Border clash evidence to be presented to UNSC

via CAAI

BANGKOK, Feb 11 -- Thailand's Foreign Ministry has collected evidence on the recent Thai-Cambodian border clashes to clarify to a meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York on Monday, the ministry spokesman said here Friday.

Thani Thongphakdi, Director-General of the Department of Information, said the briefing was expected to last about an hour or an hour and a half.

It would be a closed-door meeting to be attended by Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong, and Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa in his capacity as the current chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in which Thailand and Cambodia both are members.

The meeting has been scheduled at 10am local time, he said.

Mr Thani said Thailand would present an accurate account of recent developments to the Security Council as well as provide information about the state of the overall bilateral relations between Thailand and Cambodia, which have progressed well in political, economic and social aspects, with amicable interactions between the peoples of both countries.

It will also emphasise Thailand’s commitment and efforts to resolve the situation peacefully through dialogue.

Thailand would also stress that it did not intend to start a war to invade another country.

None of the clashes that took place were initiated by Thailand. Thailand responded to Cambodia’s provocation in self-defence while exercising utmost restraint. The Thai response was aimed only at military targets and confined to the areas of the clashes in an attempt to contain the incidents from escalating, he said.

Mr Thani said that during the flight transit in Paris, France, Mr Kasit would meet Asda Jayanama, chief of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC).

Mr Asda will also be in Paris to meet the head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to clarify Thailand's stance on listing of Preah Vihear Temple as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the request to put off the consideration of the temple management plan to be proposed by Cambodia as it was a sensitive issue and led to the clashes between Thailand and Cambodia.

The information prepared by Thailand included historical documents, maps, photos and video footages arould the contested area along Thai-Cambodia border and photos of the recent clashes and the damages caused by Cambodian weapons.

Mr Kasit's entourage comprises the ministry's experienced legal experts who are keen on the border issue--Permanent Secretary Theerakun Niyom, Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs Director Genral Ittiporn Boonprakong, Thai ambassador to the Netherlands Weerachai Pladisai and Mr Thani himself. (MCOT online news)