to the souls of the mass victims who were killed by the Khmer Rouge during its reign of terror in Cambodia in the 1970s.

However, some Cambodian organisations, not necessarily official, reportedly were to hold an event with the same name with over 10,000 Khmers expected to turn up to show solidarity regarding the border dispute with Thailand.

Mr Abhisit said the government is closely monitoring the situation, and there was no reason to be overly concerned.

The government must deal carefully with border issues as they are sensitive. He emphasised the necessity of Thailand continuously expressing its rights over the disputed areas at the same time both sides must avoid clashes between the troops of the two countries, he said.

The premier said he believed Phnom Penh apparently wanted to apply 'psychological warfare' by organising the Day of Anger, while the UNESCO World Heritage meeting is scheduled to be held at the end of this month.

Cambodia is scheduled to submit its management plan which is expected to involve the the 4.6 square kilometre overlapping area near Preah Vihear Temple to UNESCO during the meeting.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti, who will attend the upcoming World Heritage Committee meeting, earlier notified the cabinet that he will ask the committee to postpone its consideration of the Cambodian management plan as there has not been a resolution of the territorial dispute between the two countries regarding the area.

As for the plan to revive the still bitter bilateral ties between Thailand and Cambodia, Mr Abhisit said the ball was in the Cambodian court as Phnom Penh did not appear to change its position. Thailand's ambassador to Cambodia has not yet returned to Phnom Penh.

However, the prime minister admitted the personal relations between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and himself have become gradually better without problems.

Mr Hun Sen has been at loggerheads with the Thai government, especially with his Thai counterpart Mr Abhisit, after his government appointed Mr Thaksin as its economic adviser late last year and refused to extradite him to Thailand.

Mr Thaksin, ousted in a bloodless coup in September 2006, was sentenced by Thailand’s Supreme Court Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions to a two-year prison term in absentia for having a conflict of interest in Bangkok’s Ratchadaphisek land purchase case.

Tensions between the neighbouring countries flared after the United Nations cultural body UNESCO approved Cambodia's bid in July last year to list the 11th century Preah Vihear temple as a world heritage site, while the question of sovereignty over the 4.6 square kilometres of surrounding land has never been clearly resolved.

The two neighbouring countries however reaffirmed to solve their border conflicts peacefully through the Joint Boundary Committee, while there were some clashes between the soldiers of two countries along the border. (MCOT online news)