 |
| Abishit versus Xen |
Abhisit says fighting must stop before talks
28/04/2011
Bangkok Post Reporters and AGENCIES
Cambodian media report eight soldiers killed. They include a colonel, a major, two captains and two sub-lieutenants, Thai intelligence said.
Cambodia must stop firing before negotiations can be held to solve the border dispute, says Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
A war of words between the two country's leaders broke out yesterday, dimming hopes for ceasefire talks.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen accused the Abhisit government of being war-happy, in a manner he had not seen under previous Thai governments.
''Cambodia
is appealing for a ceasefire,'' Mr Hun Sen said in a speech in the
capital Phnom Penh, adding that he was ready to hold talks with his
Thai counterpart.
He
said in his first remarks since border fighting began last Friday that
he welcomed talks with Mr Abhisit at a meeting planned for Indonesia
early next month.
But Mr Abhisit struck back in his response. ''Cambodia said it was ready to talk, so why don't they stop shelling,'' he said.
Each side accuses the other of firing first.
Shelling continued for a sixth day yesterday. Cambodia opened fire
into Surin for 15 minutes late last night, but Thai troops did not
return fire. There was no immediate report of casualties.
Mr
Abhisit said Thailand was doing its best to resolve the situation but
it could not end the dispute without Cambodia's cooperation.
Mr
Abhisit said the easiest way to enter negotiations was for Cambodia to
hold fire, noting that a framework for talks was already in place.
Mr
Abhisit yesterday travelled by an army plane to Surin province to
visit soldiers injured in the fighting at the provincial hospital, and
to meet displaced civilians at an evacuation centre.
Defence
Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon plans to meet his Cambodian counterpart
Tea Banh after returning on Saturday from a visit to China, on
condition that the border skirmishes have ceased, said Gen Noppadon
Inthapanya, Gen Prawit's secretary.
He
said Gen Prawit was not scheduled to meet Gen Tea Banh yesterday
because he was supposed to leave for China and had no plan to postpone
it.
Earlier,
army spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Gen Prawit refused to talk
to his counterpart in Phnom Penh as suggested by Cambodia because he
was frustrated about Cambodian media reports which said Thailand had
accepted defeat.
Gen
Noppadon said Gen Prawit's plan to talk to Cambodia did not suggest a
defeat. Gen Prawit still wanted to resolve the dispute at the bilateral
level.
Gen Prawit declined to discuss the conflict, saying he would rather wait until he is back from China.
Foreign
Minister Kasit Piromya will meet Indonesia Foreign Minister Marty
Natalegawa today during an Asean culture meeting in Jakarta.
They are likely to discuss the dispute issue as Indonesia is Asean chairman.
Meanwhile,
field reports yesterday said one villager was killed and two others
wounded in a cross-border clash in Surin's Phanom Dong Rak and Kap
Choeng districts on Tuesday night.
The
casualties were allegedly inflicted by Cambodian gunfire during the
clash which started in the afternoon and continued until about 10.30pm.
The
Public Health Ministry said the fighting had so far resulted in 94
Thais being wounded and six killed - five Thai soldiers and one
civilian.
The
ministry said the border violence has forced nine state hospitals in
Buri Ram and Surin to suspend all but emergency services.
Disaster
Prevention and Mitigation Department director-general Wibul
Sanguanpong said 142 villages in Phanom Dong Rak, Kap Choeng and
Prasart districts of Surin have been declared emergency disaster zones
caused by outside forces. Altogether, 29,677 people living along the
Thai side of the border with Cambodia have been relocated to 22
evacuation centres in four districts of Surin, Mr Wibul said.
Cambodian media report eight soldiers killed. They include a colonel, a major, two captains and two sub-lieutenants, Thai intelligence said.
Army
chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha has ordered the army to set up a front
operation centre along the border in either Surin or Si Sa Ket
provinces, a military source said.
The front operation centre will act as a coordinating centre between the army and soldiers in the border area.
Meanwhile,
Privy Council president Gen Prem Tinsulanonda yesterday urged Thais to
give moral support to troops at the border. Asked if the miliary has
done its best to solve border conflicts, Gen Prem said the military
always does it best. ''I pray for them every day. Thai soldiers are
strong and we should give them support,'' he said.
Post a Comment