Post Today editorial

2 May, 2011
Source: Bangkok Post

Thailand must insist on two-party talks to resolve its longstanding border conflict with Cambodia.

For their part, Thai people must realise that this problem will be with us for a long time, and that further armed conflict could occur in the future.

Peaceful negotiations over border demarcation must be our guiding principle.

They may be time-consuming, but there are no better alternatives.

Attempts have been made by Cambodia to let a third party join the negotiating table, but the Thai government must insist on bilateral talks.

Through its use of force and violence, the Cambodian government has not shown its sincerity to resolve this longstanding problem.

The Abhisit government must use both diplomacy and sincerity to convince the Hun Sen government that, as neighbours, we can find a peaceful way out of this problem through bilateral talks.

It is not necessary to bring in a third party, such as the United Nations, or Indonesia, which is the chair of Asean.

The presence of a third party may create more conflict and misunderstanding, thereby harming the brotherly relations between the two countries.