Cambodian PM to ask UN secretary-general to coordinate border issue with Thailand

12 August, 2010

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday said that he will ask the UN Secretary General to play the role as coordinator for border issues with Thailand.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will visit Cambodia on Oct. 27- 28, Hun Sen announced at the meeting of Tonle Sap Conversation in Phnom Penh. "I will ask him to act as coordinator," he said.

The premier, however, insisted that the bilateral border talks will be resumed unless Thai legislative approved the border agreements reached by both border committees in past years, or it will just waste our time. Hun Sen said he will also invite the third party, such as the UN or the ASEAN to join the border talks.

"It is very ridiculous that Thailand accused Cambodia of invading and using forces," Hun Sen said, adding that according to the judgment of the Hague International Court in 1962, the Preah Vihear temple and its surrounding area belong to Cambodia, so there is no disputed border between Cambodia and Thailand.

"I don't know where is the area of 4.6 square kilometers, so how could I ask my people and army to withdraw?"

He also appealed to Thai media to consider about their stories before publishing after Thai Prime Minister Abhisit said Thai media misquoted him.

Meanwhile, Hun Sen reiterated that Cambodia does not seek to use force to resolve the border issue, but he said "we will defend our territorial integrity."

Hun Sen on Sunday sent letters to UN's Security Council President Vitaly Churkin, and UN's General Assembly President Ali Abdussalam Treki to inform about Thailand would use arms to resolve the border issue.

Cambodia and Thailand have the border conflict just one week after Cambodia's Preah Vihear Temple was registered as World Heritage Site in July 2008.

And over the past days, Cambodia and Thailand have exchanged war of words concerning who won at the recent UNESCO's meeting in Brazil on the conservation and management plan submitted by Cambodian side over the world cultural heritage site.

Cambodia was due to present its progress report on the conservation and management plan of the Preah Vihear Temple to UNESCO's committee for World Heritage, but that was opposed by Thai side, saying that it can only be done after the border issues between the two nations have been finalized.

However, UNESCO accepted the report but suggested it be examined next year in Bahrain.

Source: Xinhua