ID :
178228
Wed, 04/27/2011 - 10:32
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/178228
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Thai defence minister cancels visit to Cambodia
BANGKOK, April 27 (TNA) - Thai Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan has canceled his planned trip to Cambodia for talks on a border ceasefire, scheduled on Wednesday.
Thai Army Spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd confirmed that the Thai government decided on Tuesday night to cancel General Prawit's visit to Phnom Penh on April 27 following some Cambodian media reports that Thailand agreed on the ceasefire talks after admitting defeat and losses.
Colonel Sansern insisted that Thailand welcomes talks on the condition that Cambodia first stop firing for a few days, and that the Thai administration has clearly informed Cambodia of the condition.
While affirming that Thai soldiers can still control the border situation with Cambodia and will not lose a square inch of Thai territory, the Thai defence minister said that he believes both sides can still solve their bilateral problems through negotiations.
Eight Cambodian and five Thai troops have reportedly died in five days of heavy weapons crossfire between the two neighbouring countries. The new spate of border clashes, which erupted last Friday, have spread along the border on Tuesday, from an area near Ta Kwai Temple in Phnom Dongrak District of Thailand's northeastern Surin Province to a contentious area near the Preah Vihear Temple in nearby Si Sa Ket's Kantaralak District, forcing evacuations of nearly 30,000 border villagers to safe places, mostly to temporary shelters in Surin's four inner districts.
Meanwhile, the Thai Ministry of Interior's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation has declared a total of 142 villages in Surin's Phnom Dongrak, Kap Choeng and Prasart Districts emergency disaster zones caused by outside forces.
In previous Thai-Cambodian border clashes near the Preah Vihear temple in February this year, 10 people were killed, prompting a UN appeal for a permanent ceasefire. (TNA)
Thai Army Spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd confirmed that the Thai government decided on Tuesday night to cancel General Prawit's visit to Phnom Penh on April 27 following some Cambodian media reports that Thailand agreed on the ceasefire talks after admitting defeat and losses.
Colonel Sansern insisted that Thailand welcomes talks on the condition that Cambodia first stop firing for a few days, and that the Thai administration has clearly informed Cambodia of the condition.
While affirming that Thai soldiers can still control the border situation with Cambodia and will not lose a square inch of Thai territory, the Thai defence minister said that he believes both sides can still solve their bilateral problems through negotiations.
Eight Cambodian and five Thai troops have reportedly died in five days of heavy weapons crossfire between the two neighbouring countries. The new spate of border clashes, which erupted last Friday, have spread along the border on Tuesday, from an area near Ta Kwai Temple in Phnom Dongrak District of Thailand's northeastern Surin Province to a contentious area near the Preah Vihear Temple in nearby Si Sa Ket's Kantaralak District, forcing evacuations of nearly 30,000 border villagers to safe places, mostly to temporary shelters in Surin's four inner districts.
Meanwhile, the Thai Ministry of Interior's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation has declared a total of 142 villages in Surin's Phnom Dongrak, Kap Choeng and Prasart Districts emergency disaster zones caused by outside forces.
In previous Thai-Cambodian border clashes near the Preah Vihear temple in February this year, 10 people were killed, prompting a UN appeal for a permanent ceasefire. (TNA)
