Writer: BangkokPost.com
Published: 24/09/2009
(CAAI News Media)
The government will explain the situation on the Thai-Cambodian border in a television broadcast after the foreign minister returns from the United Nations, acting Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said on Thursday.
He was responding to the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship's (UDD) accusation the government was not taking any action over roads being constructed on the disputed 4.6-square-kilometre area near Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple.
"I'll invite Foreign Minister Kasit (Piromya) to explain the border situation to the public with me after he returns from the United Nations General Assembly in New York," Mr Suthep, who is in charge of security affairs, said.
He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had clear evidence to counter the red-shirts' accusation that the government was being passive.
"The red-clad leaders must be careful about raising this issue, because it could turn to hurt them in the end," he warned.
"The roads were built during the previous government. And even if there are roads in the border area it does not mean that the land belongs to Cambodia," he said.
Mr Suthep said Thai and Cambodian authorities should also meet to discuss the disputed maritime zone in the Gulf, where Phnom Penh has granted a concession to a French company to explore for petroleum in the area.
He said the two countries should discuss this so both could benefit from it, similar to the way Malaysia and Vietnam and discussed issues.
No comments:
Post a Comment