ID :
114564
Thu, 04/01/2010 - 20:20
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/114564
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PM Abhisit to attend Mekong River Summit in Hua Hin
BANGKOK, April 1 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajva will attend the first Mekong River Commission (MRC) Summit at the coastal resort Hua Hin, Prachuab Khiri Khan April 4-5, according to Deputy Secretary-General to the Prime Minister Panithan Wattanayakorn.
Dr Panithan, also acting government spokesman, said five government leaders of MRC member countries which are members of MRC, including Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, have agreed to attend the meeting this weekend.
The MRC was established in 1995 by an agreement between the goverments of the Lower Mekong Basin, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
China and Myanmar will attend as dialogue partners.
The summit, the first of its kind, will gather together regional political leaders and a range of experts in the field of integrated water resources management. It will serve to strengthen regional cooperation between member countries, dialogue partners and civil society at large in this important area.
This event marks the 15th Anniversary of the MRC and will serve to reaffirm at the highest level, political commitment of member countries to the mission of the MRC.
It will aim to reaffirm the continued good relationships that the organisation has with dialogue partners -- China and Myanmar -- and discuss a range of challenges and opportunities facing the Mekong Basin today, especially the long-term effects of climate change and the role of river basin organisations in poverty alleviation.
Mr Panithan said the government is confident regarding security concerns as the Internal Security Act (ISA) is to be invoked April 3-5.
There has been no special request for security personnel from the attending leaders, including Mr Hun Sen, he said.
The acting government spokesman also said that the government is not concerned if Veera Somkwankid, chairman of the Civil Rights and Liberty Group which monitored the Preah Vihear case, plans to submit a protest letter to Mr Hun Sen.
He said Thai Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, assigned to direct security for the summit, will provide an area for political expression, Dr Panithan said.
Thai Foreign Affairs Minister Kasit Piromya on Saturday said no bilateral conflict between Thailand and Cambodia will be raised at the meeting.
Mr Hun Sen has been at loggerheads with the Thai government, especially with his Thai counterpart, Mr Abhisit, 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.
Tensions between the neighbouring countries flared after the United Nations cultural body UNESCO approved Cambodia's bid in July last year to list the 11th century Preah Vihear temple as a world heritage site, while the question of sovereignty over the 4.6 square kilometres of surrounding land has never been clearly resolved.
The two neighbouring countries however reiterated to solve the border conflicts peacefully through the Joint Boundary Committee, while there have been some clashes between the soldiers of two countries along the border.
The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear temple belongs to Cambodia, but Thailand holds that it by right holds the 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) area surrounding the ancient temple.
Border demarcation in the area remains unresolved and sporadic clashes have occurred recently. (TNA)
Dr Panithan, also acting government spokesman, said five government leaders of MRC member countries which are members of MRC, including Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, have agreed to attend the meeting this weekend.
The MRC was established in 1995 by an agreement between the goverments of the Lower Mekong Basin, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
China and Myanmar will attend as dialogue partners.
The summit, the first of its kind, will gather together regional political leaders and a range of experts in the field of integrated water resources management. It will serve to strengthen regional cooperation between member countries, dialogue partners and civil society at large in this important area.
This event marks the 15th Anniversary of the MRC and will serve to reaffirm at the highest level, political commitment of member countries to the mission of the MRC.
It will aim to reaffirm the continued good relationships that the organisation has with dialogue partners -- China and Myanmar -- and discuss a range of challenges and opportunities facing the Mekong Basin today, especially the long-term effects of climate change and the role of river basin organisations in poverty alleviation.
Mr Panithan said the government is confident regarding security concerns as the Internal Security Act (ISA) is to be invoked April 3-5.
There has been no special request for security personnel from the attending leaders, including Mr Hun Sen, he said.
The acting government spokesman also said that the government is not concerned if Veera Somkwankid, chairman of the Civil Rights and Liberty Group which monitored the Preah Vihear case, plans to submit a protest letter to Mr Hun Sen.
He said Thai Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, assigned to direct security for the summit, will provide an area for political expression, Dr Panithan said.
Thai Foreign Affairs Minister Kasit Piromya on Saturday said no bilateral conflict between Thailand and Cambodia will be raised at the meeting.
Mr Hun Sen has been at loggerheads with the Thai government, especially with his Thai counterpart, Mr Abhisit, 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.
Tensions between the neighbouring countries flared after the United Nations cultural body UNESCO approved Cambodia's bid in July last year to list the 11th century Preah Vihear temple as a world heritage site, while the question of sovereignty over the 4.6 square kilometres of surrounding land has never been clearly resolved.
The two neighbouring countries however reiterated to solve the border conflicts peacefully through the Joint Boundary Committee, while there have been some clashes between the soldiers of two countries along the border.
The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear temple belongs to Cambodia, but Thailand holds that it by right holds the 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) area surrounding the ancient temple.
Border demarcation in the area remains unresolved and sporadic clashes have occurred recently. (TNA)
