Thai-Cambodian conflict will not be discussed at Mekong Summit

HUA HIN, March 27 (TNA) -- Government leaders of countries which are members of Mekong River Commission (MRC), including Cambodian Prime
Minister Hun Sen, will attend their first summit in the Thai resort of Hua Hin early next month, said Thai Foreign Affairs Minister Kasit Piromya on Saturday.

Mr Kasit told journalists that government leaders of MRC which also include Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, will attend the summit, tol be held between April 2-5.

As the summit where government leaders will discuss the record low-water levels in the Mekong River which has impacted agriculture in the member countries, Mr Kasit said no bilateral conflict between Thailand and Cambodia would be raised at the meeting.

If members of the public want to protest against Mr Hun Sen during the meeting they could do so, but only within the set boundary.

Mr Hun Sen has been at loggerheads with the Thai government, especially with his Thai counterpart Abhisit Vejjajiva, after his government appointed fugitive, ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra as its economic adviser late last year and refused to extradite him to Thailand.

Mr Thaksin, ousted in a bloodless coup in September 2006, was sentenced by Thailand’s Supreme Court Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions to a two-year prison term in absentia for having a conflict of interest in Bangkok’s Ratchadaphisek land purchase case.

Mr Kasit said he did not want to see a protest against Mr Hun Sen, if it posed an obstacle to the joint development of the Mekong River.

Touching on the current protest against the Abhisit government by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) which is demanding the dissolution of the House and a fresh general election, Mr Kasit said he believed the demonstration would not impact the upcoming summit.

He urged the Thai people to cooperate with neighbouring countries, and said that it would benefit the Thai themselves. (TNA)