Thai PM Calls for Peace at the Thai-Cambodian Border

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

2011-05-09

NDTV

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is calling for peace on the Thai-Cambodian border. At the ASEAN meeting on Sunday, he met with journalists, making a plea for peace.

[Abhisit Vejjajiva, Thai Prime Minister]:

"Because after all the objective of what we are doing shouldn't be about scoring political points, but thinking that there is some kind of technical victory on one issue or another. But the ultimate objective must be to achieve lasting peace. So, that both our people can live peacefully side by side along the Thai-Cambodian border.”

Southeast Asian leaders failed to achieve any breakthrough to end deadly border skirmishes between Thailand and Cambodia.

The clashes around crumbling Hindu temples in disputed areas have starkly illustrated the tensions between countries in the ASEAN. This could derail plans to create a single economic community by 2015, and the apparent inability of the bloc to deal with disagreements.

Indonesia has been pressing for a deal that would prevent the meeting being marred by the border dispute. But in the end all that was achieved was an announcement that the Thai and Cambodian foreign ministers would stay an extra day in Jakarta for more talks.

Earlier, Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen said the removal of "the armed forces from our own territory is not acceptable."

The two sides have spoken plenty of times in recent weeks, but without finding a resolution to the clashes.