The Royal Government of Cambodia really wants a peaceful resolution to the border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand but warns that Cambodia will not hesitate to respond to hostile actions made by Thailand. This statement was made during a press conference on October 15, by Hor Namhong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
“We want to create a peaceful deal to solve this matter. The Cambodian Government wishes to reiterate its firm commitment to exercising the utmost restraint and to negotiating and working closely with the Thai side to avoid large-scale armed hostilities between the two countries," the Deputy Prime Minister said after Cambodian and Thai soldiers exchanged gunfire during a 2-hour skirmish earlier in the week.
The Deputy Prime Minister claimed, "Thai troops fired first and Cambodia has
the right to defend for Her own territory. I am pleased to report however that the situation on the border appears to have returned to normal.”Meanwhile, during the clash, Cambodian forces detained 10 Thai soldiers and have provided them with food and shelter, on the orders of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, the minister said.
"We will return the detainees to Thailand, when the Thai government asks us to do so," he added.
A Cambodian commander said on Thursday that 13 Thai soldiers who surrendered during a deadly border shoot-out had been returned to their units, although Thailand denies they were ever in custody.
Major General Srey Deok, commander of Cambodian troop operations in the disputed border area, was quoted as saying they had agreed to release the Thai soldiers after talks on Thursday with senior Thai military officials."We have already handed their weapons back to them," Srey Deok said, adding that the troops had been released and allowed to walk around the disputed area.
However, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon of the United Nations on Wednesday expressed his deep concern about the exchange of gunfire along the Cambodia-Thailand border and urged the neighbors to exercise "utmost restraint." "The secretary-general is deeply concerned about the exchange of gunfire today along the Cambodia-Thailand boarder and the reported casualties," Ban's spokeswoman Michele Montas was quoted as saying.
Tensions flared July 15 after UNESCO, the U.N. agency, approved Cambodia's bid to have the Preah Vihear temple named a World Heritage Site. Cambodia deployed about 800 troops to the border, and Thailand sent some 400 soldiers.
Two Thai soldiers lost legs earlier this month after stepping on land mines, three days after a brief gunfight broke out between soldiers from the two sides. One Cambodian and two Thai soldiers were wounded. Both sides claimed the other fired first and blamed each other for being on the wrong side of the border.
At a meeting with his visiting Thai counterpart Sompong Amornwiwat, Hor Namhong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation requested Thailand convene an immediate meeting of both nations’ Task Forces to discuss redeployment of the remaining troops from Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda, the withdrawal of Thai troops from TAMONE TOUCH and TAMONE THOM and make the site of TA KRABEY temple a demilitarized zone.
Hor Namhong also proposed meetings for representatives on 21-24 October 2008 in Siem Reap. He called for a meeting of the Cambodian-Thai Joint Commission on Demarcation of Land Boundaries (JBC) between 3-7 November 2008 in Cambodia and a further meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Cambodia and Thailand between 19-20 November in Thailand.
The aim of all these meetings is to push for an early settlement of the overall border problem; however, the Cambodian proposals cannot be confirmed until the Thai National Assembly provides its gives a green light in advance.
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