Cambodia cancels plan to ask Thai to sign permanent ceasefire: PM

Feb 22, 2011
(Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH-- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Tuesday morning that Cambodia canceled its plan to ask Thailand to sign the permanent ceasefire under the witness of ASEAN chair or representative during the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting Tuesday in Jakarka, Indonesia.

"I have told (Foreign Minister) Hor Namhong already, it's no need to ask Thailand to sign the permanent cease fire as Thai side announced to receive observers from Indonesia to the border disputed area," Hun Sen said during a graduation ceremony at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.

"Cambodia welcomes your (Thai's) proposal to receive observers to imbed in your army," he said, adding that "and Cambodia will also ask observers from Indonesia to imbed in Cambodian side as soon as possible,"

Last week, Hun Sen was proposing a signing of permanent ceasefire between the two countries along with ASEAN chair to secure the effectiveness, but Thailand is objecting to the proposal.

"I don't want you to sign in Jakarta and it will be bogged down in Bangkok due to your parliament fails to ratify," he said.

"Up to now, the situation at the border is evolving well if there is no change of Thai leaders. The ceasefire will happen and there will be observers from Indonesia," he said.

However, the premier expressed his worrying "if there is any change of Thai side over the request of observers from now to the afternoon."

Hun Sen, at the same time, stressed that "Cambodia welcomes the observers for monitoring the ceasefire, and they can go to the frontline and to check artillery, the caches, at whenever, wherever and everything, nothing to conceal."

"The observers from Indonesia is enough to ensure ceasefire," he expressed his belief.

"But the issue of border dispute with Thailand will not finish easily, can not be finished in one day or few days, but it will take for long time," he said.

The premier announced that Cambodia has already prepared documents and will appeal to the Hague for explanation of the verdict in 1962 to end the dispute, he said

Meanwhile, Hun Sen clarified the accusation of Thai 'Yellow Shirt' group that Thai army commanders had signed agreement with Cambodian army commanders led by his son Hun Manet in the negotiation on Feb. 19.

"The negotiation, held on Saturday last week between commanders of two armies, was the wish of two sides," he said. "No any agreement signed during the talks, I informed to 'the Yellow Shirt ' that there is no any agreement signed, the two sides' troop commanders just came to meet to ease the situation -- no troop mobility, no adding more tanks and forces to the disputed area only."

Moreover, Hun Sen said that despite the dispute with Thailand, Cambodia has no need to recruit young people for troops.

"Our forces are enough to defend the nation, and Cambodia has not added more forces to the border disputed areas since the dispute erupted," he said. "We just added tanks and artillery because we knew that you (Thailand) prepared to fight us."

Cambodia and Thailand have had border conflict just a week after Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was enlisted as World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.

The conflict is due to Thai claim of the ownership of 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub next to the temple. The latest clashes on Feb. 4-7, unleashed a barrage of artillery shells on both sides of the border, had killed and wounded many soldiers and citizens of both sides, and caused tens of thousands of the two countries' villagers nearby the disputed areas fleeing for safe shelters.

ASEAN foreign ministers are now in Jakarta to discuss the border spat between Cambodia and Thailand which has been dragged for two years along with the armed clashes that claimed nearly 20 lives since then and many others injured from both sides.

ASEAN countries consist of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Editor: Wang Guanqun