PM Hun Sen denies Thai report on offering military training

13 Oct, 2010
Source:Xinhua

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen denied Wednesday that his country had offered any military training to Thai civilians.

Delivering a speech to graduate students in Phnom Penh, Hun Sen made a public denial and instead he assured that Cambodia has obligation "to fight against terrorism" and Cambodia has no interest in interfering into the "internal affairs of Thailand".

Hun Sen denied the charges after Thailand's Department of Special Investigation claimed that 11 Thais arrested early this month in Thailand's northern province of Chiang Mai, had said they were taken to Cambodia along with 39 others and were trained on the use of arms.

The DIS allegedly charged the claim by referring it to the 11 arrested as saying they were trained in Cambodia's northern province of Siem Reap.

Cambodia has made subsequent denials on the charges, saying the country's constitution stipulates that it never accept and accommodate any foreign movement that is aimed at fighting their own respecting governments and nor military bases allowed in the country.

Cambodia and Thailand have had a border dispute in 2008, about a week after Cambodia's ancient Preah Vihear Temple was registered as the World Heritage Site.

After then several rounds of gun fires were exchanged, and relations between the two nations were on and off until in recent weeks, while military presence from both sides remained at the border area near the Preah Vihear Temple.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Wednesday that in his last recent meeting with Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejajjiva, in Brussels, Belgium on the sidelines of the ASEM Summit, he had discussed two particular points regarding the ratifications to be approved by the Thailand parliament on agreements reached earlier by the two governments and the second of which was on redeployment of the armed forces from the border area near the temple.

The two leaders will meet again later this month in Hanoi, Vietnam.