Phnom Penh and Bangkok promise to behave

Phnom Penh and Bangkok promise to behave


26 Oct 2008

By Pen Bona
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Sess Sâr
Click here to read the article in French

The two PMs met in China on Friday 24 October, on the sideline of the ASEM meeting, in order to discuss about the Preah Vihear situation.

The two government leaders promise not to make use of force to resolve border disputes between the two countries. That announcement was the only concrete highlight of their meeting. For the rest, the Preah Vihear case is still in a deadlock. Nevertheless, Hor Nam Hong, the Cambodian minister of Foreign Affairs, and Sompong Amornwiwat, his Thai counterpart, said that they are optimist. At the end of the meeting, they told reporters that Hun Sen and Somchai Wongsawat “agreed” that “fighting” like the one which took place on 15 October “will not happen again.” From official source, the fighting between the two armies led to the death of three Cambodian soldiers and one Thai casualty.

The calming declarations came on the heel of the meeting of the army chiefs from the two camps which took place in Siem Reap on 23-24 October. There as well, the two countries assured that they will not use force to resolve their difference.

Nonetheless, these very diplomatic speeches do not convince much anybody. For several months now, leaders from both countries gave out soothing speeches, but actually in the field, no solution can be seen in the horizon as of yet

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